Our Story

In the 1980's our land was purchased and a building built. This expansion resulted in acquiring over $500,000 in debt. Years of pastoral transition left the church struggling financially. When Pastor Lawrence became the Pastor in 1999 the church still had almost all of the debt it had incurred twenty years prior. With Pastor Lawrence's aggressive debt-retirement strategies many families in our community are learning to live debt free lives. Applying these same principles corporately to the church finances, fifteen years of the mortgage debt was paid off in just three years.

The purchase of commercial real estate in 2003 enabled Destiny to restructure debt and create a cash flow opportunity to assist with new debt consolidation. The commercial property referred to as The Business Center is located just east of the Main Building.

This Business Center houses the MidWest Master's Commission Ministry and DestinyLand Children's Ministry. The remaining space is rented to local businesses that generate enough income to make the payment on the entire mortgage.

Pastor Lawrence Neisent is the Pastor of Destiny and has been serving the ministries of the church since1990 when he came as the Principal of the Christian School. Having worked with all areas of ministry, he now serves as the Senior Pastor. He is married to Tracy, this couple brings an unusual approach to church ministry and training. They emphasize a Christ-centered, Biblical approach to everyday life

Discover, Develop & Deploy

God has revealed a 3-D insight based on the truth of the Trinity that applies to all areas of life. First we discover that God has a great plan for our lives. God develops that awesome plan so that we can be deployed into our mission field. Our mission field is our job, our family and our friends. God is involved in this process and has given Destiny Christian Center International's Pastor, Lawrence Neisent, a clear mandate... Help bring God's healing and grace to a generation that is ready to experience God's presence for real life.

DISCOVER

This is the first step to being actively involved at Destiny. When you enroll in Discovering Destiny through our office you'll receive a DVD with an information booklet to watch in your home. The next step will be to attend one of our Discovering Destiny workshops offered every quarter. This creative and fun workshop is offered on a Wednesday evening from 7:00-8:30. In this workshop you'll learn firsthand through projects and evaluation how God designed you. This will enable you to recognize areas of ministry involvement for which God purposed your life. Discovering Destiny is more than just discovering what the church is about. Discovering Destiny is about discovering that you are part of the church and your destiny is actually only fulfilled when you start giving into the lives of others.

DEVELOP

Destiny offers a variety of relationship-building and training opportunities that are open to the community such as periodic training seminars on financial budgeting, financial planning, parenting, marriage enrichment, discovering your strengths and weaknesses, etc... Bob and Sue Holmes shared, "This is the first time we've been out of debt in over thirty years." One single mother of two who was formerly on drugs and was seeing therapists for emotional problems has found restoration in Christ stating, "Now life is finally worth living." Her oldest daughter has completed our Missionettes mentoring program for girls and was honored before our entire congregation for her accomplishments.

DEPLOY

After discovering your destiny and developing your God given gifts, it is time to be sent out! Why should you be interested in ministering? It's God's plan for your life!

  • Ephesians 2:10 It is God himself who has made us what we are and given us new lives from Christ Jesus; and long ages ago he planned that we should spend these lives in helping others.

Your were saved and chosen for ministry, Timothy says, "It is he who saved and chose us for his holy work not because we deserved it but because that was his plan long before the world began-- to show his love and kindness to us through Christ."You've been chosen and called into ministry!


Our Mission

Pastor Lawrence has been serving the ministries of our church since 1990. Having served as the Principal of our Christian School, Youth Pastor, Master’s Commission Director and Associate Pastor his passion for all areas of ministry flowing together to make a measurable impact in our world is obvious. The Great Commission is to go and make disciples of Nations. This occurs on levels of community from local to regional to worldwide.

Local Community: Destiny provides community outreach opportunities as an organization in the local Del City community. Serving our community through community awareness projects, gift give-away, annual Easter egg hunt with prizes, Annual fireworks display with games and rides, volunteering service in the community, networking to help reach inner city children with an inner city church, providing a variety of seminar training opportunities to our community, etc…

Regional Community: Destiny sends ministry teams to travel to various parts of our Nation for purposes of sharing the Gospel. Teams go out and partner with other ministries through conferences, street evangelism, orphanage visits, church services, etc… Destiny also hosts a variety of conferences that attract delegates from various parts of our Nation and from other nations.

Worldwide Community: Destiny partners with various ministries around the world as we work to do our part in fulfilling the Great Commission. Mission teams travel to different nations annually to partner with various ministries in those nations. It is a privilege to have international demands on our ministry and our ministry leaders. Pastor Lawrence travels and ministers extensively in England working with a ministry network led by Stuart Bell.


Our Staff

The Destiny Team is an established core of people who have been in relationship for many years together. Currently there are eight key ministry leaders on staff. Each of these leaders have been connected in personal relationship with Pastor Lawrence Neisent for at least ten years. Combined their personal relationships with Pastor Lawrence total 100 years of being connected.

  • Jim Howard, Christian School Administrator, actually hired Pastor Lawrence in 1990 to work with the school. Jim and Dianna Howard have successfully grown Mid-Del Christian School into a model school for churches around the Nation over the past twenty-three years
  • Dan Mooney, Associate Pastor, arrived at Destiny in 2003 to establish a worship and arts ministry to provide training opportunities for musicians, to provide new worship and praise music as a resource to the Body of Christ and to establish the Destiny Worship Academy beginning Fall 2007. For 35 years he has lead worship in various denominations, organized various mission works in prisons, inner cities and overseas, and recorded and produced many recordings for Christian artists.
  • Dan Grimes, Associate Pastor, heads up the family care ministry here at Destiny. He has worked in various ministry capacities with Destiny over the past twelve years. His wife Michelle assists him and the Pastoral staff here at Destiny.
  • Nathan Davis, Associate Pastor, works with our Midwest Master’s Commission ministry training program and acts as a supportive staff member in multiple areas of Church ministry. Nathan is a graduate of the Master's Commission ministry having spent three years under the direct leadership of Pastor Lawrence Neisent. Upon his completion of the training in 1999 he went on to direct a leadership training center and serve as an Associate Pastor in Washington State for seven years. In 2006 Pastor Nathan was led back to Destiny to be a part of the leadership team here in the place he was first trained.
  • Josh Sharpe, Students Pastor, `working in youth ministry and children here at Destiny. Josh is a graduate of our Mid-West Masters Commission program and has worked as a missionary associate overseas for several years. He has a background in Music, Music Ministry and Evangelism.
  • Betty Rogers, Pastor Lawrence Neisent's Administrative Assistant,is an experienced Corporate Executive with a background as the Director in Sales and Marketing with AAA and Professional Rehabilitative Management. She was also in Sales and Marketing as a Trainer for Equitable Life Insurance Company.

Our BELIEFS

These are nonnegotiable tenets of faith that all Assemblies of God churches adhere to. This list is derived from the official Statement of Fundamental Truths. Click links below to see the complete original statement with scriptures.

1. WE BELIEVE...The Scriptures are Inspired by God and declare His design and plan for mankind.

2. WE BELIEVE...There is only One True God–revealed in three persons...Father, Son, and Holy Spirit (commonly known as the Trinity).

3. WE BELIEVE...In the Deity of the Lord Jesus Christ. As God's son Jesus was both human and divine.

4. WE BELIEVE...though originally good, Man Willingly Fell to Sin–ushering evil and death, both physical and spiritual, into the world.

5. WE BELIEVE...Every Person Can Have Restored Fellowship with God Through 'Salvation' (accepting Christ's offer of forgiveness for sin). [1 of 4 cardinal doctrines of the A/G]

6. WE BELIEVE...and practice two ordinances—(1) Water Baptism by Immersion after repenting of one's sins and receiving Christ's gift of salvation, and (2) Holy Communion (the Lord's Supper) as a symbolic remembrance of Christ's suffering and death for our salvation.

7. WE BELIEVE...the Baptism in the Holy Spirit is a Special Experience Following Salvation that empowers believers for witnessing and effective service, just as it did in New Testament times. [1 of 4 cardinal doctrines of the A/G]

8. WE BELIEVE... It is God's will for every believer to be baptized in the Holy Sprit and to experience the only gift that we find in Scripture that is for self edification, speaking in tongues (1 Cor 14:4). Since God is no respecter of persons (Acts 10:34) obviously he would not provide a gift that is for self edification to some believers and not others. We believe there are two distinctions made in the Bible regarding tongues. One tongue is for the edifying the church that requires interpretation. The personal prayer language gift of tongues is for every believer.

9. WE BELIEVE...Sanctification Initially Occurs at Salvation and is not only a declaration that a believer is holy, but also a progressive lifelong process of separating from evil as believers continually draw closer to God and become more Christlike.

10. WE BELIEVE...The Church has a Mission to seek and save all who are lost in sin. We believe 'the Church' is the Body of Christ and consists of the people who, throughout time, have accepted God's offer of redemption (regardless of religious denomination) through the sacrificial death of His son Jesus Christ.

11. WE BELIEVE...A Divinely Called and Scripturally Ordained Leadership Ministry Serves the Church. The Bible teaches that each of us under leadership must commit ourselves to reach others for Christ, to worship Him with other believers, and to build up or edify the body of believers–the Church.

12. WE BELIEVE...Divine Healing of the Sick is a Privilege for Christians Today and is provided for in Christ's atonement (His sacrificial death on the cross for our sins). [1 of 4 cardinal doctrines of the A/G]

13. WE BELIEVE...in The Blessed Hope—When Jesus Raptures His Church Prior to His Return to Earth (the second coming). At this future moment in time all believers who have died will rise from their graves and will meet the Lord in the air, and Christians who are alive will be caught up with them, to be with the Lord forever. [1 of 4 cardinal doctrines of the A/G]

14. WE BELIEVE...in The Millennial Reign of Christ when Jesus returns with His saints at His second coming and begins His benevolent rule over earth for 1,000 years. This millennial reign will bring the salvation of national Israel and the establishment of universal peace.

15. WE BELIEVE...A Final Judgment Will Take Place for those who have rejected Christ. They will be judged for their sin and consigned to eternal punishment in a punishing lake of fire.

16. WE BELIEVE...and look forward to the perfect New Heavens and a New Earth that Christ is preparing for all people, of all time, who have accepted Him. We will live and dwell with Him there forever following His millennial reign on Earth. 'And so shall we forever be with the Lord!'