Olivet History

In 1905 – two years before Oklahoma became a state – several children and a few adults began holding Sunday School classes in the humble home of Martha Ibbotson. As a mission of 1st Baptist, Oklahoma City, the group began to grow and the vision of a community church was planted firmly in their hearts.

The time … the spring of 1910. The place was a small home atop a red clay hill near the western outskirts of Oklahoma City…NW 8th St. and Klein. The wind blew uninterrupted across the prairie-like expanse. There were few homes near the location…no paved streets…no sidewalks…no streetlights.

“A most unlikely time and place for starting a church” some might say. But no such words came from a handful of these staunch Baptists who knew this was the place and time for Olivet Baptist Church.

Twenty-five charter members signed their names in commitment to this new endeavor on May 29, 1910. As the church began to grow, more space was needed but money was scarce. Word came that the Yellow Dog Saloon was going to be demolished, leaving salvage materials available for a fraction of their value if hauled away. Could it be possible that the saloon would play a role in Olivet’s future? Indeed…and Olivet raised the necessary funds, secured a wagon, and delivered the remains of the Yellow Dog for their higher purpose.

And the journey began …

As 1917 began, rumblings of war became a reality and Olivet saw many of its own leadership leave to join the cause. But as the war ceased, they returned home excited to invest in the church that supported them in their service. The church was actively growing month by month and it was clear it was time to provide more space. During these busy days, members of the church entered into a Billy Sunday evangelistic campaign in Oklahoma City and helped to build a temporary tabernacle for the historic revival. In keeping with the theme of using salvaged materials – remember the Yellow Dog Saloon? – well, Olivet was quick to purchase all of the materials used for the temporary tabernacle, enabling them to complete building in less than a year.

In 1920, they moved into the original building at Park and Klein. 560 members attended on dedication day and, on that hot August day, cherished their worship in the auditorium with its new cooling system….which by the way was included as a highlight of the day in the newspaper advertisement!

The sermon was preached from a floor built from Billy Sunday’s pulpit platform. The first hymn sung was “Come Thou, Almighty King,” a hymn that has been sung at every building dedication since.

With God’s leadership over the years, Olivet has started numerous churches in Oklahoma and beyond (see “Olivet Offspring”), sent many individuals to serve on home and foreign mission fields and been the home of some of the best musicians in the Baptist Convention.

Olivet’s history includes dedicated and godly pastors who each laid the foundation for what Olivet is today:

R.D. Licklider 1910-1916

John Huff 1917-1926

Rupert Naney 1926-1947

Grady Cothen 1948-1959

Joe Dee Ray 1960-1964

Ralph Crawford 1964-1990

Alan Runge 1991-1995

Steve Kern 1996-2019

Brett Middleton 2022-2023

Jim Gerlt 2023 to present (interim pastor)

God has been at work in this place for the past 115 years, through wars, economic crisis, and changing social landscapes. Yet Olivet continues to be a place where love and grace abound. It is our prayer that generations to come will continue to hold Olivet in their hearts, recalling how God has used this church to share Christ and love people.