Our Story

On April 1, 1899, Bro. G.L. Dyke, Baptist Missionary to Oklahoma Territory, Bro. D. Rodgers, Baptist Missionary to Indian Territory, and Rev. J. B. Rounds, pastor of the Baptist Church in Bartlesville, arrived in Pawhuska for the purpose of organizing a Baptist church. The next Sunday, on Easter, Bro. Dyke preached to a group at the Council Building (still standing, pictured right). After the service, Bro. Rodgers and Bro. Dyke read to the group the Articles of the Baptist Faith and proceeded to organize First Baptist Church with a charter membership of  Herbert and Lillian Ripley, Mr. and Mrs. E. F. Sparrow, Laura Tucker, and Peter Spurling.  Over the next several years as the members met together and prayed together they called Rev. C. W. Burnett to be their first pastor in 1902.  On May 13, 1903 the church procured the land at the corner of 6th and Prudom for its building site.  On April 6, 1904 the first house of worship was dedicated. This lot has been the permanant earthly home to Pawhuska First ever since. As the church grew so did the need for more space to gather. The second house of worship was dedicated in 1926. After many years of lives and families being transformed through the work of Christ through His Church in that facility, the need arose for another house of worship. The current house of worship the Church gathers in was dedicated on November 30, 1983. Through missions efforts locally and abroad, Pawhuska First as planted two churches regionally and helped with other church plants outside of our area. In addition, at least 4 missionary couples have had direct ties to Pawhuska First including Randy and Anita Jordan, IMB Missionaries to New Zealand. Also, at least 11 Pastoral ministers have been ordained or licensed by Pawhuska First, including Dr. Hance Dilbeck, former Executive Director-Treasurer of Oklahoma Baptist, and current President/CEO of Guidestone Solutions (SBC Financial Entity). Throughout the generations Pawhuska First has been used by God to call thousands of people to life saving faith in Jesus Christ. This important commissioning from our Lord Jesus continues to be what drives His Church at Pawhuska First forward day after day, week after week, year after year, generation after generation!

Today Pawhuska First is in another new chapter of God's story through His people. Since emerging out of COVID-19, we continue to focus with great priority on being a Gospel light within our community, especially in our children and student ministries. We are continuing to  grow our overall family ministries as we seek to be the Church that God uses for His glory in Pawhuska, Osage County, and any where else He calls us to.  We are moving forward in our small groups to grow in being intentional communities who are doing life together, now just growing in knowledge together. We are also walking in a new chapter of expanding our digital ministry footprint. Through the trying days of 2020 we learned about a small group in Nevada who includes our services as part of their weekly gathering. In addition, due to the nature of tourism in Pawhuska, we are learning of more and more throughout the US who now include the digital ministries of Pawhuska First in their regular walk with Jesus. While we certainly do not encourage our digital ministries to be the primary source of a person's journey with Christ, we pray that God uses these ministries as a tool for growth within His Kingdom and Gospel Advancement!