Who we are

About Us

Loving God. Loving People. Serving Our Community.

Our faith

Core Beliefs

We believe there is one true God eternally existent in three persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

We believe in the deity of Jesus, His virgin birth, His sinless life, His sacrificial death and bodily resurrection, His ascension to the right hand of the Father, and His personal return.

We believe the Bible to be the inspired Word of God and the authority for the Christian life.

We believe humans were created in the image of God but have been separated by sin.

We believe in salvation only by grace through personal faith in the person and work of Jesus.

We believe in the ministry of the Holy Spirit, by whose infilling presence the Christian is enabled to live a holy life.

We believe the church is made up of all those who have received Christ as their Savior and that the church has been given the task of preaching and teaching the gospel of salvation to the world.

We believe in the future return of Jesus to take the church home and usher in eternity.

What We Believe

We believe in a Triune God. God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit.

We believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and is the only way to Heaven.

We believe that every word from the Bible is true and is the inspired Word of God.

We believe in water Baptism by submersion.

We partake of communion as taught by Jesus Himself.

We are a Church that believes in the power of the Holy Spirit who enables us to live a holy life.

We do not adhere to the belief of speaking in tongues as evidence of the indwelling of the Holy Spirit.

For more information about the beliefs of the Church of God, visit Church of God — Our Beliefs.

Meet our leaders

Staff

Meet the people who help lead, serve, and care for the Oakmont Church of God family.

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Director of Security

Keith Myers

Pastor

Clay Defriend

Pastor Clay is a lifelong resident of Shreveport and has served in ministry for 42 years. Pastor Clay is passionate about seeing souls won to Christ and lives transformed through the power of Jesus.

He and his wife, Loretta, treasure spending time with their four sons and grandchildren.

When not at church Pastor Clay can usually be found in the gym working on his other passion, health and fitness. A self proclaimed extrovert, he is always open for grabbing a coffee or lunch.

Office Administrator

Valda Stephenson

Valda Stephenson brings more than 50 years of experience in office administration and a heart dedicated to serving others. Her years of experience, organizational skills, and willingness to help make her a valuable part of the Oakmont Church of God family.

Valda was married to her beloved husband, Leon Stephenson, until his passing in 2000.

She enjoys crafting, crocheting, creating, and spending time with her friends and her four grandchildren, who bring great joy to her life.

Valda’s goal is to help Oakmont Church of God grow and thrive. She especially enjoys seeing God move in ways that strengthen the ministry and enrich the lives of the church’s youth, encouraging them to seek God and follow His plan for their lives.

Val -

“My desire is to see God continue moving through our church, strengthening our ministry and helping our youth discover and follow His plan for their lives.”