Tom and Karol Whaley, of the International Mission Board of the Southern Baptist Convention, arrived in Japan and began working as missionaries. On January 21, 1990, the Whaleys held the first worship service of the Open Door Chapel in the garage of their house at Fukuzumi 2 jō, 3 chōme. The Whaleys had a burden to begin ministering to foreigners living in Japan, the handicapped and young people.
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​     Our church pastors have been:
          • Tom Whaley, from 1990 to 1999
          • Keiji Tomita, from 1994 to 2000
          • Manase Tomita, from 2000 to 2002
     Each had a unique and gifted way of pastoring our church.

     And now our current pastors are:
         •  James Allison, from 2002 till the present
          • Shunichi Sasaki, from 2009 till the present
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     In 1999, the Open Door Chapel, a mission point of the Hiraoka Joyful Chapel (formerly the Shiroishi Church), began receiving support from the Japan Baptist Convention and held it's dedication ceremony in December of the same year, after renovations on the building were finished. Then in the year 2000, Open Door became an official church.
     Right from the start, Open Door Chapel received a vision from it's first pastor, Tom Whaley. And that vision was to grow and send out new Christians and leaders and to build new churches. That dynamic vision continues in our church even today!