What We Believe
We believe that the bible is God’s Word. It is accurate, authoritative, and applicable to our everyday lives. (II Timothy 3:15-17)
We believe in our one eternal God who is the Creator of all things. He exists in three persons: God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. He is totally loving and completely holy. (I John5:7; John 1:14; Luke 1:26-38)
We believe that sin has separated each of us from God and His purpose for our lives. (Romans 5:12-21)
We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ, as both God and man, is the only one who can reconcile us to God. He lived a sinless and exemplary life. He died on the cross in our place and rose again to prove His victory and empower us for life. (Ephesians 2:8; Romans 10:8-10; Psalms 103:1-3)
We believe that in order to receive forgiveness and the “new birth” we must: repent of our sins, believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, and submit to His will for our lives. (II Corinthians 5:17-21; Romans 10:9-10; Romans 12:2)
We believe God intends for us to live holy and fruitful lives; therefore, we need to be baptized in water and filled with the power of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit enables us to use spiritual gifts, including speaking in tongues. (John 15:4-5; Matthew 28:19; Acts 1:8; Acts 2:4)
We believe that God has individually equipped us so that we can successfully achieve His purpose for our lives, which includes worshipping God, fulfilling our roles in the
Church, and serving the communities in which we live. (I Timothy 6:11-13; Philippians 4:13; John 4:20-23; I Corinthians 12; Ephesians 2:10)
We believe that God wants to heal and transform us so that we can live healthy and prosperous lives, in order to help others more effectively. (3 John 2; Romans 12:1-2)
We believe that our eternal destination of either Heaven or Hell is determined by our response to the Lord Jesus Christ. (Revelation 19:20, 20:10-15, II Thessalonians 1:7)
We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ is coming back again, as He has promised. (I Corinthians 15:51-52; I Thessalonians 4:16)
Church History
In 1981, Kirk and Nancy Pankratz were deeply involved in a new, start-up church in Western Oklahoma only months after they got married. Kirk was operating a successful business while Nancy was a registered nurse and served as a volunteer assistant minister. In 1986, Kirk and Nancy pioneered a church in Cordell, Oklahoma. Youth America, a national ministry to teenagers, was started there. It continues to be a major outreach of Harvest, having hosted over 80,000 teenagers in summer camps.
In 1989, Kirk and Nancy, relocated to Oklahoma City and launched Church of the Harvest. From its small inception with 14 people meeting in a small hotel conference room Harvest has increased to multiple locations with several weekend services and has grown to over 3000 members. Major campus locations include Oklahoma City, Edmond, Midwest City, Stillwater, Cordell and Norman, Oklahoma.
Harvest impacts lives with the love of Jesus through multiple specialized ministry programs, and local and global outreach initiatives, such as: Youth America, Rescue the Girls, community outreaches, and Global Reach efforts in Cambodia, Rwanda and Uganda. With high-profile annual conferences like Girlfriends Conference (held each June), Youth America Summer Camps (in June/July), and Youth America Leadership Conference (in November), Harvest is serving hundreds of regional and national churches and leaders.
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