View Full Version : BGCO To celebrate 100 Years



Keith
09-14-2006, 07:47 PM
From the six people who formed the first Baptist church in Oklahoma in 1832 to the $28.2 million Tabernacle construction project at Falls Creek, Oklahoma Baptists have a storied and diverse history which will be celebrated Nov. 14 at Del City, First Southern.

http://www.baptistmessenger.com/images/stories/2006/0914/centennial_logo.jpg

The Centennial Celebration will focus on the beginning of the Baptist General Convention of Oklahoma on Nov. 9, 1906, when the Baptist General Convention of Indian Territory and the Oklahoma Baptist State Convention merged to form the BGCO.

Since that day when the two conventions met and joined in marching two-by-two to the Shawnee Opera House to become one convention, the BGCO has grown from 882 churches with 40,617 members to today's count of 1,734 congregations with more than 750,000 members.

The 100-year celebration event will conclude sessions of the annual state convention Nov. 13-14 at Oklahoma City, Quail Springs.

The two-hour program, written, directed and produced by Kevin McAfee of McAfee and Associates, will be a fast-paced reflection of the past, present and future of Oklahoma Baptists.

Telling the story of the BGCO will be Oklahoma's Cherokee native son from Claremore, Will Rogers, played by Gene McFall, who has been performing as the late humorist for more than two decades.

"He is going to take us on a celebration of the past 100 years from when two Anglos, three slaves and one Creek Indian met to form the first Baptist church in what is now Oklahoma," McAfee said.

McAfee added that three important things in the life of Oklahoma Baptists will be highlighted--the impact of state Baptists challenging moral issues, the role of women in Baptist life and the multiple ethnicity of Oklahoma Baptists.

He said from the days when Annie Armstrong walked the northeastern quadrant of the state to Edna McMillan's influence on missions, to the position of today's woman, women have played an enormous role in Baptist life.

"And, just as we started in our humble beginnings with a group of ethnics, we are reaching out to many ethnic groups today," McAfee emphasized.

Also on the program will be the Singing Churchmen and Singing ChurchWomen, making up more than 700 singers, directed by Bill Green. Keith Haygood, BGCO music and worship specialist, will take a trip down memory lane, leading musical selections from 100 years ago to the present day. A special music guest will be Wintley Phipps, a native of Trinidad, who has performed frequently at Billy Graham crusades.

Interspersed through the program will be five, two-minute Centennial Moments videos.

The celebration will open with a parade of members of the 1,734 congregations that comprise the convention, led by directors of missions, and close with a brief challenge from BGCO Executive Director Anthony Jordan about the future.

"And we must not forget that at the core of all of this is the important element of the Cooperative Program," McAfee said.


Stubblefield Chapel at OBU, formerly the home of Shawnee, First, was where members of the Baptist General Convention of Indian Territory marched from to the "wedding" at the Shawnee Opera House, which united them with the Oklahoma Baptist State Convention on Nov. 9, 1906.

A 30-minute concert by the Churchmen and ChurchWomen will precede the 7 p.m. event.

All who attend the celebration will be given a commemorative program of the 100 years, with a special section on Falls Creek.

"The program is a collector's item people will want to keep," said McAfee. "This is going to be a special night. It will be something, I believe, Oklahoma Baptists will remember for years to come."