July 4, 2004, is the day I officially counted myself as a member of Open Door Community Church, Sherwood. I was very shy to this church when I first came. I was shy because in this church I felt something I had never felt in a church - warmth, unlike other churches which were cold me.
I had traveled with my father around the small town we lived in going from church to church. Every time he found a church, he would say, “I have a feeling that I have to be here.” And we both did. The first church threw him out the moment he said “gay.” We were accepted at the second church without sniveling looks from the congregation or anyone, but dad kept his orientation a secret. Dad became the sound director for awhile. He poured his soul into that church, but he was unhappy because he still had these “feelings.” The way I saw him hurting hurt me, and I knew that no church in our hometown could accept him if he was honest. He came to me some months later beaming about a new church full of love and acceptance “no matter what.” That caught me of guard, how could any church… love. Well we went one Sunday after hearing his endless story of how a Pastor named Randy ran after my dad at the church, up the incline of the parking lot, just to hug him and say welcome, how they went to eat, how Randy just throws the trash in the backseat!
On a following Sunday I went with dad to this new church. I had never felt comfortable around men (not even my Dad) especially after my molestation in a hospital by another male patient. We got there a little late, like we sometimes do now. And when I entered my icy barrier was melted by a warm fire of love. I was shy. This love scared me. For days afterward I felt sick, as though my body was trying to purge the very thing that kept me from warming up. One Saturday, I made myself sit and listen to what I was reading, the Bible, the little red letters, the word Love in red letters. I had always been told that Jesus loved me so he died for me. When I read Love in red letters it made sense. For Jesus so loved the world that he came himself that whoever calls his name in true faith shall never die but will live forever! For Jesus didn’t come to condemn us, but through absolute unconditional love the world would be saved!
The next time I remember being at this church, I didn’t want to go and be sick the whole next week. I went anyway. I remember hearing about the Fourth of July cookout/swim party/baptism. by this time I was warm to Pastor Randy and his partner Gary. I loved what Randy did with the music. That was it. Then he talked about how we get baptized as a commitment to Jesus and to live the way Jesus lived. I wanted to be like Jesus, to take all the problems of the world and dissolve them permanently. I have recently found out that Jesus didn’t do that at all. All he did was open the door between himself and all creation. Jesus' plan was to tear down a wall and build a bridge. He did that with his cross. I heard that in a song:
This testimonial is from Dean Stuckey, who attends Open Door Community Church with his father and sister.
It was at the swim party/baptism where I truly opened up and began to make friends with my new church family. So many people helped make me feel welcome and loved and part of the family - Bubba, Kevin, Richie, Todd, and Jerry, among many others.
I was now a fire in the world burning and putting off heat, not a cold flame burning in a freezer. That was the day I was baptized. That was when I was caught in Jesus, and he wasn’t going to let go! That saved me many times from suicide. I identify as bisexual, but not all of my family accepts this. Some don't believe I could be anything but straight. I’m not and that hurts because when I tell them, they put me down and say “You can’t.” This hurts me because I can't be me. I have to put up this front of straightness. My prayer is that one day they will understand. I just have to tear down that wall and build a bridge, just as Jesus did.
I went through three churches: one of unconditional unacceptance; one of conditional acceptance; and the one I’ll always be a part of, one of unconditional acceptance - this one - Open Door Community Church.