Open Door Christian Ministries located at 500 Weston Rd, in Creswell NC has been a safe haven for children with unstable home environments and behavioral problems for the last 35 years.

“We are field representatives working with the area churches, businesses, and the department of social services to promote the organization all we can,” said Raffael Farrow, public relations director at Open Door Christian Ministries

Area Churches are the biggest supporters of Open Door Christian Ministries and let them know what Open Doors is doing and what our needs are,” said Farrow.

A Seed for Kids Day was held May 10. There volunteers could join the Open Doors staff and group of kids in populating the Open Doors garden available at the facility.

“We planted the whole garden. We have got several rows of sweet corn. Just about anything you can name we put it in the ground then,” said Farrow.

The garden was planted to provide of Open Door Christian Ministries.

“It is their responsibility along with ours to chip in and make sure the garden does not get overrun. The kids have a big part of the responsibility of taking care of it. They also have a chicken house out back where they gather their own eggs and take care of the chickens,” said Farrow.

Six children are staying at Open Door Christian Ministries right now including the two that belong to the house parents in charge.

“The kids are not just brought here to the house and dropped off. They are given responsibilities and duties,”said Farrow

The kids at Open Door Christian Ministries are from eastern North Carolina and other nearby locations. Kids are approved by the interview committee and cleared to come to the Open Doors location.

“It does not make any difference where they come from,” said Farrow.

Two mission trips are coming up for the kids at Open Doors.

“The younger kids are going to be going over into Virginia Beach. They are going to be going for like three nights and four days. They will working with a homeless shelter there. The older kids will be going to Cincinatti Ohio in July. They will be spending a week up there with the Christ in Youth Organization. They will be doing home repairs for the elderly,” said Farrow.

The missions trips are made possible through the work at Phillipi Church of Christ.

“The kids attend church there, so they are going along with it,” said Farrow.

The Six Open Door kids are active at the available schools in Creswell.

“We have two in the elementary, and four in the high school. They are active in sports and organizations at the school like Future Farmers of America,” said Farrow.

Kids can go back to their original homes if the situation permits.
“Most of them can go back home after being checked out by the Board and everything,” said Farrow.

Farrow has been associated with Open Door Christian Ministries almost since it opened. He started his new position the first week of April. He is originally from Hyde County and was previously preaching in Virginia before coming back to his native home.

“I was a teenager when it first started. So I had heard about it for many years. This position was an opportunity to come to the home area that we have known most of our lives. It is just as important a ministry as anything else to help the people here,” said Farrow.