Does being a Christian necessitate a belief in the supernatural?
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Yes! It is written, “Then I saw another angel flying in midair, and he had the eternal gospel to proclaim to those who live on the earth—to every nation, tribe, language and people.” (Revelation 14:6, NIV)
That people includes many scientists who believe as you describe. Now Jesus described what becoming a Christian means:
After John was arrested, Jesus went to Galilee, preaching the good news of God: “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God has come near. Repent and believe in the good news!” (Mark 1:14-15, HCSB)
Repenting means to change your mind, to agree with God about certain things that you did not believe before, both to agree that your behavior and morals are imperfect and need to change, as well as form new ideas about God.
Jesus promised his disciples that after he rose from the dead, he would send the Holy Spirit. This happened in the Book of Acts. A prominent emphasis in Acts is the baptism by the Holy Spirit. Just as Jesus told Nicodemus, to become a Christian, you must be born from above, aka born again. That is what the church taught and teaches still.
Jesus said that every blasphemy will be forgiven - even blasphemy against his name - but not blasphemy against the Holy Spirit. (See Matthew 12:31-32.)
Therefore, the proof of necessary repentance is God’s gift of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is supernatural. Thus the scientist who does not believe in the supernatural can become a Christian, but in the process, they will as a consequence of God’s activity in their life repent of their unbelief and acknowledge what God has done.
In other words, dry things can become wet if you pour water on them. Unspiritual people can become Spiritual if the Spirit is poured on them.
“For you are saved by grace through faith, and this is not from yourselves; it is God's gift — not from works, so that no one can boast. (Ephesians 2:8-9, HCSB)
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