About Us
WHO WE ARE:
Mother Church
“The Door” - Christian Fellowship Church is associated with more than 1,600 congregations around the world. Christian Fellowship Ministries was founded and is led by Pastor Wayman Mitchell, Senior Pastor of The Potter’s House church of Prescott, AZ since 1970. This local body in Prescott is the mother church of the entire fellowship of churches.
Revival Church
In December of1973 Pastor Harold Warner and his young wife, Mona, were sent to Tucson to assume the pastorate of an almost defunct Foursquare mission on Veteran’s Blvd. on Tucson’s south side. “Brother Harold and sister Mona”, both saved in the Jesus People movement, were impervious to their humble surroundings and saw only a great opportunity to impact their generation for Christ. As the Warners simply began to preach, serve and evangelize, God honored their labors by bringing in scores of hippies and young people. Since then The Door Church has been privileged to experience several waves of revival from the workings of God’s Holy Spirit.
Flagship Church
One unique facet of Christian Fellowship Churches is the discipleship and training of couples within the local congregations to plant churches. True to the same vision that launched the Warners to Tucson, The Door planted its first baby church into Clifton, AZ in May, 1977. Today there are almost 250 churches worldwide that have their roots back to The Door Church. Also in the mid 70’s The Door inaugurated a semi-annual (now annual) Bible Conference that caters specifically to the vision and challenges of church planting. This early summer convention, which takes place at the Tucson Civic Center, is still the highlight of The Door’s lively calendar of events.
Growing Church
During the 1980's Tucson planted The Door in Colton. This church then sent a couple to begin this church here in Upland in 1994. It was started in the living room of a small house on G street in Upland and for 15 years has been preaching the gospel and making disciples to see the vision continued. We continue to seek new opportunities to partner with our many sister churches to let Southern California hear the good news of Jesus Christ.
OUR MISSION:
Fellowship
- (Acts 2:42) says “They devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and to the fellowship.” The life of the early church revolved around the faithful ministry of teaching and preaching God’s Word, and the bond of committed relationships that believers had with one another. (Gal 6:10) reiterates, “Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all, especially to those who are of the household of faith.” In order for worship to complete us, the church must be a fellowship of believers.
Evangelism
- (Mark 16:15) “And He said to them, ‘Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature…” The great commission has never been rescinded. Keeping the gospel “outside the four walls” is one of the defining ethics and emphasis of our ministry.
Discipleship
- (Matt 28:19-20) “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations… teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you…” Discipleship is a responsibility we take seriously. It is also a process where we challenge believers to mature and grow as followers of Christ seeking to do his will.
Devotion
- Devotion refers to our commitment to God's will, God’s ways, and God’s Word. We believe in a serious minded approach to communion with God. Finding the balance between legalism and license is the fruit of an intimate relationship with God.
STATEMENT OF FAITH:
We believe:
--There is only one God, and that He is eternally existent in Three Persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
--God the Father is the Creator of the universe. He created man in His own image for fellowship, and called man back to Himself through Christ after the rebellion and fall of man.
--Jesus Christ is eternally God. He was together with the Father and the Holy Spirit from the beginning, and through Him all things were made. He left heaven and became incarnate by the Holy Spirit of the Virgin Mary; henceforth, He is forever one Christ with two natures, God and Man, in one Person.
--The Holy Spirit is God, the Lord and giver of life, who was active in the Old Testament, and given to the Church in fullness at Pentecost. He empowers the saints for service and witness, cleanses man from the old nature, and conforms us to the image of Christ.
--The baptism in the Holy Spirit with evidence of speaking in tongues, subsequent to conversion, releases the fullness of the Spirit and is evidenced by the fruits and gifts of the Holy Spirit.
--In the Bible containing the Old and New Testaments is alone the only infallible, inspired Word of God, and that its authority is ultimate, final, and eternal. It cannot be added to, subtracted from, or superseded in any regard. The Bible is the source of all doctrine, instruction, correction, and reproof. It contains all that is needed for guidance in godliness and practical Christian conduct.
--Christ's vicarious death on the cross paid the penalty for the sins of the whole world. Its benefits of healing (body, soul, and spirit) are provided for in the atonement as well.
--That salvation is a free gift of God, based on the merits of the death of His Son, and is appropriated by faith. Salvation is affected by personal repentance, belief in the Lord Jesus (justification), and personal acceptance of Him into one's life as Lord and Savior (regeneration).
--The Christian life is to be one of consecration, devotion, and holiness. The shortcomings of the individual are because of the still progressing sanctification of the saints. The Christian life is filled with trials, tests, and warfare against a spiritual enemy. For those abiding in Christ until their deaths or His return, the promises of eternal blessing in the presence of God are assured.
-- The Church is the Body of Christ, the habitation of God among the saints through the Spirit. Every believer born of the Spirit has a place in the church designated by God. A place where Christ is working in the lives of the called out ones and calling ministers to the great commission to go into all the world and make disciples of every nation.
--In the ordinances of Baptism & the Lord's Supper. Baptism, is the outward sign of what God has already done in the individual's life, and is a public testimony that the person now belongs to Christ. It is identifying with the death and resurrection of Jesus and is done in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. The Lord's Supper is a commemoration of the death of the Lord and is done in remembrance of Him until He comes again; it is a sign of our participation in Him.
--In the bodily, personal, second coming of the Lord Jesus Christ, the resurrection of the saints, the millennium, and the final judgment. The final judgment will determine the eternal status of both the saints and the unbelievers, determined by their relationship to Jesus Christ.
--God the Father is the Creator of the universe. He created man in His own image for fellowship, and called man back to Himself through Christ after the rebellion and fall of man.
--Jesus Christ is eternally God. He was together with the Father and the Holy Spirit from the beginning, and through Him all things were made. He left heaven and became incarnate by the Holy Spirit of the Virgin Mary; henceforth, He is forever one Christ with two natures, God and Man, in one Person.
--The Holy Spirit is God, the Lord and giver of life, who was active in the Old Testament, and given to the Church in fullness at Pentecost. He empowers the saints for service and witness, cleanses man from the old nature, and conforms us to the image of Christ.
--The baptism in the Holy Spirit with evidence of speaking in tongues, subsequent to conversion, releases the fullness of the Spirit and is evidenced by the fruits and gifts of the Holy Spirit.
--In the Bible containing the Old and New Testaments is alone the only infallible, inspired Word of God, and that its authority is ultimate, final, and eternal. It cannot be added to, subtracted from, or superseded in any regard. The Bible is the source of all doctrine, instruction, correction, and reproof. It contains all that is needed for guidance in godliness and practical Christian conduct.
--Christ's vicarious death on the cross paid the penalty for the sins of the whole world. Its benefits of healing (body, soul, and spirit) are provided for in the atonement as well.
--That salvation is a free gift of God, based on the merits of the death of His Son, and is appropriated by faith. Salvation is affected by personal repentance, belief in the Lord Jesus (justification), and personal acceptance of Him into one's life as Lord and Savior (regeneration).
--The Christian life is to be one of consecration, devotion, and holiness. The shortcomings of the individual are because of the still progressing sanctification of the saints. The Christian life is filled with trials, tests, and warfare against a spiritual enemy. For those abiding in Christ until their deaths or His return, the promises of eternal blessing in the presence of God are assured.
-- The Church is the Body of Christ, the habitation of God among the saints through the Spirit. Every believer born of the Spirit has a place in the church designated by God. A place where Christ is working in the lives of the called out ones and calling ministers to the great commission to go into all the world and make disciples of every nation.
--In the ordinances of Baptism & the Lord's Supper. Baptism, is the outward sign of what God has already done in the individual's life, and is a public testimony that the person now belongs to Christ. It is identifying with the death and resurrection of Jesus and is done in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. The Lord's Supper is a commemoration of the death of the Lord and is done in remembrance of Him until He comes again; it is a sign of our participation in Him.
--In the bodily, personal, second coming of the Lord Jesus Christ, the resurrection of the saints, the millennium, and the final judgment. The final judgment will determine the eternal status of both the saints and the unbelievers, determined by their relationship to Jesus Christ.
STATEMENT OF FAITH
We believe:
- In the verbal inspiration of the original Scriptures.
- In the absolute trinity of the eternal God-head.
- In the deity of our Lord Jesus Christ.
- In the personality and deity of the Holy Spirit.
- In the reality and personality of the devil.
- In the natural depravity of the human race.
- In the substitutionary atonement.
- In the propitiation for sin only by the blood of Christ.
- In full salvation by grace through faith, and not by works.
- In divine healing through the atonement and prayer for the sick.
- In the personal baptism of the Holy Spirit.
- In the necessity of the new birth.
- In water baptism by immersion at an age of accountability.
- In the true Church composed of all blood-washed believers.
- In the evangelism of the heathen and the nations of the world.
- In obedience to civil government.
- In divorce only on New Testament scriptural grounds.
- In church government, loyalty and obedience to those in authority over us in the Lord.
- In tithing as God's financial plan.
- In the restitution for past wrongs whenever possible.
- In the open table at the Lord's Supper.
- In the maintenance of good works and holy living.
- In the victorious life over sin, self, and bad habits by Bible study and incessant prayer life.
- In Christian perfection and holiness, through absolute surrender and consecration.
- In Christian modesty in matters of dress and wearing apparel.
- In the keeping of the Lord's day as a matter of privilege rather than law.
- As regards recreation: liberty of conscience and Godly example to the world.
- In the immortal and conscious existence of the soul.
- In the resurrection of our literal bodies, the just and the unjust.
- In a literal Heaven and life everlasting for all true believers.
- In a final day of judgment for the incorrigibly wicked.
- In the everlasting punishment of the impenitent.
- In the personal, literal, bodily pre-millennial coming of Jesus Christ.
- In a future, literal, 1,000 year reign of Christ on earth with His saints.
- In the judgment seat of Christ where the saints will finally be rewarded for their deeds of commission and omission.
- In Christian tolerance to all denominations of Christian faith.
- In essentials--unity; in non-essentials--liberty; in all things--charity.