| Open Bible Churches | |
|---|---|
 OBC Pacific Office in Eugene, Oregon | |
| Orientation | Pentecostal |
| Origin | 1935 Des Moines, Iowa, United States |
| Separated from | International Church of the Foursquare Gospel |
| Congregations | 330 (in 2006) |
| Members | 150,000 (worldwide) |
| Official website | www |
Open Bible Churches (OBC), formerly known as Open Bible Standard Churches (OBSC), is an association of Pentecostal churches with headquarters in Des Moines, Iowa, United States.
Open Bible is similar in doctrine and practice to the Assemblies of God in that the adherents believe in the modern-day gifts of the Holy Spirit, with speaking in tongues as one of the evidences of the gifts being manifested in the believer. Generally, each congregation owns its own property and calls its own pastor. The organization is affiliated with the National Association of Evangelicals, the Pentecostal/Charismatic Churches of North America, and the Pentecostal World Conference.
Open Bible Churches is affiliated with New Hope Christian College,[1] an accredited Bible college in Eugene, Oregon, INSTE Bible College[2] in Ankeny, Iowa, Harvest Bible College, located at First Church of the Open Bible in Des Moines, Iowa, and Toledo School of Ministry in Toledo, Ohio. Open Bible publishes the Message of the Open Bible.
There are more than 150,000 Open Bible members worldwide. In 2006, U.S. membership was 40,000 in 330 churches.[3]
- ^ "New Hope Christian College".
- ^ "INSTE Bible College".
- ^ "2008 Yearbook of American & Canadian Churches". The National Council of Churches. Retrieved 2009-12-16.