Our story

Open Doors USA is dedicated to the radical idea that every Christian belongs to one Church and one Family

For more than 60 years, Open Doors has worked toward a simple goal: strengthening Christians, wherever they are threatened for their faith in Jesus.

We started because of a vision God gave our founder, Brother Andrew—a man better known by his nickname, “God’s Smuggler.” God convicted Brother Andrew with the words of Revelation 3:2: “Strengthen what remains.” And that’s still what drives us today.

In more than 60 countries, Open Doors is on the ground, bringing support and help, wherever we’re needed most. Working through local churches and Christians of every culture and language, we want to live out the command Jesus gave His followers: to be one.

Whether believers need long-term or emergency aid, Open Doors is there.

When Christians don’t have access to Bibles or Christian resources, Open Doors is there.

When believers are thrown out of their homes and forced to flee their families, Open Doors is there.

When Christians are persecuted, attacked, discriminated against and targeted because they follow Jesus, Open Doors is there.

And when you support the work of Open Doors through prayer and giving, you can be there, too. If you want to learn more about the problem of persecution—and how to pray for your persecuted family—read the 2021 World Watch List, Open Doors’ annual ranking of the 50 most dangerous places for Christians.

Financial stewardship

We take very seriously our mandate and mission to steward the money we receive. We believe our mission was given to us by God—and we make sure every dollar we receive helps persecuted Christians and connects them to their brothers and sisters in the United States. Open Doors USA is accredited by the Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability (ECFA) and an ECFA Charter Member. We also have a three-star rating from Charity Navigator.

We have an independent board (see right), and our CEO and President is Dr. David Curry. Our finances are publicly available, and you can find out more about our yearly revenue and expenditures by clicking here.

Board of directors
Daisy Szabo (Chair) Roger Spoelman (Vice Chair) David Curry (President & CEO (Ex Officio)) Bruce Dingman (Director) Francesca Fajinmi (Director) Tim Kachuriak (Director) Michelle Sanchez (Director) Nathaniel Spoelman (Director)

What we believe

Open Doors is intentionally non-denominational and ecumenical. Wherever people suffer because they claim the name of Jesus, we will help them. Period. This means we work with evangelicals and Catholics, Orthodox Christians and charismatic believers, Copts and Anglicans. We believe the Church transcends local and cultural expressions. Even though specific theological differences are important, the cause of Christ unites us all. Jesus prayed that we may “all be one,” so that’s our prayer, too. The basics of our faith is summed up in the ancient Christian confession, the Apostles’ Creed.

Open Doors' Core Values
We are part of the Body of Christ; a people-to-people people We are persecuted church-driven We are people of the Bible We are people of prayer We live and work by faith We are devoted to Jesus Christ and His commission We are motivated solely for the glory of God

How you can get involved

The best way to make a difference in the lives of persecuted believers is to become part of our Frontline Partners monthly giving program. Each month, your donation will go where it’s most needed. Whether there’s an emergency or a long-term need, you’ll be strengthening the Church.

You can also give a single gift—a wonderful way to let your persecuted family know they’re not alone.

If you’d like to share the stories of persecuted Christians with your small group or your church, you can become an Open Doors Connector. and go deeper with the needs of persecuted believers. Our Connectors also bring the prayer needs of our sisters and brothers before larger groups of Christians.

Finally, you can download the Open Doors Prayer App to get prayer requests from persecuted believers. The Prayer App helps you pray for the latest and most urgent prayer requests from around the world. Download it here.

Do you have more questions? Check out our Frequently Asked Questions page.