Resurrection Sunday - Straight Gate West

Straight Gate International Church expands to West Bloomfield

After 33 years and eight expansions in Detroit, Bishop Andrew Merritt will open a West Bloomfield affiliate of Straight Gate International Church on Easter, April 8. Straight Gate West will open with a Resurrection Sunday Celebration inside Orchard Lake Middle School, 6000 Orchard Lake Road, West Bloomfield. Services begin at 8 a.m., doors open at 7:30 a.m.

Beginning this new ministry in a school rather than a grand church is a comfortable and familiar beginning for Bishop Merritt, a Bloomfield resident who has fond memories of when his children attended school there. This new beginning feels much like when Bishop Merritt and his wife Pastor Viveca Merritt began their ministry in 1978 in humble storefront church in Detroit, with only three
members. Theirs truly was a leap of faith.

Today,the Merritts' ministry is classified by many as a mega church because of the growth of their congregation to more than 5,000 members. The current Detroit location, 10100 Grand River, is a 165,000-square-foot building, a citidel for worshippers from around the region. It includes members from not only Detroit, but also Canada, Ohio,
Macomb and Oakland counties. An international, inter-racial ministry, Straight Gate has a mission of bringing people of every denomination, color and creed into the presence of
the Lord.

"We didn't build our church," Bishop Merritt said. "The Lord did and He will build this one. I believe there are many living in the area who have been waiting for a ministry like ours, people who want to be born again.

"We are not trying to attract Christians who belong to another church," Merritt continued. "We are not looking to transfer members of our existing church to this location. We truly believe there is an untouched harvest in Oakland County and our mission is to reach them - Christians and non-Christians alike."

Straight Gate is a church that has never been limited by boundaries. It was one of the first Metro Detroit ministries to tap into the power of radio, television and
streaming live online broadcasts.

Using that power, Bishop and Pastor Merritt have reached worshippers around the world who have participated in international events such as One in Worship, which brought tens of thousands of Christians of every denomination and color together at Detroit's Ford Field to
pray for our nation. Millions more watched and prayed from their homes around the world. Some of the most respected spiritual leaders in the nation have worked alongside the Merritts during the events such as One in Worship, Youth
in Worship, 7 Days of Faith and the G1 Youth conference, which were created to reach well beyond their own congregation.

www.straightgate.net