The First Primitive Association of Oklahoma Drops Bethlehem Church of Oklahoma City from Fellowship for Promoting Liberalism and Refusing Labor
ACTIONS TAKEN BY THE ASSOCIATION IN SPECIAL SESSION AT ZION'S REST CHURCH, MCALESTER, OKLAHOMA, MARCH 30, 2002:
We (Bethel of Ada, Walnut Valley of Blanchard, and Zion's Rest of McAlester,) Sister Churches of the First Oklahoma Primitive Baptist Association being the majority send greetings to the Bethlehem Primitive Baptist Church of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.
It is our duty to inform you Bethlehem that we Bethel, Walnut Valley, and Zion's Rest, entered into an associational meeting, being the majority of the association, and in accordance with Article thirteen (13) of the Constitution of the First Oklahoma Primitive Baptist Association. This meeting was held at Zion's Rest Primitive Baptist Church, in McAlester Okla., and convened on Saturday the 30th day of March in the year of our Lord 2002.
It was after much Prayer and deliberation that the decision was made to hold this meeting. We understand, the Association has no authority of itself (seeing, it is not a body nor an entity, but a gathering of sister Churches which are one in the Body of Christ, article 10) but each individual Church carries with her the original responsibilities as set forth in the Scriptures (articles 3 and 4.)
Brothers and Sisters of Bethlehem Church, it is with much heartache that this matter must come before us again. We will reference the association meeting last year 2001 when we sent you letters of the reasons we could not fellowship your Church and thus, not represent our own Churches in the association at that time. We attempted to labor with your pastor several times. At one point, your pastor agreed to meet with us, on a Saturday, the 2nd day of June 2001, at 10:30 a.m., but later refused to make the meeting. That particular meeting was to labor with you concerning your erring path into ?Progressive Liberalism, and your support of Worldly-based Non-Scriptural Missionary Work which are both violations of article eight (8) of the constitution and article two (2) of the articles of faith of the association (which each of us individually accept as doctrinal truths.) A letter was sent to you from the Zion's Rest Church dated the 17th of June 2001 concerning those matters, and once again, we received no correspondence from you of the matter.
It is with much sadness we quote article six (6) of the constitution (The churches of this association shall have the right to investigate the condition of any church that may be reported heterodox in doctrine or disorderly in practice, and if found disorderly, drop such church from fellowship and have her acts published in her minutes, if the churches see fit.)
Brothers and Sisters of Bethlehem Church, we have already investigated your Church. We find your practices to be out of order with the Scriptures. We have attempted to labor with you and your pastor. We have given time and place for repentance; of which, there is no evidence of you desiring to turn back to the old paths which the Old-Line Primitive Baptists have embraced for so many years. Brothers and Sisters in Christ, we desire only to remain in the rock which is Christ and dwell in the Bride as He has ordained and to keep the Primitive ways of the Church. It is evident you wish to progress in the world and leave the old ways behind, so we conclude, action must taken to preserve the old paths and the purity of the Bride in accordance with the Scriptures/Commandments of our Lord.
During this meeting, a motion was made to declare Bethlehem Primitive Baptist Church out of order and to declare Non-Fellowship with her, also dropping her from the unity of the First Oklahoma Primitive Baptist Association. This motion was seconded and passed by a unanimous vote of the association.
FIRST PRIMITIVE BAPTIST ASSOCIATION OF OKLAHOMA ANNUAL MEETING HELD AT ADA, OKLAHOMA, JULY 12-14, 2002:
The First Old-Line Primitive Baptist Association of Oklahoma met in its 103rd Annual session on the second weekend in July, 2002. The meeting was held at Bethel Primitive Baptist Church, 7th and Bluff Streets, Ada, Oklahoma. Services began Thursday evening, July 11, and continued all day and evening on Friday and Saturday, and on Sunday morning. On Friday morning membership in the Association was granted to the Gore Primitive Baptist Church, of Gore, Oklahoma. The 104th annual session was appointed to be held at Gore, over the second weekend in July 2003.
