CHURCH HISTORY
Updated December 2007
History is the recording of past events and experiences. This history was originally compiled by Elmo Guthrie in the early 1990's. While there may be a few gaps in this history and some accounts less precise than desired, the story it tells is clearly one of faithfulness. This is a church with humble beginnings that grew to its present size based on faith alone and one that believes that we are just getting started to do God's work in our community and beyond.
The Boggy Cumberland Presbyterian Church was organized August 13th, 1899. Beginning with only 13 members and a supply pastor, Reverend T. S. Cosey, the church met in the Boggy Schoolhouse, which at that time was a half-dugout. Cosey left the church two months after it was started and Reverend J. L. Joyner, a local farmer, became the church's second pastor. His starting salary was $82.50 per year. After a few years, the church met in a school building two and one-half miles east of Burns Flat.
Reverend Joyner served through 1911 and the following year the church was without a pastor but added 23 new members following a revival. Reverend M.C. McCullough and Reverend B. P. Butler served as pastor in 1915. There is no record of the church having a pastor from 1916 through 1922. Reverend M. C. Scrudder served the church from 1923-1924. Reverend Elmer Kelly then served as pastor from 1925 through 1949.
In March 1929, the Boggy, Novice, and North Burns School Districts consolidated and began building a school in Burns Flat. The Boggy Cumberland Church found themselves without a meeting place and purchased one acre of land near the present day high school. In six weeks, the church had completed a 34' X 40' basement, furnished it with pews, and began services in the new location. This project began with only $20 in the treasury.
Following a revival in late September 1930, the church decided to erect a church building over the basement. Lumber was ordered on October 1st, 1930 and six weeks later the building was completed all through donated labor from the Methodist, Baptist, Church of Christ, Catholic, and Presbyterian churches. Reverend Kelly reported as many as 38 men and boys from these churches gave their labor and the sanctuary was completed with only $400 of debt.
In the 1940's, the church purchased a manse near the church. This manse was sold in 1977 and another property was purchased. In early 1949, the church began an expansion project of both the basement and sanctuary. The project began with only $100 in the treasury and the cost of building and seating above the donated labor was $1,776 which was paid for by year's end.
The following ministers served the church after 1949: W. R. Reid, D. G. Francis, J. C. Willet, C. A. Thompson, Houston Dixon, Fed Canada, Jack Freeman, Gerald Thomas, Melvin Orr, Courtney Fooks, Kermit Neal, Kenneth Williams, Sam Pinnell, and Walter Russell who began his service with our church in 1986.
During Reverend Freeman's ministry, which began in 1958, the church saw a need for more room because of the growth aboard the base. February's Sunday School attendance was 44, but by May it had grown to 89. The church decided to build a 2400 square foot educational unit on the west side of the church. As usual, the church had no money, but a building fund drive raised $2,100 and a $4,000 bank loan were enough to begin work. The church addition was finished in September of that same year and the loan paid off shortly thereafter. A revival and dedication service conducted by Reverend Loyce S. Estes to commemorate the event.
Many men and women have served the church since its beginning. Beauna Brown was elected church treasurer in 1927 for an indefinite term. Matt Warren served as a treasurer from the late 1930's until 1941 when W. M. Sullivan was elected and subsequently served 24 years. In October1966, Junior Delp succeeded Sullivan and is our current treasurer.
Church clerks were G. B. Joyner, Mrs. Luna Haws (substitute), Beauna Brown (1927-1954), Virgil Dawson (temporary), Elmo Guthrie (1954-1981), and Gene Reeves (1981 to present).
In the 1980's, the front entrance and steps were constructed. Beneath these concrete steps lie the original steps to the Boggy School where the church first met. In the 1990's, the church considered a new building program but opted for remodeling of the church to include a ramp and rails on the north entrance to the building and remodeling of the basement and educational unit. The church borrowed $20,000 for the project and quickly repaid the loan. A dedication of the work and open house was held on March 22nd 1992.
By 1999, the church again experienced growth and arrived in a new century considering its options for expansion. Our pastor was Jim Fisk. The first area of growth addressed was in the area of supporting our ministries with the purchase of a church van. A $10,000 loan was taken from the bank and repaid 8 months later. The van has been instrumental in supporting our youth and in other church activities. In the summer of 2000, the van hauled members of our church and the Living Waters, Assembly of God church on a home-building mission to Mexico. The fund raising for this trip was supported by the entire community.
2000 - 2004
While church growth is often charted in terms of attendance, buildings, and vehicles; another sort of growth was concurrently taking root--small group ministries. On a Saturday afternoon in the Spring of 2000, Jim Fisk led a brainstorming session of about 50 members--adult and youth alike--searching for areas where we could better do the work of the church. Evening Bible Study and Women's Bible Study joined an already strong youth program that have sustained themselves. Participation in gathering food and gifts during the holiday season increased and other small group ministries were tried for shorter periods. In 2001, a series of training sessions were conducted for the church elders. Concurrently with these small group ministries, committees were revitalized and among them, the building committee began exploring options for expansion or new site development. During this time, the church adopted its motto, "God's Love in Action."
As we considered our own future, we received assistance and support from the Cumberland Presbyterian Board of Missions. This consisted of periodic visits and consults by Reverend George Estes and some monetary grants to accelerate our revitalization.
In late 2000, the church session met to consider purchasing Don's Grocery Store but felt that the asking price for the property was more than the church could afford. The property became available at auction in 2001 and the church purchased it with what had been set-aside in the building fund and a $37,000 loan. The church also sold the manse a few months later and used the funds to pay off the loan. Workdays to clean up debris and remove some interior walls were conducted once the purchase was finalized. The church held a lawn chair service a few weeks after the purchase and a September 11th prayer service in the somewhat austere conditions of the building.
Having done yeoman's service in producing building plans by the year's end, the building committee encountered the first of several external obstacles--a revised building code. Revising and obtaining final approval of the plans compliant with the new code would take almost another year, but the time was not lost as subcommittees began exploring options for furniture, appliances, carpeting, and numerous other details required to make the transition complete. Also during this time, the church purchased several used pews from a church in Tuttle and transported them to Burns Flat.
In the middle of the building project, the session reluctantly accepted the resignation of Jim Fisk so that he could return to Arkansas and be closer to his family. Services and ministries continued with church members of all ages stepping forward to lead services or help wherever help was needed. A pastoral search committee was formed and the church was blessed to find Duawn Mearns after only a few months. Duawn and his wife Honey accepted the call to minister in Burns Flat in the Summer of 2003.
By 2003, workdays had resumed and contracts were finalized. Construction and remodeling continued through the Spring of 2004. Pews were recovered and seating arrangements revised for the new sanctuary.
A drive through awning was added in front of the church, a steeple was placed atop the roof, and a cross donated from the Methodist Church building was lighted and placed next to our church name. What had been a store building only months before was unmistakably a church. On June 20th, 2004 the church held its first service in the newly remodeled building. A few weeks later, a dedication service was conducted on the evening of July 11th, 2004.
2005
By 2005, we were a church that averaged 60 on the Sunday School rolls and 100 in morning Worship Services. Our Wednesday evening program, F-4, got off to a great start averaging 55 people each meeting for food, fun, fellowship, and faith. The F-4 program incorporated the existing bible study groups and youth groups and added a meal for fellowship, classes for the very young, singing, and even a talent show. The year also included an overnight Women's retreat hosted in our church. The theme was preparing your heart for the holidays.
2006
On 29 April 2006, we served as host for the Red River Presbytery. Many of the attendees enjoyed getting to see our new building of which they had heard reports and praises over the past two years. Following the service all were treated to Burns Flat hospitality with a delicious meal and fellowship.
During the summer of this year, the session began evening meetings with more time dedicated to the spiritual growth and leadership of the church.
Landscaping efforts continued on the West side of the building and will continue into next year. On 10 September 2006, the church began First Light, a contemporary service conducted prior to Sunday School. This same date, all church committees began meeting monthly on the same day. Revitalized with old and new committee members, the work of the church was turned over to many more hands and hearts. Several ladies from our church and community attended the Women of Faith conference in Oklahoman City.
The church had always been active in the Thanksgiving Baskets, Christmas Baskets, and Angel Tree Gift programs; however, this year saw an addition to our outreach--a community meal was offered with an open invitation to the community during the Christmas break. While the turn out was light, the dining fare was hardy and all that came were well fed.
2007
The year began in typical western Oklahoma fashion with ice storms and power outages. Committees were operating in full force, the ministerial alliance was becoming more involved in helping needy families on a year-round basis, and more people were showing God's Love in Action in more ways than ever before. One new outreach was providing snacks for the Adventure Program at Foss Lake. This is a resident program for at-risk youth managed by Southwestern Oklahoman State University.
In April, Duawn Mearns submitted his resignation after accepting a call to a church in Hot Springs, Arkansas. The session accepted the resignation and formed a pastoral search committee headed by Rick Reeves and Rodney Chilton.
While searching for a pastor is certainly an arduous task; it has not supplanted the purpose of our church. We are here to love God and to love our neighbor. We have faced some small trials during this period, but continue forward faithfully, reminding ourselves that Jesus Christ is the head of the church and we as members all have our own purpose and calling. This period has produced its own blessings. Six adults from our own church have filled the pulpit, the youth continue to lead worship four times each year on 5th Sunday--which now includes both the contemporary and traditional services, and on occasion we have exchanged one of our members to deliver the message to the Clinton Cumberland Presbyterian Church, so that their pastor, Dale Nease, could come to our church to perform the sacrament of communion and deliver the Sunday morning message. Our Wednesday night F-4 program continues, with the men taking on the challenge of the Purpose Driven Life as their bible study program for the fall, more people helping in the kitchen, and good attendance in the women's bible study and in all of the youth groups. Our food pantry continues to assist several in our community, and more people from our congregation have stepped forward to take on leadership roles.
2007 concluded with a flurry of
activity. A boxed dessert auction raised an additional $500 for the
purchase of a keyboard to be used in worship services and youth of all ages
presented a Christmas program organized by Laci Stegall. This was the
second year in which the youth have provided our Christmas program. The
missions committee in cooperation with the Ministerial Alliance helped over 300
people with turkeys and baskets
at Thanksgiving and over 325 at Christmas.
The alliance also helped provide 165 Angel Gifts for children in these needy
families. Our church served as host for these events again, but this was
truly a community effort among all churches in the alliance. We also
partook of the sacrament of the Lord's Supper on Christmas Eve, a tradition
begun two years earlier that has truly touched the hearts of all that partook.
What better time for self-examination than when we prepare our hearts for the
birth of Jesus into the world. By year's
end, we were still a church in search of a pastor, but not in search of a
mission. This was truly a year to realize that we are God's love in action
and that everyone's gifts and talents are needed to love our neighbors.
We remain a church without pretense, accepting people not judging them, and asking that each use their gifts and talents as he or she is called in service to our Lord Jesus.
For more information about the Cumberland Presbyterian Church go to www.cumberland.org.
