Our History
Experience Church began as two separate congregations in the 1930's Bethel Tabernacle Open Bible Church and Calvary Open Bible Church. After many years as successful congregations, both having been served by several different pastors, it was decided in 1990 to merge the two congregations and Calvary and Bethel became Victory Praise Center.
After the merge the two congregations remodeled the Bethel Church and moved the combined congregation to the Ovid address. Another change of Pastors and the name was changed to Eastwood Church. With the coming to Eastwood of our present Pastors Charles and Deanna Cole the church was again moved through God's miraculous work and we are now EXPERIENCE CHURCH housed at 3800 E. Douglas, Des Moines, Iowa (formerly known as Douglas Elementary School).
We are very proud to have the heritage that these two strong and committed congregations have provided. Only through God's people and their faithfulness to His direction and provision are we here in this place now.
Open Bible Standard Churches originated from two revival movements: Bible Standard Conference, founded in Eugene, Oregon, under the leadership of Fred Hornshuh in 1919, and Open Bible Evangelistic Association, founded in Des Moines, Iowa, under the leadership of John R. Richey in 1932. Similar in doctrine and government, the two groups amalgamated in 1935, as "Open Bible Standard Churches" with headquarters in Des Moines, Iowa.
Historical roots of the parent groups reach back to the outpourings of the Holy Spirit in 1906 at the Azusa Street Mission in Los Angeles and to the full gospel movement in the Midwest. Both groups were organized under the impetus of Pentecostal revival. Simple faith, freedom from fanaticism, emphasis on evangelism and missions and free fellowship with other groups were characteristics of the growing organizations.
There are over 46,000 members in 371 Open Bible congregations and over 1100 licensed or ordained ministers in the United States. Additionally, there are over 45,000 members in over 700 international congregations.
For more information please visit our denomination's national website.