CHURCH HISTORY

by Pastor Leo W. Smith and Mrs. Collie Baker

 

(This newspaper article – compliments of Ray Morgan – was accompanied

with a photo of Choate Baptist Church Pastor Leo W. Smith who did so

much to make the new building possible.)

On November 15, 1893, seven people met in the Oklahoma school house and

organized what today is known as the Choate Baptist Church. The minutes of

that first meeting read, Nov. 15, 1893...”We the undersigned Elders met at the

Oklahoma School House on the above date and did then and there organize into

and presbytery to receive a Missionary Baptist Church that was organized on the

above date when Bro. R.P. Ricks, Sister U. E. Couch, Sister J. E. Alexander did

proceed and organize themselves into one body in Christ and was received by

the Presbytery.” (signed) Elder T.J. Johnston, Moderator; Deacon J.H. Manlove

and Elder G. J. Walkers, secretary.

 

The first pastor to serve this Oklahoma Baptist Church of Christ was Elder T.J.

Johnston and the first deacon of the church was J.H. Manlove who the following

year was ordained to the ministry and called as pastor. It was the interesting

practice of this church to elect a new pastor each year. Among some of the early

pastors were: S.B. Kimball, R.L. Pierce, H. Hall, and C. H. Appling.

 

From the very beginning the Church strove to be a progressive, denominational

minded Church. In September 1894, the Church voted to send delegates to

petition membership in the Blanco Baptist Association. They remained members

of the Blanco Baptist Association until Feb. 9, 1924, when they voted to petition

the Gambrel Baptist Association for membership. The first recorded missionary

school house to accept members into the church. As early as 1896, they were

pledging gifts to Associational missions, State Missions, Foreign Missions, State

Sunday School, Buckner's Orphans Home, and the Ministers Relief Program. A

helping hand was extended to the building project of the Alice Baptist Church in

1903, and in 1907 the Church voted permission for the pastor “to aid J.M. Carroll

in his educational and school building work in San Marcos.” Also, through the

years, they have extended support to the Alto Frio Baptist Encampment, Baptist

Memorial Hospital , U.C.C., Mexican Baptist Bible Institute, students, both of the

Church and from foreign countries, Widows hospital bills, Radio Programs of

District 6, and the Orphans Home in Mineral. In October of 1919, the Church

voted to change its name from the Oklahoma Baptist Church of Christ to the

Missionary Baptist Church at Choate, and later to the Choate Missionary Baptist

Church and finally to The Choate Baptist Church as it is called today.

During the seventy years, the church has had two previous buildings. On

January 14, 1900, the first service was held in the permanent building, which

stood at the present site of the Choate Cemetery. On May 20 of the same yar,

this building was dedicated with H. Hall preaching the dedication message. {The

church building burned in 1935...} The church voted then to move to the site

across from the school house and land was donated by Mr. and Mrs. E. H.

Grandberry. The old site of the church was donated to the Cemetery. The first

service in this new building was on July 7, 1935.

 

In September of 1961, damages were done to The Choate Baptist Church by

the Carla storm, and a committee was appointed to see about making the

necessary repairs to the building. On December 31, 1961, this committee

reported back to the Church that the insurance was not sufficient to cover the

needed repairs. A petition was made to appoint a committee to inquire

concerning the construction of a new building. This committee consisted of

Collie Baker, Marshall Hunt and Mrs. Delsie Jimerson. Plans were secured and

preliminary bids were given and on October 7, 1962, the Church agreed to

proceed with the building plans. The building committee was then expanded to

include Ray Morgan, William Wilson, Cecil Atkinson, Elaine Morgan, Mae

Copeland, and Mary Louise Ford. On February 17, 1963, the Church voted to

release a contract to Alex Homeyer of Kenedy, who completed the building on

June 14. The first services were held in the new building on June 16, 1963.

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