McAlester, Oklahoma Church of Christ History
The history of the American Restoration Movement in McAlester, and specifically of the
churches of Christ, dates back to 1908, the year after Oklahoma became a state. Henry
Rains and his family came in a covered wagon from Kentucky, by way of Texas, to do
mission work among the Indians. The success of Rains' work among the Indians was not
recorded, but it is known that he found several church members in McAlester and they
started meeting regularly in various homes--a record of the first congregation among the
Restorers in McAlester. No record of earlier meetings is known.
When Argolis Anderson returned from World War I, a group was meeting at Mary
(Anderson) Wood's grandparents' home in North Town. As the church continued to grow,
the Odd Fellow's Hall in North McAlester served as the regular meeting place. The church
was allowed to use the building in return for cleaning up any trash that was left on the
premises from Saturday night activities. For another period of time, the church met in a
millinery shop in North Town. Later they met in the old Methodist building on West Grand
Avenue. Then a meeting place was built in 1924, a brick building near the American Legion
building on South Third Street. Brother Harbert Hooker was one of the preachers during the
1920s.
The oldest existing membership list was evidently compiled when the congregation moved
into the new building on South Third Street. There were, as of June 22, 1924, 68 members
listed. Brethren J. W. Case, B. M. Strother, and D. B. Killebrew were serving as elders, and
brethren Argolis Anderson, A. C. Grimes, and H. C. Marshall were deacons. What followed
was evidently a period of amazing growth. The new building, after only 8 or 9 years, was
already too small, so arrangements had to be made for a different meeting place.
As a result of the vision of those few hardy souls that were part of the church in that day,
the church bought the Busby Opera Building at Second and Washington in 1932. The
purchase price for the Opera House which had been sitting idle for several years was $2500.
The building was massive, standing as high as a five-story building. It has been built in 1907
at a cost of $175,000 and was known in its day as one of the finest opera houses ins the
South. It had perfect acoustics and one of the largest stages and seating capacities of any
theater around.
The church worshiped in the balcony until the auditorium was remodeled and suitable for
use. There were many long nights and long days that the members worked on the Busby
Theater during which the children would go up on the third floor to play. In 1935 an article
appeared in several gospel papers entitled "From Comedy to Christ." The article read in part,
"In the city of McAlester, Oklahoma, there is an imposing theater structure, loated on a
downtown corner....It was built after the style of a few years ago for stage plays and
comedies....It has main floor, first and second balconies, fully equipped. Abandoned for the
lack of patronage sufficient to make it a paying investment in this day of the modern in
theatrical performance, this imposing edifice stood for a number of years as a tax burden to
its owners. The sequel to it is that the McAlester church negotiated for its purchase and
obtained it at a surprising nominal figure. It has been remodeled into one of the best church
buildings owned by any church of Christ in the state of Oklahoma." It took the members
three years after the purchase for the building to be ready for use--walls were scraped and
painted, a rostrum and baptistry were built, and classrooms were prepared. When the first
gospel meeting was held in the building, 30 were baptized and 12 restored. Among those
baptized at that meeting were Mary (Wood) Bridgwater and Kenneth and Ruby Hudelson. In
1933 the membership numbered 217.
Brother Ramsey Wright followed Brother Hooker and served as the preacher in 1932 and
1933. He had come to McAlester from Locust Grove (OK) on a freight train for the purpose
of attending a preachers' meeting. He made a short talk and was hired to preach for $20 per
week. He returned to Locust Grove, bought a Model T for $75, and brought his wife to
McAlester. He and his wife often entertained the young people.
The Second and Washington church continued to meet in the downtown location for almost
half a century, undergoing several major remodeling projects. The building had an auditorium
seating 850, 23 classrooms, a library, nursery, kitchen, fellowship-work room, and offices.
Despite various internal difficulties, including a court case on the majority-rule question in
1936 and a disturbance concerning the children's homes and cooperation question in 1956,
the church continued to be a great power for the cause of Christ in southeastern Oklahoma
and around the world. In 1943, several church members who lived in North McAlester
desired to work with strengthening the church's presence in that area, and the Second and
Washington church supported the work, helping them obtain their first meeting place,
helping in the preaching of the gospel, and helping in various early building remodeling and
addition projects. The difficulties mentioned above and the establishment of another
congregation in McAlester took their toll in numbers. In 1942 Bible school attendance
averaged 130, but by 1947 was up to about 200 despite the beginning of the North
McAlester congregation. In the mid-1960s, the church reached its highest attendance with
around 400 present regularly. The congregation was also instrumental in developing
congregations at Crowder, Canadian, Indianola, Haileyville, and Wilburton.
In 1979 the Second and Washington congregation thought it best to move to new facilities,
and a building was built on property on South Main. A membership of slightly over 250
moved to the new facility. In the 1990s, a Family Life Annex was added. The Annex
provides space for classes and church activities, as well as community events. McAlester
Christian Academy is also housed in the Annex.
As the church begins a second century, the church is growing numerically and spiritually.
An active community outreach program brings 100s of visitors to church activities each
year. The church is also involved in mission work around the world--especially in Latin
America.
[Note: Thanks to Edna Capers and Mary Louise Wood who graciously provided information that has been
formatted and rewritten here. Other information was taken from previous church directories.]
churches of Christ, dates back to 1908, the year after Oklahoma became a state. Henry
Rains and his family came in a covered wagon from Kentucky, by way of Texas, to do
mission work among the Indians. The success of Rains' work among the Indians was not
recorded, but it is known that he found several church members in McAlester and they
started meeting regularly in various homes--a record of the first congregation among the
Restorers in McAlester. No record of earlier meetings is known.
When Argolis Anderson returned from World War I, a group was meeting at Mary
(Anderson) Wood's grandparents' home in North Town. As the church continued to grow,
the Odd Fellow's Hall in North McAlester served as the regular meeting place. The church
was allowed to use the building in return for cleaning up any trash that was left on the
premises from Saturday night activities. For another period of time, the church met in a
millinery shop in North Town. Later they met in the old Methodist building on West Grand
Avenue. Then a meeting place was built in 1924, a brick building near the American Legion
building on South Third Street. Brother Harbert Hooker was one of the preachers during the
1920s.
The oldest existing membership list was evidently compiled when the congregation moved
into the new building on South Third Street. There were, as of June 22, 1924, 68 members
listed. Brethren J. W. Case, B. M. Strother, and D. B. Killebrew were serving as elders, and
brethren Argolis Anderson, A. C. Grimes, and H. C. Marshall were deacons. What followed
was evidently a period of amazing growth. The new building, after only 8 or 9 years, was
already too small, so arrangements had to be made for a different meeting place.
As a result of the vision of those few hardy souls that were part of the church in that day,
the church bought the Busby Opera Building at Second and Washington in 1932. The
purchase price for the Opera House which had been sitting idle for several years was $2500.
The building was massive, standing as high as a five-story building. It has been built in 1907
at a cost of $175,000 and was known in its day as one of the finest opera houses ins the
South. It had perfect acoustics and one of the largest stages and seating capacities of any
theater around.
The church worshiped in the balcony until the auditorium was remodeled and suitable for
use. There were many long nights and long days that the members worked on the Busby
Theater during which the children would go up on the third floor to play. In 1935 an article
appeared in several gospel papers entitled "From Comedy to Christ." The article read in part,
"In the city of McAlester, Oklahoma, there is an imposing theater structure, loated on a
downtown corner....It was built after the style of a few years ago for stage plays and
comedies....It has main floor, first and second balconies, fully equipped. Abandoned for the
lack of patronage sufficient to make it a paying investment in this day of the modern in
theatrical performance, this imposing edifice stood for a number of years as a tax burden to
its owners. The sequel to it is that the McAlester church negotiated for its purchase and
obtained it at a surprising nominal figure. It has been remodeled into one of the best church
buildings owned by any church of Christ in the state of Oklahoma." It took the members
three years after the purchase for the building to be ready for use--walls were scraped and
painted, a rostrum and baptistry were built, and classrooms were prepared. When the first
gospel meeting was held in the building, 30 were baptized and 12 restored. Among those
baptized at that meeting were Mary (Wood) Bridgwater and Kenneth and Ruby Hudelson. In
1933 the membership numbered 217.
Brother Ramsey Wright followed Brother Hooker and served as the preacher in 1932 and
1933. He had come to McAlester from Locust Grove (OK) on a freight train for the purpose
of attending a preachers' meeting. He made a short talk and was hired to preach for $20 per
week. He returned to Locust Grove, bought a Model T for $75, and brought his wife to
McAlester. He and his wife often entertained the young people.
The Second and Washington church continued to meet in the downtown location for almost
half a century, undergoing several major remodeling projects. The building had an auditorium
seating 850, 23 classrooms, a library, nursery, kitchen, fellowship-work room, and offices.
Despite various internal difficulties, including a court case on the majority-rule question in
1936 and a disturbance concerning the children's homes and cooperation question in 1956,
the church continued to be a great power for the cause of Christ in southeastern Oklahoma
and around the world. In 1943, several church members who lived in North McAlester
desired to work with strengthening the church's presence in that area, and the Second and
Washington church supported the work, helping them obtain their first meeting place,
helping in the preaching of the gospel, and helping in various early building remodeling and
addition projects. The difficulties mentioned above and the establishment of another
congregation in McAlester took their toll in numbers. In 1942 Bible school attendance
averaged 130, but by 1947 was up to about 200 despite the beginning of the North
McAlester congregation. In the mid-1960s, the church reached its highest attendance with
around 400 present regularly. The congregation was also instrumental in developing
congregations at Crowder, Canadian, Indianola, Haileyville, and Wilburton.
In 1979 the Second and Washington congregation thought it best to move to new facilities,
and a building was built on property on South Main. A membership of slightly over 250
moved to the new facility. In the 1990s, a Family Life Annex was added. The Annex
provides space for classes and church activities, as well as community events. McAlester
Christian Academy is also housed in the Annex.
As the church begins a second century, the church is growing numerically and spiritually.
An active community outreach program brings 100s of visitors to church activities each
year. The church is also involved in mission work around the world--especially in Latin
America.
[Note: Thanks to Edna Capers and Mary Louise Wood who graciously provided information that has been
formatted and rewritten here. Other information was taken from previous church directories.]
Address:
Email:mococ@sbcglobal.net
Main & Oklahoma Church of Christ
1700 South Main St.
PO Box 1004
McAlester, OK 74501
Phone: 918-423-4743
Fax:918-423-4780
1700 South Main St.
PO Box 1004
McAlester, OK 74501
Phone: 918-423-4743
Fax:918-423-4780
"shining the light of the world into all the world"
Main & Oklahoma Church of Christ
McAlester, Oklahoma
Main & Oklahoma Church of Christ
McAlester, Oklahoma
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