Our History
Open Bible Community Church was pioneer by Pastor Gary and Lisa Dodson. The Dodson’s originally were planning on planting a church in the Knoxville area. But as they applied the principles found in “Experiencing God” by Henry Blackabe, they felt the leading of the Holy Spirit to plant a work in Harrogate, TN. In the beginning the Dodson’s started a bible study in homes and moved the study group on the campus of Lincoln Memorial University in Harrogate in July 2005. After being moved around to three different locations on the LMU campus the church found a storefront location and held services from 2007-2008. In June 2008 the church purchased the old Church of Christ building in Harrogate located at 347 Shawanee Rd. in Harrogate, TN. Since then the church has experience growth and has founded “Open Hands Food Pantry.” The food pantry is in partnership with Second Harvest in Knoxville to provide food to needy families in the Harrogate area.
Open Bible Community Church is a non-denominational fellowship.
What We Believe
Pastor Gary
After many years of substance abuse in the fall of 1979 I was gloriously saved and delivered at the age of 23. After my conversion to Christ I knew that God was calling me into the ministry. I was willing to do whatever God wanted me to do. The church I was attending needed someone to clean the church, so I volunteer for that ministry. It was a time of spiritual growth for me as I had access to the church to pray and seek God. Not long after that I was ask to minister on a monthly basis at a nursing home for elderly people. I serve in this ministry for almost two years; it was a real learning experience. I would lead the song service and preach a little message.
Then our pastor ask me if I would help out our assistant pastor as a helper with the jail ministry the church provided at our local county jail. For the first year I would help by passing out tracks and pray with the prisoners. Then I was ask to conduct the chapel services once a month. I saw many men come to the Lord during these services as I would shared how God saved me from a life of drugs and alcohol addiction. After three years of ministering at the county jail God began to opened doors for me to preach at different churches, holding revival and special services. In 1988 my wife Lisa and I pioneer our first church in Rochelle, IL. The name of the church was called Open Bible Christian Center. With just four people we open the doors and ask God to bring the people. After 12 years we felt a release, we left the church totally debt free. Then we accepted a pastor position in Riverton Wyoming where God used us to help stabilized a declining church. In 2005 we felt God leading us to plant our second church in Harrogate, TN. Starting with a couple of families we began holding a weekly bible study and eventually began holding services at the Lincoln Memorial University in Harrogate. As the church grew we found a store front and eventually purchase a church building in Harrogate. Since then the church has grown with new members and outreach ministries to the community.
God has been good to me; my wife Lisa and I have been married over thirty years and have two wonderful children. Joshua who is a gifted worship leader and writer and Sonja who is planning to attended LMU after graduating from High School.
