Open Door Community Church

We believe the Bible, collected as the sixty-six books of the Old and New Testaments, to be the inspired Word of God without error as originally written, and does not contradict itself, being the authority for all Christian faith and life.

We believe in one living and true God who is the creator and sustainer of all things, sovereign, eternal, holy, perfect and infinite. He exists in three equal persons: Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

We believe that God the Father has laid down a plan for the ages and is working all things together to fulfill that plan. The primary relationship of God the Father to his people is one of love, a relationship of intimacy and care, and one which gives his people assurance of his providential control of all circumstances.

We believe that Jesus Christ, the Son of God, is true God and true man. He existed eternally with the Father, became incarnate through conception by the Holy Spirit, was born of the virgin Mary, lived a sinless life and died as a vicarious atonement for sin. He arose bodily from the dead and ascended into heaven where he serves as high priest and advocate for his people.

We believe that God the Holy Spirit extends the ministry of Christ by applying the benefits of his work to believers. By faith, all believers are baptized in, and indwelt by, the Holy Spirit at their conversion. The Spirit continues his work in believers by assuring, motivating and empowering them to godly living and enabling for service. The Spirit works in unbelievers by convicting them of sin, righteousness and judgement. He is the agent of regeneration.

We believe that God created an innumerable group of spirit beings known as angels. One angel, Satan, led some angels in a revolt against God, while other remained faithful to God. Throughout history, Satan and his angelic forces, now called demons, have engaged in a cosmic battle against God, mankind and the remaining good angels.

We believe that God created the human race in his image, for his pleasure, to rule the earth and to enjoy fellowship with him. All human life is of equal worth, from conception to death. God created sexual intimacy to be shared solely within a marriage relationship; an exclusively heterosexual relationship between one woman and one man.

Although mankind was created perfect, the first man, Adam, sinned against his creator in a deliberate act of rebellion and disobedience. As a result of his sin, the entire human race is alienated from God, each person condemned to spiritual and physical death, and helpless to establish reconciliation.

We believe all men and women are born sinners and separated from God. We believe salvation is not by works but only by the Grace of God through Faith in His Son Jesus Christ, who offers us forgiveness of sin and eternal life.

We believe that the Church is composed of all who are united by the Holy Spirit through salvation, and that by that same Spirit we are all baptized into one body, thus being members, one of another and knit together in love.

We believe the local church is a community of believers who are united before God primarily for the purposes of worship, mutual edification, caring, discipleship and evangelism. The local church is under the headship of Christ and is self-governing.

The servant leaders of the local church are appointed by, and are accountable to, God and each other for all activities associated with the local church. Their leadership role will be apparent to the local community as they fulfill the role God has appointed. As a group, these leaders may, as they deem necessary, appoint or delegate others within the local church to assist in achieving the church vision.

We believe scripture indicates two ordinances to be regularly practiced by the local church: Baptism: The one-time immersion of a believer in water as an act of identification with, and in obedience to Christ. The Lord’s Table: The partaking of the bread and cup by believers in communion as a celebration of Christ’s sacrifice.

We believe that every Christian, by aid of the Holy Spirit, should walk in love and holiness, exhibiting qualities of honesty, integrity, forgiveness and loving-kindness. Non-loving behavior towards any group or individual is contrary to God’s teaching.

We believe in the promised bodily return of Jesus Christ who will judge both the living and dead. We believe in a bodily resurrection for all people, and those who have accepted Jesus will spend eternity in heaven while those who have rejected Jesus will spend eternity in hell.