On that Sunday morning a group of expectant worshipers met with our founding co-pastors, Steve Oates and Ronnie Holmes, and gave birth to this vibrant congregation. Open Door has a desire to reach our community with the "good news" of Jesus Christ, to disciple those making commitments and to serve our community as Jesus Christ Himself would. This mission has brought consistent growth to the church. Our first church home was at 1901 South 12th Street, Waco, Texas. Congregants painted, air conditioned and did the other things necessary to prepare the building for service. Commitment to our mission soon filled the building to capacity, as we reached out into the community. Cars lined the streets of the neighborhood. More room was needed!

God led us to an abandoned Safeway site at 17th and Dutton, Waco, Texas. Once more congregants picked up hammers, saws, brushes and aprons. The men and women worked and cooked. The building was transformed and we had a lovely church home. On August 8, 1992, just two short years after our first service, we dedicated that building to God's service.



As we continued to pursue the call of God to love Him and love people from a variety of cultural, social and economic backgrounds, we grew and sold that building as well. In 1998, Church of the Open Door acquired the four-year old Albertson's grocery store building, just off Interstate 35 in Bellmead, a suburb of Waco, Texas, where we are presently located.

Although growth has necessitated different phases of building, our mission is not about buildings, it is about people! We know that as we maintain our commitment to our purposes, other buildings will be needed. God will provide what is required to achieve His purposes.