PENTECOSTALISM COMES TO OKLAHOMA CITY

The roots of Pentecostalism in Oklahoma are tightly interwoven with the history of Holiness in the region. The Holiness movement sought and encouraged a spiritual reawakening and new dynamic progress.  The search for a spiritual experience both intimate and powerful enough to impact and change lives was seen as the experience of  Sanctification.  This act of God which served to draw the Christian closer to God and empower them for outreach to others was variously interpreted and defined in the groups. Debates can still rage over just how it is defined; is it progressive or instantaneous? Despite these theological nuances, the movement answered needs felt by people for 'something more' than  ritual without meaning or for the absence of anything spiritual in their lives at all.

As early as 1902, there are claims of people who experienced Pentecost in Oklahoma. According to writings by Goff, Campbell, Muse, and others, the time from 1902-1907 was an especially active time for these sporadic Pentecostal episodes.   Joseph Campbell refers to these as raindrops before the "latter rain."  They were in the area of Lamont, Oklahoma in 1905, where the Fire Baptized Holiness Association, later Church, had mission outreach, in Beulah, Oklahoma where a Bible School operated, and other locales. 

Sometime in the years 1905-1906 a group of women in Oklahoma began to intentionally pray for a Pentecostal mission to be opened in the community and united weekly to prayer for that event.

In Beulah, an independent holiness group called the Indian Creek Band and led by the Rev. Frank T. Alexander, purchased land and opened the Beulah Holiness Bible School.

Rev. Richard B. Beall arrived in the City on January 18, 1906 and within four months had organized a Sunday School on South Robinson Street. The initial success began plans of a downtown mission.  As if in answer to those devout prayers, another minister from Colgate, Indian Territory, O.C. Wilkins, arrived in the City. Another minister who had already founded several churches also arrived, Harry P. Lott. 

In May of 1907, Fire Baptized Holiness leader J.H. King had arrived in Lamont, Oklahoma to conduct a revival where "scores of people" (Campbell, 210) received the experience and then returned to other locales with the message of Pentecost.  This renewed the flagging Fire Baptized Holiness work in the state (active since before 1900) and initiated many developments around the region. 

That summer of 1907, members of that Indian Creek Band at Beulah came to the Lamont revival and carried the experience back to the school and that region. A minister named Robinson was invited to come preach and the first in Beulah to receive the experience was an elderly woman named McClung.

In the City, all of these "young men" who had felt drawn to come to Oklahoma City had been reading of the Asuza Street Revival in the "Way of Faith" periodical by J.M. Pike. They were motivated to begin a revival and a woman named Mrs. Mary A. Sperry opened her home for "tarrying services" to pray for the revival. In the newly rented former Blue Front Saloon, 7 Grand Street, the revival services began and by August of 1907, all three men had received the Pentecostal experience.

In 1909 at Lamont, Harry P. Lott was named ruling elder of the newly reorganized Fire Baptised Holiness Association work in the state. In October of that year, Lott brought the Oklahoma City Mission into the Fire Baptized Association. It was organized, despite some who did not believe in such organization, with 39 chapter members. Some of these included: Mary Edy, G.W. Thompson, Grace Woffard,  Mother Lay, Mrs. Mary A. Sperry., Terrie J. Walker, Mrs. J.T. Ellis, Mrs. Shomp,  Mrs. Harry P. Lott (Lizzie Shomp), Grace Bergle Keller, Effie Allen,  Mrs. Roe, Newton Taylor Morgan, Oscar C. Wilkins, J.F. Hughes, and Brother Miller. There were no doubt others unknown. Campbell notes many had issues with fears of organization in general as being a deterrent to spiritual vigor and a social trait of those in the west toward more independent thinking and action as contributing to the lack of some of the early churches and groups to survive. With no organized structure, and accompanying doctrinal and operational foundations, they were often subject to error, heresy and power struggles between conflicting views.

In 1911 the Fire Baptized Holiness Church with churches in Iowa, Kansas, Texas, Oklahoma, and elsewhere would unite with the southeastern based, Pentecostal Holiness Church to form the new Pentecostal Holiness Church.  In Oklahoma, this meant some shuffling as people left to form independent groups, joined other assemblies, or new churches merged under the newly minted denomination.  The old Blue Front Saloon Mission, the Pentecostal Mission, was now on its way to being the First Pentecostal Holiness Church of Oklahoma City.

Sources: Campbell, Joseph E.. The Pentecostal Holiness Church, 1898-1948. Pentecostal Holiness Publishing House, 1951 contains many details, I have attempted to place them in some chronological order as they influenced the Oklahoma City Mission which would become the First Pentecostal Holiness Church..  Anyone with photos of these old Pentecostal churches in Oklahoma City is invited to send copies to infobrarian@yahoo.com, along with biographical information or stories of those 1905 - 1950 years.

FIRST PENTECOSTAL HOLINESS CHURCH, OKLAHOMA CITY

ca 2000 NW9 & Blackwelder

Established in 1907  (A Work in Progress - Add information via the contacts or email infobrarian@yahoo.com)

First location: Blue Front Saloon building on the corner of Grand Avenue and Santa Fe (7 Grand Avenue) in downtown Oklahoma City.  Richard B. Beall (1878-1959) was listed in his obituary of Jan. 16, 1959 as the first pastor (using the address of the 423 W.  California location); others involved in opening the church were Oscar C. Wilkins and Harry P. Lott (image). Census records indicate they either identified themselves, Wilkins and Lott, as "holiness ministers" or were identified as such by the census taker. Histories by Dan Muse, Campbell and others, indicate they rented the building for about $40 a month in the late spring or early summer of 1907 and by late summer were holding "Azusa Street" style Pentecostal services.

Second location: date of move to this location unknown. In May of 1917 the "Pentecostal Holiness Mission" is at 317 W. California ("Churches", Oklahoman, May 31,1914, pg. 6). Services were listed as Sunday School at 2:30 p.m.. Preaching 3:30 and meetings Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday nights.

Third location:  Date of the move to this location is unknown. 423 W. California, featuring a neon "Jesus Saves" sign over the front entrance. Nearby were a tin shop and the old Central Fire Station according to Steps to the Sun by Margaret Muse Oden. In 1926 J.H. King held a Bible Conference there.

Fourth location: 1701 NW 9th (Corner of NW 9th and Blackwelder)

A June 6, 1948 issue of the Oklahoman indicates a  p.m. Sunday ground-breaking service (pg.17). Rev. S.N. Greene was pastor and missionary J.W. Brooks of South Africa and Southwestern College President Dr. R.O. Corvin would give short stalks. The date the church actually began to hold services is unknown.

ROSTER OF PASTORS:

Beall, Richard Baxter (1878, Ks - 1959,Ok), 1907 - ?.   He had originally come to OKC in 1903 and began a Sunday School work, met Wilkins and Lott and formed the Mission on  Grand Avenue in the old saloon.  He later went on to found the Full Gospel Temple, 410 SW 25 and by 1950 when he retired the church may have been located at 313 SW 6 ("Rev. R.B Beall Is Dead at 80", Oklahoman, Jan. 16, 1959, pg.3)

Lott, Harry P. (1907- ca.1917)- In 1917 he left to found the Capital Hill Full Gospel Church in the suburb of Capital Hill, southwest of Oklahoma but was quickly consumed by the metropolitan area. He is listed in newspapers of 1919 as pastor of Apostolic Faith Church,South Oklahoma Avenue and East B Avenue,East Capital Hill, which may be an earlier name of the CHFGC. 

Oden, Marvin (  )- ca. 1920's

Aaron, Thomas Lee, Ph.D. (1897-1951) - A news account locates him in 1926 as pastor of the First Church, 423 W. California.  He went on to become President of Kings' College, Kingfisher and then Emmanuel College in Franklin Springs, Georgia.

Muse, Dan T., Bishop ( 1882-1950) -  ca. 1920's-1930's ; identified in a 1929 news article as pastor.

Greene, S.N. (  )- ca. 1948; noted for his publication and editing of various songbooks and other musical activities.

Goad, Richard, Sr. - ca,  ? to  ca. 1980

Davenport, James D.  ca. ? - 1980

Hudson, Marvin J., D.Min. - ca. 1980-1983 - A college student he went on to be a professor of Greek and Biblical studies.

1701 NW 9th, ca. 1983

Note: Anyone having images of this church willing to share from the early days, please send as a .jpg to infobrarianATyahoo.com

OKLAHOMA PENTECOSTALISM: THE BLUE FRONT SALOON MISSION

The Blue Front Saloon was located at the corner of Grand Avenue and Santa Fe (7 Grand Avenue) in downtown Oklahoma City.

When it was established has yet to be discovered. It was mentioned as a wild locale in a newspaper account dated 1904. It was well known as a part of the rowdy "Hell's Half Acre" of Oklahoma City. Gunplay, gambling, prostitution and crime were rampent. The area had swiftly developed from its founding in 1889 and the town was filled with brick and morter structures within months of its birth. The saloon was described as being fronted by broad windows normally covered by blinds.

In 1906 a revival began in far off Los Angeles that would have a direct impact on the life of many in Oklahoma. An African American holiness minister would begin a series of services in an old warehouse that would cross denominational, gender, and race lines in promoting a spiritual experience bringing the Book of Acts alive to a new century. These people sought redemption and experienced signs and wonders akin to the Biblical examples. People from across the nation who had been ardently seeking deeper spiritual experiences when to California to see first hand what was happening there. Some were shocked and left and others were certain that as Amie Simple McPherson would later say, "This is that", this was the experience the prophets had foretold. Those believed spilled out across the land sharing the vital new message of renewal and renewed spirituality.

In 1907 the notorious but now closed saloon was leased by two Holiness ministers and became the Blue Front Saloon Mission. In August of that same year the two men, R.B. Beall and O.C. Wilkins received what was known as the 'baptism of the Holy Spirit' and spoke in other tongues. In November 1907, a well known prostitute, Martha Fleming aka "Old Zulu," received a spiritual experience in a meeting there and was baptized the next day in a nearby river. This is significant because it reveals that the racial barriers broken in California were also being done away with in early Oklahoma. Early day Oklahoma was in the larger society very racist due to a high number of southerners who had transplanted before and after the Civil War.

It became one of the first pentecostal churches in the central United States. Although no known photo of the saloon has been found, it may have looked like the saloon in Carnegie dated at about 1900. Unidentified photo.
In about 1907-08 it was being pastored by Rev. H.P. Lott. He had been in a revival in Billings, Ok in 1905 when one of the earliest recorded instances of speaking in tongues and the classical Pentecostal experience occurred in Oklahoma.

Under Lott's leadership the mission expanded to include a rescue home for 'wayward women'. This was a common outreach by churches and civic groups in a time when girls and women were often seduced and abandoned in a society that was often unforgiving of such falls from a moral high ground. The local prostitution business also sometimes used deceptive means to renew their 'stable' of workers. Young, naive girls coming to the city for the first time were often easy targets to lure into the trade or to assault and coerce into working in one of the houses or, as they were coyly called, 'resorts.'

Some Sources:
McGill, Albert. Satan Came Also. 1955
Paul, Harold. Dan T. Muse: From Printer's Devil to Bishop. 1975