Missio Dei Church
Missio Dei (Latin for “Mission of God”) was planted in Portland in 2004, by 3 core families who relocated to Maine from Vermont with a passion and calling to build a new, gospel-soaked, culturally-engaged community in Maine’s largest city. The church was initially launched through the vetting and support of a global church-planting network, and MDC started meeting weekly at the East End Community School in 2006. The period of 2006-2019 was marked by deepening growth and engagement, culminating in the hiring of a 2nd full-time pastor in January 2020.
Like many small organizations, MDC was radically affected by the COVID pandemic. During the years of 2020-2022, the church experienced a sudden leadership transition, change of gathering space, and disaffiliation with the original church-planting network. While these disruptions certainly impacted the community, the core values and culture remained remarkably consistent. The 2nd hired pastor (mentioned above) became the primary pastor and only full-time employee. Through these tumultuous years, The Root Cellar also emerged as a gracious and like-minded ministry partner, and MDC has been gathering for weekly worship in the Root Cellar since October 2020.
Since 2022, the leadership at MDC has prioritized clarifying our values, sharpening our sense of purpose, developing new leaders, affiliating with a new church network (the Jesus Collective), and turning our attention towards greater visibility in Portland. Despite all of the change, what uniquely marks MDC has never changed. Some of these marks are described below:
Like many small organizations, MDC was radically affected by the COVID pandemic. During the years of 2020-2022, the church experienced a sudden leadership transition, change of gathering space, and disaffiliation with the original church-planting network. While these disruptions certainly impacted the community, the core values and culture remained remarkably consistent. The 2nd hired pastor (mentioned above) became the primary pastor and only full-time employee. Through these tumultuous years, The Root Cellar also emerged as a gracious and like-minded ministry partner, and MDC has been gathering for weekly worship in the Root Cellar since October 2020.
Since 2022, the leadership at MDC has prioritized clarifying our values, sharpening our sense of purpose, developing new leaders, affiliating with a new church network (the Jesus Collective), and turning our attention towards greater visibility in Portland. Despite all of the change, what uniquely marks MDC has never changed. Some of these marks are described below:
Our Beliefs/Doctrine/Theology
Many churches have a "what we believe" or "doctrine" page on their website. We intentionally do not have a public webpage like this, not because we desire to hide our doctrine, but because we want to prioritize in-person engagement around the question of "doctrine" and "beliefs." So we invite you to visit or to reach out! Pastor Joel would love to connect with you to discuss matters of doctrine and theology. We also do have a document on "Theology and the Church" that is available, which provides plenty of detail on the doctrine we teach and hold to, so please reach out to admin@mdchurch.org if you would like to pursue any of your questions about doctrine with MDC.
Our purpose statement captures these values well:
MDC exists to point people towards redemption in Jesus Christ. We prioritize authentic engagement with God, with each other, and with the city of Portland, upon a foundation of patient and prayerful cultivation of deep roots in scripture, worship, and relationship.
If you are looking for a community of wonderful people, within which you can find authentic connection to God and others, find healing for whatever wounds you carry, contribute to a vital engagement with the city of Portland, and become more and more shaped by the Gospel of Christ, we hope you will join us. All are welcome!
MDC exists to point people towards redemption in Jesus Christ. We prioritize authentic engagement with God, with each other, and with the city of Portland, upon a foundation of patient and prayerful cultivation of deep roots in scripture, worship, and relationship.
If you are looking for a community of wonderful people, within which you can find authentic connection to God and others, find healing for whatever wounds you carry, contribute to a vital engagement with the city of Portland, and become more and more shaped by the Gospel of Christ, we hope you will join us. All are welcome!
