The Story of Oklahoma Baptists
By E. C. RouthForeword
This is not a detailed history of Oklahoma Baptists. The chapters in this volume grew out of studies relating to the Centennial of the first Baptist church organized in the Territory, September 9, 1832.
The Executive Board of the Baptist General Convention at the regular quarterly meeting in September, 1932, authorized the publication of this volume containing historical and biographical sketches prepared by the editor of the Baptist Messenger, also the Centennial addresses.
Other chapters might be written giving the inspiring story of the faithful and courageous men and women named or unnamed in this volume.
It is our hope that the historical material contained here-in will be expanded sometime into a full history of Oklahoma Baptists. When that is done there will be a record of fidelity and sacrifice by pioneers of faith which should stir the heart of every reader.
All profits from the sale of the book go to State Missions.
The author has endeavored to make accuracy the first consideration in preparing this story of our beginnings and development. The primary source material consists of a complete file of the minutes of the Missionary and Educational Convention of the Indian Territory, Baptist Convention of Indian Territory, and the Baptist General Convention of Oklahoma, also minutes (though not complete) of the General Association of Western Arkansas and Indian Territory, an incomplete file of minutes of the two Oklahoma bodies before consolidation; the History of Indian Missions by Isaac McCoy, and the McCoy manuscripts in the Kansas State Historical Library, Topeka; the Murrow Papers, including file of Indian Missionary in Bacone College; files of the Texas Baptist published by R. C. Buckner,
1877-1882, containing many articles by H. P. Buckner relating to Indian work, preserved by Buckner Orphans' Home, Dallas; and other miscellaneous material. Much secondary material in the form of periodicals and books has been consulted. It is impossible to give credit in every case, but we are indebted particularly to the Chronicles of Oklahoma, published by the Oklahoma State Historical Society; Indians and Pioneers, Pioneer Days in the Early Southwest, and Indian Removal, by Grant Foreman; the Phillips' Collection, University of Oklahoma Library; John Ross and the Cherokee Indians, by Eaton; The Gospel and the Red Man, by Hamilton; manuscript by L. W. Marks (including information given by J. S. Murrow); Torches to the Cherokees, by Walker; Handbook, by Hodge; Pioneering in the Southwest, by A. J. Holt; Century of Faith, by White; History of Travel in America, by Dunbar; Life of L. L. Smith; The American Indian, by Moorehead; Indian Laws and Treaties, by Kappler; History of Oklahoma, by Thoburn; The Red Man in the United States, by Lindquist; The Office of Indian Affairs, by Schmeckebier; Oklahoma Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow, by Morris; Poor Lo!, by Wyeth; and Southern Baptist Handbook, 1932, by E. P. Alldredge.H. C. R. Oklahoma City, November 1, 1932 ==============
Go to Chapter 1[From E. C. Routh, The Story of Oklahoma Baptists, 1932. Scanned and formatted by Jim Duvall.]
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