February 11 Today in OPC History

On this date in 1977, the Presbytery of Southern California ordained Stephen D. Doe to the gospel ministry. Born thirty years earlier in Virginia, Steve grew up in a United Methodist church, but wasn’t a believer. His mother sent him gospel tracts while he studied at Lynchburg College (1965-1967). After serving in the Army in Vietnam, he met Intervarsity staff worker Allen Harris, now a retired OP minister, while earning his bachelors at the University of Maryland, College Park, in 1972. Al helped Steve to understand the implications of the gospel and encouraged him to study at Westminster Theological Seminary, where he embraced the Reformed faith. He and his wife Joanie, whom he had married in 1971, worshiped at Calvary Orthodox Presbyterian Church in Glenside, Pennsylvania, where they became OP.

After graduating from WTS in 1976, Steve and Joanie drove to Oxnard, California, for his pastoral internship at Oxnard OPC, under the oversight of “retired” pastor Henry Coray. In 1977 he was ordained and installed as associate pastor of El Camino OPC in Goleta to labor at the Oxnard Chapel. During these years, the Does adopted two of their four children from Korea. In August 1981, the Does moved cross country to Maryland, where Steve pursued graduate work in counseling at WTS.

Steve served as pastor of Faith OPC in Lincoln, Nebraska (1984-1992) and at Covenant OPC in Barre, Vermont (1992-2002). In 2002 Steve became the organizing pastor of Bethel Reformed OPC in Fredericksburg, Virginia, serving that congregation until 2012. While at Bethel, Steve taught for a month at Knox Theological College in Uganda in 2011. His vast church planting experience led Steve to become the regional home missionary for the Presbytery of the Mid-Atlantic in 2012. His efforts have focused in Virginia Beach, Virginia, and Gaithersburg, Maryland. Besides planting churches, the Does enjoy their four children—Christopher, Laura, Jessica, and Joshua—and seven grandchildren.