Christian Open Door Church: Difference between revisions

| image = Porte Ouverte Chrétienne Church culte170517.jpg

| denomination = [[Evangelicalism]], [[Charismatic Christianity|charismatic]]

The '''Christian Open Door Church''' (''Mission du Plein Évangile – Église Porte Ouverte Chrétienne [POC]'') is a French [[EvangelicalCharismatic Christianity|charismatic]] [[Evangelicalism|evangelical]] [[Multi-site church|multi-site]] [[megachurch]] whose main place of worship is located in [[Mulhouse]]. It is the second largest [[Evangelicalism|Evangelical church]] in France, with over 2,200 people. The church is a member of the Francophone part of the Federation of Full Gospel Churches in Francophonie and the ConseilNational nationalCouncil desof évangéliquesEvangelicals deof France. The senior pastor is Samuel Peterschmitt.

In 2005, 1,500 people were regularly attending the church.<ref>Sébastien Fath, ''Du ghetto au réseau: Le protestantisme évangélique en France, 1800–2005'', Édition Labor et Fides, Genève, 2005, p. 221</ref><ref>{{cite book |title=Les évangéliques dans la France du XXIe siècle |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=eoB2fHmTcaEC&pg=PA102 |first=Franck |last=Poiraud |year=2007 |page=102 | publisher=Edilivre |isbn = 9782356070326|language=French |accessdate=17 August 2009}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |title=Une Mega Church à la française |url=http://www.reforme.net/archive2/article.php?num=3099&ref=155 |journal=Réforme |first=Bernadette |last=Sauvaget |language=French |accessdate=14 August 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081123201007/http://www.reforme.net/archive2/article.php?num=3099&ref=155 |archive-date=23 November 2008 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

In 2015, the church had expansion work done in its building to create a capacity of 2,500 seats.<ref>Anne Ducellier, lalsace.fr, [http://www.lalsace.fr/actualite/2015/05/10/une-eglise-evangelique-de-7000-m2-inauguree-a-mulhouse Une église évangélique de 7000 &nbsp;m²² inaugurée à Mulhouse], France, 10 May 2015</ref><ref>AFP, leprogres.fr, [http://www.leprogres.fr/france-monde/2015/05/09/une-megachurch-evangelique-inaugure-ses-locaux-agrandis-a-mulhouse Une «megachurch» évangélique inaugure ses locaux agrandis à Mulhouse], France, 9 May 2015</ref>

In 2017, the attendance had reached 2,200 people.<ref name="Leadership Network">Warren Bird, [http://leadnet.org/world/ World megachurches], Leadership Network, USA. Retrieved 29 October 2017</ref> Churches were opened in [[Cayenne]] and in others cities in France.<ref>Patrice de Plunkett, ''Les évangéliques à la conquête du monde'', Éditions Perrin, France, 2009, p. 162</ref>

The beliefs of the church are shared with that of the [[Federation of Full Gospel Churches in Francophonie]], an [[evangelical charismatic]] denominationassociation.<ref> William Kay, Anne Dyer, ''European Pentecostalism'', BRILL, UKLeiden, 2011, p. 141</ref>

In the 1990s, the church was criticized by former members, their families, anti-cult associations and by the [[Catholic Church]]. In 1993, the group "Religious Evolution and New Spiritualities" ("Évolution Religieuses et Nouvelles Spiritualités"), led by the Catholic Church, added to the criticisms. Then, in 1996, the anti-cult association [[Centre contre les manipulations mentales|CCMM]], received the first complaints from former members. In 1999, Claude Omnibus, the husband of a deceased follower, accused the movement of having killed his wife after her refusal of an [[organ transplant]], and created an association of victims named Association of Victims of the Christian Open Door (Association des Victimes de la Porte Ouverte Chrétienne, AVIPOC).<ref>{{cite journal |title=Les "miracles" de la POC – Fonds de commerce de cette enterprise familiale pentecôtiste: la guérison divine. Des associations et une Église protestante parlent de dérives sectaires |url=http://www.avipoc.org/presse/express.pdf |journal=[[L'Express]] |language=French |accessdate=14 August 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100415053009/http://avipoc.org/presse/express.pdf |archive-date=15 April 2010 |url-status=dead }}</ref> He participated in many television programs to warn against the COD, and was supported by the [[Union nationale des associations de défense des familles et de l'individu|ADFI]] and CCMM, two anti-cult associations (the CCMM asked the [[MIVILUDES|Mission interministérielle de vigilance et de lutte contre les dérives sectaires]] to add the COD in the [[Governmental lists of cults and sects#French parliamentary commission report (1995)|1995 list of cult]]s). The COD was described as "a dangerous cult" in a book by two journalists<ref>{{cite book |title=Les Sectes dans l'Est de la France |first=Jean-Pierre |last=Stucki |page=8 |url=http://www.actu-sectarisme.com/IMG/pdf/l_etat_des_lieux_dans_l_Est_cle043a2a.pdf |publisher=Actu-sectarisme |language=French |accessdate=14 August 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110707081700/http://www.actu-sectarisme.com/IMG/pdf/l_etat_des_lieux_dans_l_Est_cle043a2a.pdf |archive-date=7 July 2011 |url-status=dead }}</ref> and in many press articles.<ref>{{cite web |title=Porte ouverte aux excès – D'anciens fidèles de la Porte ouverte chrétienne évoquent des dérives sectaires |page=4 |url=http://cuej.u-strasbg.fr/archives/ndi/ndi_pdf/ndi49.pdf |publisher=News d'Ill |date=September 1999 |language=French |accessdate=14 August 2009 |archive-date=10 September 2004 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040910193511/http://cuej.u-strasbg.fr/archives/ndi/ndi_pdf/ndi49.pdf |url-status=dead }}</ref> Activities of the group that are criticized include anti-social speech, family breakdowns, false promises of healing which led to abandonment of medical treatments, theological deviances and financial disclosures. Meanwhile, the COD sought support from French Evangelical Association (Association Évangélique Française [AEF]) and unsuccessfully tried to integrate the Protestant Federation of France.<ref>[[#Willaine|Willaime, Amiotte-Suchet, 2004]], pp. 128–63.</ref>

Pastor Peterschmitt and members denied these accusations when they were interviewed in the media.<ref>{{cite journal |title=Le supermarché de Dieu |url=http://www.avipoc.org/presse/Alsace-21-04-1996.pdf |journal=Alsace |first=Lucien |last=Naegelen |date=21 April 1996 |language=French |accessdate=14 August 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100415052321/http://avipoc.org/presse/Alsace-21-04-1996.pdf |archive-date=15 April 2010 |url-status=dead }}</ref> The pastor said his church was a victim of religious discrimination.<ref>{{cite book |title=Les discriminations religieuses en France: situation à partir des églises... |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=jSMixh1Jl9wC&pg=PA85 |first1=Dominique |last1= Kounkou |first2=Émile |last2=Poulat |authorlink2=Émile Poulat |year=2005 |pages=85–90 | publisher=L'Harmattan |isbn = 9782747562379|accessdate=17 August 2009}}</ref>

<ref>{{cite web|title=DIRECT. Coronavirus : le CIO n'évoque "ni annulation ni report" des JO de Tokyo |trans-title = DIRECT. Coronavirus: the IOC does not mention "neither cancellation nor postponement" of the Tokyo Olympics |url=https://www.lunion.fr/id136004/article/2020-03-04/direct-coronavirus-un-nouveau-foyer-de-contamination-mulhouse |website = Journal L'Union |date = 4 March 2020 |accessdate= 20 March 2020 |language =fr }}</ref> five returnees from the Mulhouse event were confirmed positive in [[French Guiana]] on 4 March.<ref>{{cite web|author = Catherine Lama |title=Coronavirus : cinq cas à Saint-Laurent du Maroni|trans-title = Coronavirus: five cases in Saint-Laurent du Maroni |url=https://la1ere.francetvinfo.fr/guyane/coronavirus-5-cas-saint-laurent-du-maroni-807139.amp |publisher = FranceTV |location=Guyana |date = 4 March 2020 |accessdate= 20 March 2020|language =fr }}</ref> On 5 March a retired couple from [[Lot-et-Garonne]] and another person from [[Deux-Sèvres]] who had attended the same gathering were declared positive for the disease;<ref>{{cite web|title=Coronavirus : deux cas confirmés en Lot-et-Garonne |trans-title = Coronavirus: two cases confirmed in Lot-et-Garonne |url=https://www.sudouest.fr/2020/03/05/coronavirus-deux-cas-confirmes-en-lot-et-garonne-7281373-10861.php |website = SudOuest.fr |accessdate= 5 March 2020|language =fr }}</ref> five new cases from this cluster were registered in [[Corsica]],<ref>{{cite web|title=Trois premiers cas du nouveau coronavirus confirmés en Corse |trans-title= Three first cases of the new coronavirus confirmed in Corsica |url=https://www.20minutes.fr/sante/2732995-20200305-coronavirus-corse-trois-premiers-cas-confirmes-malades-rentraient-mulhouse |website = 20 Minutes |date= 5 March 2020 |accessdate= 5 March 2020|language =fr }}</ref> and three more in Normandy the same day.<ref>{{cite web |title=Coronavirus EN DIRECT : Trois premiers cas dans les Hautes-Alpes… Les écoles ne fermeront pas en cas de stade 3… |trans-title = Coronavirus LIVE: Three first cases in the Hautes-Alpes… Schools will not close in case of stage 3… |url=https://www.20minutes.fr/monde/2732955-20200305-coronavirus-direct-285-personnes-contaminees-france-mercredi-73-plus-hier |website =20 Minutes |date = 5 March 2020 |accessdate= 5 March 2020|language =fr }}</ref>

* [http://www.avipoc.org/ AVIPOC, official site] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091009081741/http://www.avipoc.org/ |date=9 October 2009 }}