We hope the information you find here will help you not only understand more about our church but also more about our Savior, Jesus Christ. Only by His power and grace do we live and breathe. So, in humble gratitude, we gather to worship Him each week. We currently meet in five locations in West Virginia: Barboursville, Beckley, Marmet, Teays Valley, and Saint Albans. Our mission and prayer as a church are that by knowing us, you will come to know God or come to know Him better. We want everything we do to honor Him. As we strive to produce fully devoted followers of Christ, the VISION we are trying to live out and help others to live out is simple: Desire God, Build Community, and Unleash Compassion.

Our Vision

Our Story

Our Beliefs

Can you imagine what would happen if each of us committed to praying for the salvation of at least one person? We are collectively committing to praying for the salvation of those in our lives! Will you join us?

Pray For One

We passionately desire God through worship, study, and prayer, allowing His presence to transform our hearts and guide our steps.
Together, we are building a vibrant community where every partner feels valued and supported, fostering relationships that reflect Christ's love.
In response to God’s call, we are unleashing compassion by actively serving our neighbors and addressing the needs within our community, embodying the gospel in action.

On Sunday, November 18, 1956, 16 adult members from the Boulevard Church of Christ in Charleston held the first service for a new church known as Gateway Church of Christ. These 16 people lived in the Saint Albans – Nitro Area, and they initially met in a building at the corner of Church and B Streets in downtown St. Albans which they purchased from St. Andrew Methodist Church. Clinton Looney, the minister of Boulevard Church of Christ, served both churches for a few weeks until Gateway hired it’s first full-time minister, Norman Ward, in January 1957.
In 1976, the original church building and property were sold to the Urban Renewal Authority for the Loop Development Project, and the Gateway congregation relocated one-half block north to our present site at 422 B Street where a new sanctuary and education wing were built.
In 1999, a Family Life Center/Gymnasium was added. This area now houses the Gateway Christian Education Center, a state-licensed facility providing Christian-based preschool and after-school care for children aged six weeks to twelve years old.
In 2006, a Children’s Ministry Area wing was built to accommodate our continued growth, and the bottom level of this addition served as an overflow seating area for adult worship until we were able, by God’s blessing, to complete our current auditorium and worship center in 2010.
In 2011, our Teays Valley campus had its very first service at the Valley Park Community Center, and in early 2012, began meeting in the Teays Valley Cinema. In 2015, we purchased and expanded the former Calvary Baptist Church building in Scott Depot, where we now host Sunday services and small group studies throughout the week.
In 2018, our Beckley campus began meeting for Sunday services in The Erma Byrd Higher Education Center, and now meets in the Raleigh County Convention Center.
In 2020, our newest campus began meeting for Sunday services in the former Marmet Christian Church location in downtown Marmet.
In 2022, construction began on a new student education center at our Teays Valley campus to accommodate our burgeoning youth ministry at that location.
In the fall of 2023, our Barboursville location began meeting for Sunday services in the Hampton Inn outside the Huntington Mall.

Gateway is an independent, non-denominational Christian church affiliated with the independent Christian Churches and Churches of Christ (instrumental). Nationwide, there are nearly 6,000 congregations with a combined attendance of over 1 million in this fellowship of churches.

We consider ourselves to be an evangelical church with an emphasis on unity in Christ because we agree with the basic doctrines that characterize evangelicals, beginning with the gospel message that Jesus is Lord and Savior. The Bible is God’s inspired Word and our source of authority. We have members and attendees from all sorts of church backgrounds, as well as those with no church background. All are welcome here.

Matthew 5:16,45; 6:1,4,8,9; James 1:17/John 1:1; 14:9 / Genesis 1:2; John 4:24; 14:16-20; 2 Peter 1:21

God the Father
- Almighty, Creator of all things visible and invisible.
  Genesis 1:1; Acts 17:24-28; Hebrews 11:3
Jesus Christ
- God’s one and only Son, our one and only Savior.
  John 1:14; 1 John 4:9 / John 3:16; 2 Peter 3:18
- Who was conceived of the Holy Spirit and the virgin Mary.
  Matt. 1:18; Luke 1:30-35
- Who is eternal but was born Jesus of Nazareth, both fully human and fully divine.
  Matthew 21:11; John 19:19 John 1:14; Rom. 5;15-17; Colossians 2:9; 1 John 1:1
- Who suffered and was crucified under Pontius Pilate.
  Luke 23:1-46
- Who died and was buried, and Who rose again bodily from the dead on the third day.
  Luke 23:44 – 24:8; John 20:24-29; 1 Corinthians 15:3-8
- Who ascended into Heaven and now sits at the right hand of the Father.
  Luke 22:69; Acts 1:1-9; Colossians 3:1
- Who will physically return to earth to judge both the living and the dead.
  Matthew 24:36-42; John 14:1-3, Acts 1:10-11; 10:39-42; 1 Peter 4:5
Holy Spirit
- Who is an active and operative part of the triune God.
  John 16:5-15; Acts 1:7-8; Romans 8:26-27
- Who indwells and empowers every Christian.
  1 Cor. 3:16; 6:19; 2 Timothy 1:14, Acts 2:38
We believe God inspired the autographs (original writings) of the Scripture and those autographs were consequently without error.
Mark 12:36; John 14:26; 16:12-15; Acts 1:16; 1 Corinthians 2:12-13; 2 Timothy 3:14-16; 2 Peter 1:20-21.

We accept the Bible as the final authority for all matters of faith and practice.
Isaiah 40:8; Matthew 5:18; 24:35; Romans 15:4; Hebrews 4:12
Genesis 3; Acts 4:12; Romans 3:23
There is nothing a person can do to “earn” salvation. It is only possible based on what Jesus has done on the Cross and offered to all who hear the gospel.

Matthew 26:28; Romans 5:9; Ephesians 2:8-9; 1 Peter 1:18-19; 1 John 1:7
Complete trust in Christ is expressed by the believer when he/she confesses Jesus as Lord and Savior, repents of (or turns from) sin, and follows Him, first in baptism by immersion and then in a life of obedience.
Romans 5:1-2 / Luke 24:45-47; Acts 2:38; 3:19; 17:30; 2 Peter 3:9 / Matthew 10:32; Rom. 10:9; Philippians 2:11; 1 John 4:15 / Acts 2:38, Rom. 6:1-7; Galatians 3:27; Colossians 2:12; 1 Peter 3:21
These believers are simply called “disciples” or “Christians.”

Matthew 16:13-18; Acts 2:14-47
The members of the church affirm their leadership by submitting to their authority and following their lead.

Acts 20:28; Philippians 1:1; 1 Timothy 3:1-7; Titus 1:5-9; Hebrews 13:17; 1 Peter 5:1-4

Pray For One

Desire God

Build Community

Unleash Compassion

Our Story

We believe in one God, Creator and Ruler of all things, existing in three persons:

We Believe in the Bible - God’s Holy Word, Scripture.

We believe the Bible teaches that man, created by God, willfully sinned against God and is consequently lost and without hope apart from Jesus Christ.

We believe that the Bible teaches that salvation- the forgiveness of sins- is only by grace through the blood of Jesus Christ.

We believe that the Bible teaches that a person receives God’s grace in response to hearing the gospel by placing complete trust in Christ.

We believe in the Church that was founded on the day of pentecost and which consists of all people everywhere who have trusted Christ for salvation.

We believe that the Bible teaches that elders are mature, biblically qualified men who exercise leadership and authority over the local congregation and whose responsibility it is to protect the church from false teaching and provide opportunities for spiritual growth.