Our History

In 1906, the pastor of Smiths Grove Baptist Church, Reverend W. M. Stallings, was preaching one Sunday afternoon in the Christian church, on the north side of Oakland. In the fall of that year, a decision was made to organize a Baptist Church in Oakland. A meeting was held in the old Masonic Lodge in downtown Oakland, with Brother Stallings as acting moderator. With this conference, Oakland Baptist Church was on its way. There were 24 charter members, mostly from nearby Old Mizpah and Friendship Baptist Churches. H. Clay Hanes was the first Clerk and F. R. Cowles was elected treasurer. Brother Haynes and H. J. Cowles came to the new church as deacons. Plans were immediately made to build a house of worship [see image on left]. The sanctuary would end up housing the church for more than 90 years, until construction was completed on a new worship center in 1999.

Soon after the building was finished, Brother Stallings conducted a revival that resulted in a great outpouring of the Spirit and a large harvest of souls. The dedication service was a pledging of the debt. All of the debt was pledged on that one day! Dr. J. G. Bow of Louisville preached the dedication sermon. Mrs. Wilson reported, “In prayer, the church was ‘set apart’ for the worship of God and the propogation of His gospel throughout the world.” In 1908, the church joined the Warren Association of Baptists.

We, the members of Oakland Baptist Church, take great pride in our more than 100-year-long history. We take pride because we know that our church is much more than a building; we are a group of people who claim Jesus Christ as the Lord of our life.

We are pleased to know that in our many years of existence we have been led by 29 different pastors. Each of these God-called men has been appointed by the Lord to lead our flock in ministry. Though we love and support our Pastors, we know that it is up to us, the flock, to carry on the cause of Christ daily in our lives so that Oakland Baptist Church can continue to be a major influence in the life of our community.

We understand that our commitment to Christ and his church will continue to be our guiding force to create a healthy future for our church. We know that without Christ we are nothing, but with Christ we can do anything! We are very proud of our rich church history and will continue to strive toward living our lives for the Lord so that our children and grandchildren will also be proud to be part of this wonderful body of believers.

Feel free to contact our church office for a more detailed look at our past including ministers tenures, salvation and baptism numbers, and any other information you may be seeking.