Gateway is a church committed to faithfully ministering the Gospel of Jesus Christ in all situations to all people that God brings to us. We are particularly committed to ministering to the members of our nation’s armed forces, and are excited about getting to know you!
Gateway is centrally-located here in Montgomery. We are thankful to be part of a city that is home to Maxwell Air Force Base (which hosts a multitude of the Air Force’s professional education schools, including Air War College, Air Command and Staff College, Squadron Officers’ School, Officer Training School and many others), Gunter Annex, the 187th Fighter Wing at Dannelly Field, the Headquarters of the Alabama National Guard, and numerous guard and reserve units.
It is our sincere hope that you will consider making Gateway your church home during your time in Montgomery, whether for a few months or several years. Our church has a history of reaching out to the military community, and one of our previous pastors founded and leads the Military Missions Network. We hope that you will find our small part of God’s great kingdom to be welcoming to you while you are here in Montgomery.
If you have any questions about Gateway or its ministries, please feel free to reach out to Rick Steen or Greg Teal on our elder team.
Rick currently serves as the Wing Chaplain at the 187th Fighter Wing. He was commissioned into the Air National Guard in 2004. In 2018, he and his family came to Montgomery from Knoxville to attend Air Command and Staff College. He stayed at ACSC and taught three years in the Leadership Department. He and his wife, Kim, serve the military community through Officer Christian Fellowship, and host a Bible study in their home during the school year.
Greg had a 23-year career with the Air Force living in California, South Dakota, England and finally, here in Montgomery in 2001. After retiring from active duty in 2006, Greg began work as a civilian faculty member with the Air Command and Staff College at Maxwell Air Force Base, and continues there today. Greg and Rick co-lead a Sunday Bible Study class that many of our military families have participated in.
You may contact either of them through our elder team page.
Here is a word of encouragement from three recent military families who were part of Gateway:
“Like most other military members in the Montgomery area, we're not in the area for a long assignment. It was vital for my family and me to find a church community early. We discovered Gateway after a friend referred us and we were immediately aware this church was where we needed to belong. In all the communities we've lived in, we have never experienced connection, openness, and inclusion like at Gateway. We were immediately welcomed, ushered into a Sunday school class, and accompanied every step of the way to ensure we knew we were part of the family. We're moving soon and asking the church body to come with us, but I'm afraid that won't happen. As a result, we can only hope to find another Gateway wherever we go." ~ Tyler Martin
“We tried out Gateway with another military family we met while searching for a church after arriving in Montgomery. We immediately felt at home and welcomed by everyone we met that first weekend. In fact, one family discovered that we lived just down the street from them. Later that day, they brought over Brazilian food and a cake to welcome us to the area—even though it was his birthday! We also greatly value clear teaching that keeps Jesus at the center and emphasizes truth and grace in equal measures. Searching for a new church every move can be frustrating, but God always blesses us with a phenomenal family of believers, and Gateway is that place for us here! We’re truly thrilled to do life with such an amazing body of believers!” ~ Cameron Ross
Throughout our 30 years of military travels, my family would sometimes be told from fellow church members they don’t want to get too close to a military family such as ours. The hurt caused by uprooting and moving every 1-3 years was simply too much for them to bear and therefore they’d keep a friendly yet cordial distance. This was not the case at Gateway, we immediately felt a different kind of community/fellowship that embraced our family and we developed deep friendships that have moved well beyond the surface level. We especially love the authentic sharing and rich teaching of the Word at Gateway. ~ Scott Corey