Open Doors

Open Doors

Open Doors with Brother Andrew ("Open Doors") is a former Bible smuggling organization that has spiraled out of control.

Storied past

Open Doors was founded in 1955 by Andrew van der Bijl, a Dutchman better known as "Brother Andrew" or "God's Smuggler," who began smuggling Bibles into Communist eastern Europe during the Cold War. In 1981, Brother Andrew and Open Doors were behind the legendary Project Pearl that smuggled one million Bibles into Communist China in one night. Brother Andrew faithfully led Open Doors International well into the eighth decade of his life and then retired, but remained ready to help if asked.

Decline

With Brother Andrew no longer at the helm of Open Doors International (ODI), Open Doors USA, which historically collected about half of ODI's worldwide donations, began to rely increasingly on secular marketing strategies to raise funds, and then made a disastrous decision in 2013 to hire as CEO a wolf in sheep's clothing named David Curry, who set about filling Open Doors USA's staff positions and board seats with other wolves and hirelings; they began to take for themselves more and more of the donations collected for the world's most persecuted Christians (details).

In 2017, Open Doors International, based in Brother Andrew's Holland, hired as its CEO Dan Ole Shani (photo), who was born in Kenya and had spent most of the preceding two decades at World Vision, the large, apostate "Christian" organization that prohibits sharing the Gospel, promotes ecumenism, and protects homosexuality.

Sensing weakness at ODI, David Curry tightened his grip on Open Doors USA and began laying the groundwork to rip it out of ODI and turn it into his own fiefdom. But he couldn't do it while Brother Andrew was still alive since even a one sentence statement from Brother Andrew to the effect, "David Curry is trying to steal Open Doors USA away from Open Doors International" would have ruined his plot. So he waited.

Many were aware of what was brewing at Open Doors USA, warned and urged Dan Ole Shani and ODI to take action before Brother Andrew dies. For many years, this page publicly advised:

"Open Doors USA's activities, decisions, salaries, and Board composition indicate that its leaders now live for, work for, are driven by, and motivated by money... Before his promotion to heaven, have Brother Andrew purge Open Doors USA, including its Board, and install people of his choice."

Alternatively, Dan Ole Shani and ODI could have set up a new US chapter and had Brother Andrew issue a short statement to the effect, "David Curry and the Board of Open Doors USA have lost my confidence, so we have set up a new US chapter of Open Doors, which I ask our American friends to support," would have brought over the vast majority of American supporters of Open Doors USA.

According to former Open Doors USA employees, Curry began to make his move when Brother Andrew, old and ailing, entered the last stage of his life on earth. While withholding the donations collected from being transferred to ODI and its field operations, Curry began negotiations with ODI about separating from it. ODI is said to have balked because instead of handing over Open Doors USA's assets to ODI and then going off to start a new charity, Curry wanted to take everything with him, including the donor list and database, intellectual property, physical assets, and even the donation collected for and in the name of "Open Doors With Brother Andrew."

Theft

Brother Andrew died on September 27, 2022. Two months later on January 1, 2023, David Curry pounced. He took everything, including more than $30 million of the donations collected for and in the name of Open Doors With Brother Andrew, the donor list and database, intellectual property, physical assets, etc., and told the donors that Open Doors USA was now simply operating as "Global Christian Relief."

Instead of publicly confronting David Curry and using the publicity to inform and ask all American donors to support Open Doors US (without the "A"), the new US Open Doors chapter that he had hastily set up, Dan Ole Shani was again indecisive. He issued public statements, including on Open Doors USA's old website, that seemed to almost condone what Curry had done, and then tried to quietly recover Curry's loot through confidential arbitration.

Confusion

Open Doors International claimed that Open Doors USA had become Open Doors US, while Curry claimed that it had become his Global Christian Relief. Some of the Christian media were as confused as the donors, while others knew what Curry had done but chose to turn a blind eye as he seemed better resourced and prepared for the looming litigation and therefore likely to prevail.

Donation hurdles

A.  How much of the donations now being collected by Open Doors US will be spent on legal fees to try to recover the loot taken by David Curry?

B.  American donations to Open Doors With Brother Andrew were not protected while Brother Andrew was still alive, so why will they be protected now that Brother Andrew is no longer with us?

To answer these and other questions, eighteen of them were emailed to Lisa Pearce, the newly appointed interim CEO of Open Doors US (details).

Solutions

1.  Do NOT support Global Christian Relief, whose name refers not to providing relief to Christians in need but to relieving Christian donors of their money, which is then used to enrich Curry and his cronies (details).

2.  If Dan Ole Shani fails to recover the loot taken by Curry, he needs to resign or be fired, along with all other ODI leaders who didn't argue for decisive action against Curry as soon as he was recognized as a wolf in sheep's clothing, long before Brother Andrew died.

Our current rating of Open Doors International takes into consideration the legacy of Brother Andrew but will be adjusted if Dan Ole Shani fails to recover the aforementioned loot, including the $30+ million.

Visitor Emails

"I’ve read quite a bit on your website, especially about the different missionary organizations. I have been aware of the problems with VOM USA and Gospel for Asia for a few years, but not about Open Doors. I’m very saddened learning about the lack of self-sacrifice and misappropriation of funds. I have been a supporter of Open Doors for 35 years and their ministry has certainly had an impact on me. It seems that the love of money ruins much of God’s work. I’m very hesitant now to give any money to Open Doors. Do you know anything about VOM Canada...? Thanks on forehand for your response, Leonard"

"We have supported Open Doors for several years and were stunned to read your critique. We can no longer support them in good conscience, or Ethnos 360, or VOM. So what missions have you reviewed that *are* worthy of support? Thank you, in Christ, Jack"

"Hello, These past couple years have been heartbreaking as well as revelatory for me in so many ways. God has made me a giver and given me a heart for persecuted Christians from way back in my early adult years. I first started giving to missions for the persecuted through Jesus to the Communist World after reading Richard Wurmbrand's book Tortured for Christ. I have donated to many missionary organizations over the years including Open Doors. I had already heard about what had happened with Voice of the Martyrs and read Michael Wurmbrand's letter and stopped supporting them. But now I am seeing that Open Doors has fallen also. I can't even express the extreme sorrow and pain all these things have caused.....but I know that at one time these organizations founded by these two godly men DID do what they were supposed to do. It surely is a sign to me that we are in the latter days as evil is running rampant and lies abound in so many areas of the church as well as the secular world. I feel that I have been purposely led to your rather obscure website as I had to cancel my credit card due to fraudulent use and was in the process of reactivation of some recurring donations. Open Doors was on that list. I loved Brother Andrew's heart after reading his book God's Smuggler years ago and became a supporter and even doubled that after having to cross Voice of the Martyrs off the list. I still find myself compelled to give to mission work as long as I am able to do so. Might not be long as I am retired after a 30 year career and pretty outspoken about my stand on what is occurring in our country and am refusing the vaccine as well....so my paycheck could be in jeopardy at some point. So be it. But as long as it's still coming in I want to help spread the gospel and help the persecuted. Thank you for what you are doing and I hope a thorough exploration of what you have compiled will help me determine where to donate. I am still gut punched by my ignorance as to the changes that had been occurring in these two namesake organizations. I can only imagine Michael Wurmbrand and Brother Andrew's pain. But God knows the heart of these men.....and He knows the heart of this poor ignorant giver. That matters to me. Sincerely, Cynthia"

"Hi, I just had to drop you a line to say how much I appreciate your ministry. Many year ago I became aware of problems with Wycliffe Bible Translators twisting the Scriptures in order to be accepted in none Christian countries. Also, years ago, I read a YWAM book. Immediately I could see it was unbiblical and was astounded that any Christian would not be able to discern this for themselves. (Yet I have friends who are immersed in serving at YWAM.) Regarding Voice of the Martyrs, I only became aware of how evil this ministry had become a few months ago .... Your report on Open Doors was especially appreciated, as we do support them and I did not know how to check them out. When I read your page exposing Open Doors, my heart sank. How tragic that so many ministries go the way of the devil. Yes, there are still good people (naively) working in these organisations and they do some good work, but if the organisation does not focus on Jesus Christ and is not committed to truth, they will be captured by our enemy the devil (1 Pet 5:8). I’ve sent your link to our pastor, who stopped supporting VOM .... It seems to me that these ministries start well, but as their support base increases, along with funds, and they get new leaders on board who have more money-making management skills than the Spirit of God and focusing on Christ our Lord, then they go into rapid decline (spiritually). Thank you for speaking out. Blessings, Zoe"

"I was very disheartened and sickened to read the reports about VOM and Open Doors. I don't live in the USA, but I have been supporting them for decades. For several months now I have not sent them any more donations. I had always considered them to be above reproach... The purpose of my email is to request advice about what international charities I should now consider supporting, mainly those who support the persecuted church or those which minister particularly to Christians. I do support several charities, but have always given top priority to the persecuted church and I want that to continue. Thank you. Regards, Arnold"

"I am dismayed at reading the information on your website. Of course, I have been following some of this in the news, but apparently missed the information about Open Doors. How does a person who believes in the mission of Brother Andrew donate, in all good conscience, at this point? Victoria"

"Greetings! I read the ratings and was dismayed to find I'd been giving to Open Doors and VOM and thought YWAM was a good organization. How can I support WP or discern which missions that have not been infiltrated by wolves? Dawn"