Open Door Christian Church

This Sunday (Sept. 11th), I visited Open Door Christian Church at the corner of 5th & B Street. They had between 50 and 60 in attendance with a good mix of ages. They are a charismatic church which tends to emphasize a lively worship, a renewed life, and the gifts of the Holy Spirit.

The pastor, W. Paul Bemis, who attended Golden Gate Baptist Theological Seminary in Mill Valley, CA, speaks of receiving a supernatural healing from prostate cancer, which turned his life and ministry around. While some Christians have rejoiced, Pastor Paul said in his sermon others have been very skeptical. Some Christians have told him he never had cancer in the first place, though he has medical documents saying he had stage 2 cancer. Others have told him he still has cancer, though his doctor told him he no longer has any sign of cancer. Perhaps the hardest - some Christians have asked Pastor Paul, "Why did God heal you and not me? or, "Why did God heal you and not my loved one?" Paul admits he does not have a ready simple answer for such tough questions. He is just very happy his cancer no longer appears on any test (and yes, he goes back for retests).

Though many churches have the name Open Door, this one has roots in Church of the Open Door that started in Mill Valley in the early 70s, connected with the Jesus movement though often led by pastors trained at Golden Gate Baptist Seminary. The Mill Valley church moved to San Rafael soon thereafter, and from there started churches in Novato, Petaluma, and Vallejo. Though they started a church in San Francsico, that church is completely on its own these days and has changed its name. Another branch started churches in the Los Angeles area, which took a Fundamentalist turn and are no longer affiliated with the original Open Door churches. Living Streams Church in Phoenix, AZ, is another Open Door offshoot. They also started churches in Mexico City and London, which though independent, maintain a loose association with Open Door churches here.

I most enjoyed the worship, led by the talented Frank Van Meter and his lovely wife, Shannon (their daughter also joins them with a lovely voice). Frank is not only a muscian, but an artist, and you can see some of art at his website.