Christian Open Door Church: Difference between revisions

The church was officially founded by Suzanne and Jean Peterschmitt in Mulhouse in 1966.<ref name="Sébastien Fath 2008, p. 151">Sébastien Fath, ''Dieu XXL, la révolution des mégachurches'', Édition Autrement, France, 2008, p. 151</ref> This assembly was registered under its current name as cultural [[charitable organization]]. In 1972, the church had between 60 and 80 members.<ref>Laurent Amiotte-Suchet, Jean-Paul Willaime, GSRL, hal.archives-ouvertes.fr, [http://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/docs/00/12/49/02/PDF/Willaime-Amiotte-Lapluiedelesprit-rapportFPF.pdf La pluie de l’Esprit - Étude sociologique d’une assemblée pentecôtiste mulhousienne - Mission du Plein Évangile. La Porte ouverte chrétienne], France, 2004</ref>

In 1987, Samuel Peterschmitt succeeded his father as senior pastor of the church.<ref>Francis Messner, Anne-Laure Zwilling, ''Formation des cadres religieux en France: une affaire d'Etat?'', Labor et Fides, France, 2010, p. 96</ref> This same year, the premises were relocated to a former supermarket in [[Mulhouse]], with a capacity of 600 seats.<ref name="Plunkett, 2009, p. 161">Patrice de Plunkett, ''Les évangéliques à la conquête du monde'', Éditions Perrin, France, 2009, p. 161</ref>

In 1989, the church established its new premises in a former supermarket with a capacity of 1,500 seats.<ref> name="Sébastien Fath, ''Dieu XXL, la révolution des mégachurches'', Édition Autrement, France, 2008, p. 151<"/ref>

In 1995, the sanctuary was enlarged to provide 1,900 seats.<ref>Patrice de name="Plunkett, ''Les évangéliques à la conquête du monde'', Éditions Perrin, France, 2009, p. 161<"/ref>

In 2020 the mass gathering of some 2000 members of the church in Mulhouse between 17 and 21 February was a key event for spreading of the SARS-CoV-2 virus in the region of [[Alsace]] during the [[2020 coronavirusCOVID-19 pandemic in France]] according to statements by French officials in early March 2020.<ref>[https://www.bazonline.ch/basel/region/gottesdienst-in-mulhouse-entwickelt-sich-zu-moeglichem-coronaherd/story/29069253 Katrin Hauser, Simon Bordier: "«Wir haben in Mulhouse die Epidemie-Phase erreicht»"] BAZ March 4, 2020</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, 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 (France)|L'Express]] |language=French |accessdate=2009-08-14 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100415053009/http://avipoc.org/presse/express.pdf |archive-date=2010-04-15 |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_sectsGovernmental lists of cults and sects#French_parliamentary_commission_report_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=2009-08-14 |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=2011-07-07 |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=2009-08-14}}</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>

{{seealsosee also|2020 coronavirus pandemic in France}}

<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 |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 |accessdate= 5 March 2020|language =fr }}</ref>

On 6 March, 81 cases have been detected in the previous 24 hours in Mulhouse.<ref>{{cite web|title=Coronavirus : comment le Haut-Rhin et la ville de Mulhouse font face à l'explosion de l'épidémie |trans-title= Coronavirus: how the Haut-Rhin and the city of Mulhouse are coping with the explosion of the epidemic |url =http://www.leparisien.fr/politique/coronavirus-comment-le-haut-rhin-et-la-ville-de-mulhouse-font-face-a-l-explosion-de-l-epidemie-06-03-2020-8274384.php |website = Le Parisien |date = 6 March 2020 |accessdate= 6 March 2020 |author=Ronan Tsorière|language =fr }}</ref> The department of [[Haut Rhin]], in which Mulhouse is situated, imposed strict limits on the gatherings; all schools were closed henceforth.<ref> {{cite web | author = Florence Grandon |title=Coronavirus dans le Haut-Rhin : la totalité des écoles, collèges, lycées, crèches fermés lundi 9 mars pour 15 jours| trans-title = Coronavirus in Haut- Rhine: all schools, colleges, high schools, nurseries closed Monday March 9 for 15 days |url=https://france3-regions.francetvinfo.fr/grand-est/haut-rhin/coronavirus-haut-rhin-totalite-ecoles-colleges-lycees-creches-fermes-lundi-9-mars-15-jours-1795793.html | website = france3-regions.francetvinfo.fr | date = 6 March 2020 |accessdate=21 March 2020 |language =fr }} </ref> Physical church services were suspended in favour of internet worship.<ref name=francebleu/> By the end of March 2020 up to 17 members of the congregation have since died of complications linked to the disease.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-france-church-spec-idUSKBN21H0Q2|title=Special Report: Five days of worship that set a virus time bomb in France|date=2020-03-30|work=Reuters|access-date=2020-03-30|language=en}}</ref>.{{Disputed inline|Talk page section|date=April 2020}}