Southwest Baptist Church, Oklahoma City
Southwest Baptist Church is an Independent Baptist megachurch in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. They use the King James Version of the Bible in all Sunday school classes and from the pulpit. They do not condone contemporary Christian music, but instead use traditional hymns and southern gospel music in their worship services. The church imposes high biblical standards of conduct on its membership, and is opposed to the ecumenical movement. It is currently led by pastor Jason Gaddis. Sam Davison is the pastor emeritus after stepping down from the office of pastor on May 2, 2010.
Southwest Baptist Church is heavily focused on outreach. The members engage in one-on-one missionary work to gain new converts and are equipped through a missionary training course called "Fishers of Men." The church also has a bus ministry that brings in approximately 500 children each week to participate in Sunday school and Junior Church. It also conducts a youth ministry called "Champions For Christ." The church also conducts a Spanish ministry with 3 Spanish-speaking services each week, a nursing home ministry, children’s churches, and annual Vacation Bible School, a missions-oriented ladies ministry, a deaf ministry and an extensive outreach ministries.
Southwest Baptist Church operates under the themes: "A Neighborhood Church with A Metro Vision", "Church As It Once Was", and "Moving Ahead."
History
Southwest Baptist church began in 1950 when a small group of people, with a desire to begin an independent Bible-preaching and teaching Baptist church, began meeting in an Oklahoma City home. They called as pastor J. Oscar Wells, a missionary who had been serving in the field in China. The meeting place soon moved to a rented storefront and, with a handful of charter members, was legally organized and incorporated in November 1951. The church soon acquired property at 5521 S. Blackwelder, where a small block building was erected. Services began to be held there in the summer of 1953. In April 1955, O.E. Matthews was called as pastor. A Sunday school annex was soon added to the building in the fall of the same year. In a little more than two years, the membership grew to over 350.
The church called Bert Harrison as pastor in October 1961. Under his leadership, the church experienced tremendous growth. The church acquired additional surrounding property, and in 1964, a new auditorium was completed. Four years later, upstairs Sunday school space was added to the original structure. "He Hath Placed the World in Our Heart" was the theme of Southwest Baptist Church for many years under the pastorate of Bro. Bert Harrison. It reflected the heart of the church for missions according to the Great Commission of Christ to the church to "go ye into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature" (Mark 16:15). Faith Promise giving was implemented under Bro. Harrison’s leadership and the church’s missions commitment grew steadily year-by-year. In response to continued growth, work began on a new auditorium was completed and dedicated in the fall of 1974. The church continued to grow and more building improvements and additions were made. Parking lots were added and the present gymnasium, which also provides much Sunday school space, was built in 1979.
When Brother Harrison retired in the spring of 1990, the church called Sam Davison as pastor. In the summer of 1998, Oklahoma City became home to Heartland Baptist Bible College (formerly Pacific Coast Baptist Bible College of San Dimas, California). The campus was renovated in large part through the labor and contributions of the members of Southwest Baptist Church. Most of the students attend Southwest Baptist Church and contribute uniquely to its ministry. Pastor emeritus Davison currently serves as President of the college. In 2005, the church completed a four-phase building program for new nursery, office, and Sunday school facilities. These new facilities have added over 100,000 square feet (9,300 m2) to meet current needs and future growth. On November 5, 2006, Southwest Baptist Church celebrated its 55th Anniversary. to
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Coordinates: 35°24′39″N 97°32′23″W / 35.41083°N 97.53972°W