A Pentecostal Mission on 52nd Street
Open Door Mission True Light Church stands at 401 N. 52nd Street in the West Philadelphia section of the city, a Pentecostal congregation whose very name points to its long-standing purpose as both an evangelical and philanthropic presence in the urban neighborhoods it serves. The work began in 1966 as a Sunday school in North Philadelphia under the leadership of the late Rev. James L. Ballard, Sr. After years of growth, the church now operates from its West Philadelphia address as a Pentecostal body that worships God and serves his people in what leadership calls excellence, building on the prophetic significance of the word "mission" in its name.
Rev. Dr. Maureen L. Davis, who succeeded her father as the church's presiding pastor, describes the church as being about the business of establishing territory for God on which the gospel message can be known, loved and lived. The vision that shapes the church is to educate, equip and empower believers to become leaders who carry the ministry of the local church into the world, and to develop a holistic ministry in West Philadelphia and the surrounding areas that seeks to transform church and community spiritually, mentally, socially and economically.
Bishop Maureen L. Davis
Bishop Davis is a native Philadelphian. She accepted the Lord as her personal Savior at an early age and was raised up at the Gates of Heaven Pentecostal Church under her grandmother, Bishop Lena Thomas. She later joined her parents in the work they were sent to establish, and after serving as assistant to her father, Pastor Emeritus James L. Ballard, Sr., became the presiding pastor of Open Door Mission True Light Church.
She earned a Bachelor of Arts in Biblical Studies from the Center for Urban Theological Studies and Geneva College, a Master of Arts in Theological Studies and a Doctor of Ministry in the Renewal of the Church for Mission from Eastern Baptist Theological Seminary. For more than twenty years she maintained a weekly radio ministry on two stations, and she served as the first woman on the Board of Trustees at the Center for Urban Theological Studies, where she also taught spiritual formation. In 2001 she was appointed Director of the Gates of Heaven Assembly of Churches, and in March 2006, having received the mantle from her ninety-year-old grandmother, she was consecrated and installed Presiding Bishop of that body. She now leads, teaches and mentors pastors across the United States and internationally, and serves on the Advisory Board for the Joint College of African-American Pentecostal Bishops. She and her husband, Elder George L. Davis, share two adult daughters, Dr. Kim Davis and Minister Marcia Davis-Hodges, and four granddaughters.
Sunday Worship and the Weekly Rhythm
Sunday Morning Worship begins at 10:00 AM. Holy Communion is observed on the first Sunday at the same hour. Services are livestreamed on YouTube, and the church maintains a mobile app available on Google Play and the Apple Store that sends alerts, hosts notifications and provides a way to give.
Mid-week, the prayer line gathers the congregation on Wednesday evenings at 7:00 PM, and it is also accessible by conference call at 1-646-769-9900 (code 4011552) for those joining remotely. Thursday evenings at 7:00 PM are devoted to Bible study, and online registration reserves a spot in those sessions. A separate Spiritual Life Education course is offered several times a year as a deeper study experience that the church describes as impacting faith in new ways.
Five Functions of Ministry
The church organizes its life around five overlapping functions, each supported by smaller groups. Worship is shaped by the Levitical Worshipers, the musicians, the James Ballard Celebration Choir, the Destined for Greatness ensemble, the True Lights Children's Choir, the Audio Ministry, the Drama Ministry, the Destiny Dancers, the Destiny Achievers and the Production Ministry. The Creative Marketing and Design team, led by Hanief Gaskins, handles livestreaming, photography, social media, design and marketing for the entire church.
Fellowship brings together men's, women's, marriage enrichment, S.W.A.P. (Singles With A Purpose), seniors, youth and young adult, children's, Outreach to Youth and new member's ministries. Service is expressed through ushers, courtesy officers, the Culinary Ministry, adjutants, the nurses and health ministry and U.-C.A.N. Serve. Discipleship takes the form of Journey Through The Word, New Pathway Ministries, Spiritual Life Education, Sunday School and a Deaf Ministry that welcomes those who are hearing-impaired into the life of the church. Evangelism is carried out through Doors to Kindness, Fisher's of Men, the Restoration Prison Ministry and Global Missions. Virtual couples fellowships also meet for those who register online.
Doors to Destiny Family Life Center
In 2005 the church formalized more than four decades of community work through the Door to Destiny Family Life Center Community Development Corporation, a Pennsylvania nonprofit. Its mission is to address the social ills that the leadership names as destroying families and communities: poverty, unemployment, homelessness, illiteracy and substance abuse. Programs are delivered primarily through Outreach to Youth and include a free summer youth camp, a year-long youth program that meets semi-monthly with cultural activities, mentoring and field trips, an after-school tutoring program, parenting education, Vacation Bible School and ongoing activities that serve pre-school through high school youth. The Restoration Prison Ministry extends the church's reach to men and women returning from incarceration.
Destiny City and the Road to One Million
In 2008 Open Door Mission True Light Church acquired nine acres at 58th and Lindbergh Boulevard in southwest Philadelphia as the site for Destiny City. The planned multi-ministry campus is designed to include a 1,700-seat sanctuary, an administrative wing, a fellowship and banquet hall, a Sunday school wing and the James Ballard Memorial Cultural Arts Center. To fund the project the church has launched a capital campaign called the Road to One Million, seeking 400 commitments of $2,500 each while accepting gifts of any size. Giving is welcomed online through Pushpay, Givelify and Cash App, and all donations are tax-deductible.
The first concrete pour was announced in early 2025, and the church continues to share video updates from the project overseer and from Bishop Davis herself as construction moves forward on what she describes as a 21st-century house of worship.
Becoming a Christian and Prayer Support
For those considering faith, the church offers a simple outline drawn from John 3:16, Romans 3:23, Romans 6:23, John 1:12, Revelation 3:20 and Romans 10:13, along with a prayer of confession for anyone ready to receive Christ. Prayer requests can be submitted online, and Wednesday night prayer remains open by phone as well as in person. Visitors are welcomed at Sunday worship, with the church's standing invitation to make Open Door Mission True Light Church a spiritual home for those without one.