Meet Our Pastor

Pastor Dennis Schaffer came to ODBC from Hendersonville, Tennessee, where he served as the Associate Pastor of Bible Baptist Church. Born in September 1974 (with his identical twin), he grew up in Allentown, Pennsylvania, and has served in several ministries in different capacities. Serving as the Pastor at ODBC has been the fulfillment of a desire God placed in his heart since April 1992. He married his delightful wife, Amy Sue in July 1997, and they have two boys: Charles and Daniel.

The Lord changed Pastor Schaffer's life when he was ten years old. As a child, he went to a Lutheran church, and his parents began searching for "what was missing" in their lives. This search led them to visit many different churches and religious institutions. They ended up visiting the Lehigh Valley Baptist Church in Emmaus, Pennsylvania, and one by one each of the family members began making professions of faith. Dennis' salvation occurred after a friend from his public school invited he and his twin brother, Don, to attend a seminar at a church on the subject of rock music. Following the seminar, an invitation was given, and Dennis responded to it, although not fully understanding salvation at that moment. The next morning before heading off to school, Dennis asked his mother about "how to be saved." His mother reviewed salvation with him from the Bible, and there in their living room, Dennis called on Jesus to save him. Shortly thereafter, he was baptized with the rest of his family.

Having an interest in aviation, Dennis pursued a potential career in the military. In 1992 as a junior in high school, however, the Lord worked in his heart, and he surrendered his life to serve the Lord in full-time Christian service. He still likes to fly small planes (and now his boys enjoy going with him, too), but serving the Lord is the passion of his life. Through various open doors, he has served in several capacities in different churches and ministries, knowing that all along the way the Lord was preparing him to pastor a church. When God brought him to Open Door Baptist Church, he knew that the Lord had prepared him "for such a time as this." He and his family are excited about the opportunities that lay ahead for their family and the church. They hope that you will come and see what the Lord can do through your life, too!

If you would like to contact Pastor Schaffer regarding your eternal destiny, another spiritual matter, or if you have questions about Open Door Baptist Church or affiliated ministries, you may call the church office at 225-667-4679, extension 100, or email him at pastor@opendooronline.com.

Pastor's Tweets

Sermons & Studies

Pastor Schaffer prepares his preaching schedule under the Lord's direction to continue to lead our congregation to grow in the Bible, God's Word. He enjoys when people grasp a hold of Biblical truth and it helps their lives become more like Christ.

The purpose of our services is to meet specific needs. Each sermon's focus is practical in nature while expounding on God's Word. Sunday morning is largely geared around sharing the Gospel in hopes that lost people will accept Christ as their Savior. It is the time that most guests come and participate in our services (although they are welcome at any service!) Sunday evening is a celebration time for our congregation to come together and to worship the Lord collectively. During this service, Pastor Schaffer seeks to encourage believers and build our congregation's foundation on God's Word in order to equip us for faithful service to the Lord. Wednesday evening's service is prepared to teach people to love and study the Bible, and we also have a time of church prayer.

Sunday AM

Sunday PM

Midweek Service

I Am a Soldier

When Pastor Michael Zachary preached at our church on Sunday, April 10, 2011, he read this challenging statement about being a soldier for the Lord. He sent it to me, and I wanted it to be available to you. Enjoy!

I Am a Soldier

II Timothy 2:3-4
"Thou therefore endure hardness, as a good soldier of
Jesus Christ. No man that warreth entangled himself with the affairs of this life; that he may please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier."

I am a soldier in the army of my God.
The Lord Jesus Christ is my commanding officer.
The Holy Bible is my code of conduct.

Faith, prayer, and the Word are my weapons of warfare.
I have been taught by the Holy Spirit, trained by
adversity, and tested by fire.

I am a volunteer in this army. I am enlisted for eternity. I will either retire in this army at the Rapture or die in this army. I will not get out, sell out, be talked out. I am faithful, capable, and dependable.

If my God needs me, I am there. If He needs me in Sunday school to teach children, to work with youth, help adults, or just sit and learn, He can use me because I will be there!

I am a soldier. I am not a baby. I am not in need of being pampered, petted, primed up, pumped up, picked up, or pepped up. I am a soldier. No one has to call me, remind me, write me, visit me, entice me, or lure me.

I am a soldier. I am not a wimp. I am in place, saluting my King, obeying His orders, praising His name, and building His kingdom!

I am a soldier. No one has to send me flowers, gifts, food, cards, candy or give me handouts. I do not need to be cuddled, cradled, cared for, and catered to. I am committed!

I cannot have my feelings hurt badly enough to turn me around. I cannot be discouraged enough to turn aside. I cannot lose enough to cause me to quit.

When Jesus called me into this army, I had nothing. If I end up with nothing, I will still come out ahead. I will win. God will supply all my needs. I am more than a conqueror. I will always triumph. I can do all things through Christ.

I am a soldier. Devils cannot defeat me. People cannot disillusion me. Weather cannot weary me. Sickness cannot stop me.

Battles cannot beat me. Money cannot buy me. Governments cannot silence me. And hell cannot handle me!!

I am a soldier. Even death cannot destroy me. For when my commander calls me from this battlefield. He will promote me to a captain. And then bring me back to rule this World with Him.

I am a soldier in the army. And I'm marching, claiming victory. I will not give up. I will not turn around.

I am a soldier, marching, heaven bound. Here I stand!! Will you stand with me?

Pastor's Note

Friday, February 3, 2012
This week, Pastor Brandon and I returned from an amazing trip to visit Justus Banuel, one of our missionaries in India. We were able to see and experience many things, including a church "camp meeting," baptisms, and a wedding for his son, Allen. We had a great time, and we are thankful for the traveling mercies God blessed us with. We are also thankful to each person who stepped in to fill the pulpit and teach our classes (and other things) while we were gone. "Thank you!"

On our trip, we learned many interesting things. We saw firsthand how rubber is harvested and processed from trees. We also noted that India is a mix of religions. Hindu (with over 330,000,000 gods), Islamic, Catholic, and other religious sites dot the world's second most populous country. Things are different in India, like the food, language, and culture, yet we found a strong similarity to our country by noticing peoples' seeming emptiness and lack of true joy. Only the Lord can produce real joy in our lives through salvation and a vibrant relationship with Him! In fact, Sunday morning I want the Lord to challenge us to be truly joyful in Him. We'll look at Psalm 85:6.

Please pray for Sunday's services, asking the Lord to work in our hearts. As a reminder, we will have "All-Tithe Sunday," and it is important for each church member to give in accordance to how the Lord has blessed financially. According to God's Word, giving should be done with a joyful heart (2 Corinthians 9:7).

I hope to see you Sunday!

In Him,

Pastor Dennis M. Schaffer

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