PABC History
History of the Portland Avenue Baptist Church
Written by Dr. Walter L. Mullican
Oklahoma City rose from the prairie on a single spring day during the Land Run of 1889. Eighteen years later in 1907 the Unassigned Lands known as Oklahoma became the 46th state in the union. At statehood the young city had a population of 32,452 and by 1930 the population had exploded to 185,389.
In 1934 the flamboyant “Alfalfa Bill” Murray was governor and Oklahoma like the rest of the nation was caught in the grip of the Great Depression. Unemployment was 22% and Franklin Roosevelt rolled out his New Deal program. Oklahoma was still reeling from the effects of the Dust Bowl. In the summer of 1934 temperatures reached 117 degrees in Oklahoma. The drought brought about the destruction of some 35 million acres of farmland. In March of 1930 the Mary Sudik Number One oil well came in and by 1935 the Oklahoma City oilfield had produced 409 million barrels of oil.
In 1934 the average cost of a new house was $5,970.00 and average wages per year were $1,600.00. Gasoline was 10 cents a gallon. A loaf of bread was 8 cents and a pound of hamburger meat was 12 cents. $625.00 would buy a brand new Studebaker pickup and $2.50 would purchase an Arrow men’s shirt.
As the Redbuds blossomed in the Oklahoma spring of 1934 a new church was about to be planted on the fringes of Oklahoma City. A small group of Baptist people began to meet for prayer and out of this prayer meeting was born the vision for a new church on the growing northwest edge of Oklahoma City. Portland Avenue was a dirt road and livestock dotted the landscape of the new neighborhood. Houses were sparse but the growing city was beginning its march to the country.
This group of God’s people believed that a new work was needed in the community. They first met in the home of Fred W. Plummer located at NW 13th and St. Clair just east of the present location. The group continued to meet for several weeks in the Plummer’s home and the homes of others in the area and soon it became apparent that a new church was to be planted. On April 25, 1934 a prayer meeting was held at the home of Mr. F. W. Lynn and Mr. C. W. Myers was authorized to find a suitable location for erection of a Church building. On April 29 Sunday School was held at the home of F.W. Plummer with 48 present and on May 6, at the home of Mr. D. W. Vay with 55 present in the S.S.
As the group grew there was a need for a place to gather and worship. Work began on the first building was wood frame measuring 28’ x 44’. Seating in the new building was made from materials later used in the building. The group met in the building every Sunday while it was being constructed. On May 20, 1934 the building was completed and 148 people were in Sunday School.
On May 27, 1934 a group of invited ministers met for the purpose of assisting in the organization of a new church. Rev. R.D. Howard, pastor of the Kelham Avenue Baptist Church, was elected moderator of the meeting and preached the sermon. Bro. John Kelly acted as clerk of the council. The church was organized with a total charter membership of 38.
The newly organized church called its first pastor in July when Bro. J. A. Pennington came from the First Baptist Church of Valliant, Oklahoma. The church grew and an 18’ x 44’ addition was added to the north side of the original building and sawdust covered the dirt floors of both buildings. Funding for the new addition came from an $800 loan from a Rev. Dodd, a Baptist pastor, with repayment to be made in five years. The church repaid the loan ahead of time. It had been quite a first year for the new church.
In its second year the church added a third addition measuring 20’ x 44’ to the rear of the original building. As Portland Avenue Baptist began to grow it gathered attention by being featured in an article in the Sunday School Builder magazine replete with pictures. The church enrolled every member in Sunday School. A 50’ x 80’ basement was dug on the northwest corner of Portland and 13st Street right by the side of the frame structure on the north. As the basement walls were coming above ground Pastor Pennington was called as a District Missionary with the Home Mission Board at Shawnee, Oklahoma. It was now April of 1939.
By August, Rev. Joseph B. Head of Kentucky was called as pastor. There was a great wave of interest in his coming and the church increased dramatically in attendance and ministry. In the fall of 1939 the church was completely redecorated and auditorium chairs were installed. The church voted plans for a new church auditorium and subscriptions were received to cover cost of construction. However, Bro. Head’s tenure as pastor came to an end in June of 1940. Several loyal, dedicated preachers supplied the pulpit as the church prepared to call a new pastor.
Rev. Bailey Sewell was called as pastor in August of 1940. Things began to move again and soon the basement was covered and put in use as an educational building. The building and other accumulated debts were paid in the next two years. As the church moved forward with a vision to build a permanent auditorium over the basement, the priorities of World War II closed the door of possibility. The church was continuing to grow and so felt the need for additional educational space that another 24’ addition was built across the entire back of the original frame building. The addition housed the Intermediate Department, kitchen and bathrooms with flush toilets - the churches very first! This space also served as the Fellowship Hall with the class room partitions doubling as dining tables. The front half of the two buildings were joined together to provide for an additional class room and a pastor’s study.
The church then began putting its building fund money into War Bonds looking forward to the day the auditorium could be built. The vacant five acre block south of the church was eyed by Pastor Sewell and some of the leaders as a very desirable building place for the future church. After much prayer and planning and counsel the block was purchased. Some twelve to thirteen thousand dollars was raised in cash and pledges toward the start of a new building on the newly acquired property by the time Brother Sewell left in May of 1948 to go into denominational work.
Rev. B.D. Vanderslice was almost immediately called as pastor. He had in recent years served the Britton Baptist Church as pastor and the Trinity Baptist Church as Assistant Pastor. In the summer of 1948 the church had a tent revival on its newly acquired land and continued plans for the construction of a new church facility. Two brick educational buildings were constructed and the old buildings across the street were disposed of to the contractor who built the new education buildings. The old frame building burned down soon after the church disposed of it.
The move to the new property and building marked a new chapter in the life of the church. There was continued growth both numerically and financially. The infant church was now maturing into adulthood and beginning to fulfill the vision God had impressed upon that little group back in 1934. Bro. B. D. Vanderslice left to serve in Texas in 1953.
Rev. Bill Kersh who was pastor of First Baptist Church in Heavener, Oklahoma was called to become the next pastor. During Rev. Kersh’s three years of leadership as pastor, the church enjoyed a period of growth and development that greatly matured the church. Two former military barracks were moved onto the property at the back of the original five acres. The buildings were remodeled for use as educational space. In 1956, Bro. Kersh left the church to go into denominational work.
Rev. Ralph Longshore was soon called as the next pastor. He was serving at the Sunday School Board in Nashville, Tennessee when he accepted the call to Portland Avenue. Rev. Longshore had preached for the church in a revival meeting and felt the wonderful challenge of opportunity. Bro. Longshore was an evangelist at heart and led the church to new heights in baptisms and numeric growth. He will be remembered as the pastor who led the church to build its present auditorium. A two year bond program was entered into to provide funding for the shell of the auditorium. The growing church felt the future possibilities to be so great that the vacant five-acre block at the back of the property was purchased for future growth. Construction began on the long anticipated auditorium on July 13 of 1958. In the fall of 1959, Bro. Longshore accepted the call as Superintendent of the Department of Evangelism for the Baptist Convention of Alabama. Once again the church was looking for another leader to lead them to fulfill the vision of the original founders.
On January 21, 1959 the church called Rev. Frank Elkins as pastor by virtue of a unanimous vote on the first ballot. Bro. Elkins came to Portland Avenue from the First Baptist Church of Wewoka, Oklahoma. During Bro. Elkins four-and-one-half year pastorate the church was able to finish the new auditorium which seated by May of 1959 which coincided with the church’s 25th anniversary. Bro. Elkins was a strong leader who led the church to be strong in its Bible teaching and its evangelism. There were many additions to the church family during his pastorate and many believers were strengthened in their own spiritual walk because of his ministry. Bro. Elkins left Portland Avenue to enter into private business in 1962, but it was clear he was God’s man for the time he was with the church.
In August of 1963, the church called Dr. J. P. Dane as pastor. He came from the Oklahoma Baptist University in Shawnee where he was a professor in the Bible Department. His conservative teaching at OBU marked him as a staunch champion of the truth of God’s Word in an era when that belief put him into the minority.
The 1960s were a turbulent time in the United States. The assassination of JFK and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. were just symptoms of a chaotic time. Many American cities experienced “white flight” and “urban blight” in the 1960s and Oklahoma City was no exception. City dwellers were moving to the suburbs and Portland Avenue felt the effects. Dr. Dane told the writer that Portland Avenue was the only church that did not grow under his leadership. His explanation for why this was so included the same kind of things just mentioned. During his pastorate Dr. Dane led the church to bring a young man on the church staff by the name of Bill Green. These two formed a dynamic duo of ministry. Bill Green’s music ministry had over 400 enrolled. Dr. Dane once remarked that the church was the “Portland Avenue Choral Club!” Dr. Dane and Bill Green touched the lives of countless people through their giftedness and personal ministry. Dr. Dane was a prince of Bible teachers and preachers leading the church to a new spiritual depth under his leadership. He was a pastor at heart and loved the people. Mildred, Dr. Dane’s wife, and partner in ministry was a radiant Christian and was involved in the life and ministry of the church.
Dr. Dane further distinguished himself while at Portland Avenue by serving two terms as President of the Baptist General Convention of Oklahoma in the early 1970s. In fact, he was the first person to serve two consecutive terms as convention president. Dr. Dane was one of the key leaders in Baptist life in Oklahoma during his tenure as pastor.
In August of 1972, Dr. Dane made the difficult decision to leave Portland Avenue as pastor and become the Chair of the Bible Department at Grand Canyon College in Phoenix, Arizona. Dr. Dane’s nine-year tenure as pastor was the longest of any previous pastor. This endeared him in the hearts and lives of the people as did his wonderful preaching, teaching, and pastoral heart.
Dr. Jack Robbins followed Dr. Dane as pastor in 1973. Dr. Robbins came from the First Baptist Church of Velma, Oklahoma where he had served for three-and one-half years. Bro. Jack was a graduate of Samford University with B D. and Th.D.degrees from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth, Texas. Bro. Jack came to a church in a changing church and community. Bro. Jack was a visionary with an evangelistic heart. He helped lead the church to build the children’s building and family life center that replaced the two barracks which had been educational space for years. Bro. Jack lead in reorganizing the deacon ministry and putting into place a committee structure. In 1976 Bro. Jack resigned to take another pastorate.
Bro. Lawrence Matlock served as pastor from 1977 to 1982. Bro. Lawrence’s ministry reached out to young adults in the community some of whom are still very active in the church.
After the departure of Bro. Matlock the church extended a call to Dr.Steve McKown to serve as pastor. Bro. Steve had a lengthy ministry of nine years. One of the things that Bro. Steve accomplished while serving at Portland Avenue was the renovation of the Fall’s Creek cabin. A second story dorm and bathroom addition was added which greatly expanded the use of the cabin. This work was done by men from the church who lived at Fall’s Creek for a few months completing the work. In 1991 Dr. McKown accepted a call to a church in the Phoenix area.
In June of 1992, Dr. Walter Mullican began his ministry as pastor. He moved from the First Baptist Church of Eufaula, Oklahoma. He is in his 17th year of ministry, thus having the longest tenure of any pastor in the seventy-five year history of the church. Bro. Walter grew up in Shawnee as did his wife, Kathy. He graduated from the Oklahoma Baptist University in 1982 with a B.A. in Religion. He is a 1986 graduate of Southwestern Seminary in Fort Worth, Texas earning the M.Div.degree. In May of 2002 he graduated from the Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Kansas City with a Doctor of Ministry degree. While at Portland Avenue he has served the Baptist General Convention as its First and Second Vice-President and also as President of the State Pastor’s Conference.
One of the most significant ministries of the last fifteen years has been the Upward Sports Program started by Bob Miller who served as Minister of Student & Families from 1993 to 2003. This ministry has literally touched lots of families and students in the community.
In 1998 the church began the Touching Tomorrow Today campaign. This $799,000 renovation campaign was started to bring some much needed renovations and improvements to an aging facility. It started with the addition of the much needed metal roofs over two of our buildings. The new burgundy colored roofs fixed some much needed roof problems, but added an updated look to the buildings. Next came the much awaited renovation of the old auditorium that had served the church until the new auditorium was built around 1960. It had come into quite a state of disrepair, but in July of 2001 it was completed renovated and renamed Dane Chapel in honor of Dr. and Mrs. J. P. Dane. This wonderful facility now has six classrooms, and seating for about 110 with its own sound system and multimedia capabilities. Touching Tomorrow Today was also going to bring renovations to the auditorium and church offices along with adding two new vehicles for transportation, but that plan was altered rather dramatically on a sunny spring morning in April of 2002.
April 3, 2003 was to be a rather typical Wednesday. The weekly staff meeting would take place that morning and preparations for the mid-week service would keep the office staff busy about their tasks. However, all that changed at a little after eight o’clock in the morning. A couple looking for rental property in the neighborhood were heading east on 13th Street when they noticed smoke curling up from the eaves of the north education building. A quick call to 911 brought the fire department which turned in more alarms until the fire became a four-alarm fire. In a couple of hours the fire was contained and put out, and then began the process of determining the extent of the damage to the building. When the staff was allowed back in the building, it quickly became apparent that the extent of the damage was far worse than any could have imagined. The entire north building was a loss inside as the fire began in the old Sunday School office and had burned so hot that the metal joists had melted and twisted allowing the upper floor to buckle and drop about four inches. Smoke and water damaged in varying degrees the rest of the facility. It was learned that smoke damage can be just as damaging or more so than actual fire damage. Major work would be required to bring the building back into a state of use by the church.
The church met that evening for a prayer and information service in the Family Life Center. The Children’s Building and Family Life Center were left undamaged by the fire. A larger than usual crown for a Wednesday evening service gathered along with a good number of reporters from the local media covering the fire. It was in this meeting that Portland Avenue Baptist Church showed her true character. It is a character of faith and determination that has allowed this church to survive well beyond many other urban churches. A little fire would not stop us from our mission and vision. This thought was conveyed on a large bright yellow banner that hung from the front of the fire damaged education building. The church, led by her staff, determined to keep moving forward. Nothing on our calendar or schedule was changed. We would continue to be the church and do the ministry of the church even if our building was damaged.
The Family Life Center was converted into a temporary auditorium that would serve us beautifully for around 15 months. The staff members did an incredible job of seeing that facilities came together during this time. They must be mentioned by name. Rick Brown had come to PABC in 2000 as our Minister of Education and Outreach. Bro. Rick was a invaluable asset during the whole process of restoration of our facilities. He was heavily involved in the redesign of the building and coordinated so much of the day to day activities of a major renovation project. In 2004 Bro. Rick left our staff due to budget cutbacks, but one cannot but think his service at PABC was not unlike that of Queen Esther was who called for “such a time as this.” Bob Miller, longtime Student Minister at PABC, brought invaluable skills and resources to bear during this time. He helped coordinate the building of the awesome stage used during our time in the FLC. Jason Henson, Minister of Music, was a trooper as well. He was able to keep our ministry of music and worship at a high level during the renovation even conducting several musicals with both children and adults. The office staff of Gina McKean, Teddy Graham, and Dee Hood was an incredible help during this time. Everyone learned much about flexibility and patience.
The renovation of the main building was done by Diversified Construction of Edmond, OK. Mr. Mark Latham is the owner and president. Mr. Russell Baker, a member of Crestwood Baptist, was the architect for the project. The main building dated back to the 1950s and 1960s and had to be brought up to current building codes including ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act). This meant an elevator would be required along with a number of other code upgrades.
The entire facility was redesigned to meet the needs of the church family as it currently ministers and as it looks to the future. Total cost of all renovations was right at $2.8 million dollars. The church took on $861,000 of this cost in indebtedness to complete the project. This was a step of faith that the church family will pay dividends for the future generations who serve the Lord at PABC.
Fifteen months after the fire, on September 7, 2003, the newly renovated facility was dedicated again to God’s glory and service. We were honored to have Mr. Kirk Humphries, then mayor of Oklahoma City, as our special guest along with Mr. Larry McAtee our city councilman. Words cannot give adequate description of the newly renovated building. You must see it to believe it
Written by Dr. Walter L. Mullican
Oklahoma City rose from the prairie on a single spring day during the Land Run of 1889. Eighteen years later in 1907 the Unassigned Lands known as Oklahoma became the 46th state in the union. At statehood the young city had a population of 32,452 and by 1930 the population had exploded to 185,389.
In 1934 the flamboyant “Alfalfa Bill” Murray was governor and Oklahoma like the rest of the nation was caught in the grip of the Great Depression. Unemployment was 22% and Franklin Roosevelt rolled out his New Deal program. Oklahoma was still reeling from the effects of the Dust Bowl. In the summer of 1934 temperatures reached 117 degrees in Oklahoma. The drought brought about the destruction of some 35 million acres of farmland. In March of 1930 the Mary Sudik Number One oil well came in and by 1935 the Oklahoma City oilfield had produced 409 million barrels of oil.
In 1934 the average cost of a new house was $5,970.00 and average wages per year were $1,600.00. Gasoline was 10 cents a gallon. A loaf of bread was 8 cents and a pound of hamburger meat was 12 cents. $625.00 would buy a brand new Studebaker pickup and $2.50 would purchase an Arrow men’s shirt.
As the Redbuds blossomed in the Oklahoma spring of 1934 a new church was about to be planted on the fringes of Oklahoma City. A small group of Baptist people began to meet for prayer and out of this prayer meeting was born the vision for a new church on the growing northwest edge of Oklahoma City. Portland Avenue was a dirt road and livestock dotted the landscape of the new neighborhood. Houses were sparse but the growing city was beginning its march to the country.
This group of God’s people believed that a new work was needed in the community. They first met in the home of Fred W. Plummer located at NW 13th and St. Clair just east of the present location. The group continued to meet for several weeks in the Plummer’s home and the homes of others in the area and soon it became apparent that a new church was to be planted. On April 25, 1934 a prayer meeting was held at the home of Mr. F. W. Lynn and Mr. C. W. Myers was authorized to find a suitable location for erection of a Church building. On April 29 Sunday School was held at the home of F.W. Plummer with 48 present and on May 6, at the home of Mr. D. W. Vay with 55 present in the S.S.
As the group grew there was a need for a place to gather and worship. Work began on the first building was wood frame measuring 28’ x 44’. Seating in the new building was made from materials later used in the building. The group met in the building every Sunday while it was being constructed. On May 20, 1934 the building was completed and 148 people were in Sunday School.
On May 27, 1934 a group of invited ministers met for the purpose of assisting in the organization of a new church. Rev. R.D. Howard, pastor of the Kelham Avenue Baptist Church, was elected moderator of the meeting and preached the sermon. Bro. John Kelly acted as clerk of the council. The church was organized with a total charter membership of 38.
The newly organized church called its first pastor in July when Bro. J. A. Pennington came from the First Baptist Church of Valliant, Oklahoma. The church grew and an 18’ x 44’ addition was added to the north side of the original building and sawdust covered the dirt floors of both buildings. Funding for the new addition came from an $800 loan from a Rev. Dodd, a Baptist pastor, with repayment to be made in five years. The church repaid the loan ahead of time. It had been quite a first year for the new church.
In its second year the church added a third addition measuring 20’ x 44’ to the rear of the original building. As Portland Avenue Baptist began to grow it gathered attention by being featured in an article in the Sunday School Builder magazine replete with pictures. The church enrolled every member in Sunday School. A 50’ x 80’ basement was dug on the northwest corner of Portland and 13st Street right by the side of the frame structure on the north. As the basement walls were coming above ground Pastor Pennington was called as a District Missionary with the Home Mission Board at Shawnee, Oklahoma. It was now April of 1939.
By August, Rev. Joseph B. Head of Kentucky was called as pastor. There was a great wave of interest in his coming and the church increased dramatically in attendance and ministry. In the fall of 1939 the church was completely redecorated and auditorium chairs were installed. The church voted plans for a new church auditorium and subscriptions were received to cover cost of construction. However, Bro. Head’s tenure as pastor came to an end in June of 1940. Several loyal, dedicated preachers supplied the pulpit as the church prepared to call a new pastor.
Rev. Bailey Sewell was called as pastor in August of 1940. Things began to move again and soon the basement was covered and put in use as an educational building. The building and other accumulated debts were paid in the next two years. As the church moved forward with a vision to build a permanent auditorium over the basement, the priorities of World War II closed the door of possibility. The church was continuing to grow and so felt the need for additional educational space that another 24’ addition was built across the entire back of the original frame building. The addition housed the Intermediate Department, kitchen and bathrooms with flush toilets - the churches very first! This space also served as the Fellowship Hall with the class room partitions doubling as dining tables. The front half of the two buildings were joined together to provide for an additional class room and a pastor’s study.
The church then began putting its building fund money into War Bonds looking forward to the day the auditorium could be built. The vacant five acre block south of the church was eyed by Pastor Sewell and some of the leaders as a very desirable building place for the future church. After much prayer and planning and counsel the block was purchased. Some twelve to thirteen thousand dollars was raised in cash and pledges toward the start of a new building on the newly acquired property by the time Brother Sewell left in May of 1948 to go into denominational work.
Rev. B.D. Vanderslice was almost immediately called as pastor. He had in recent years served the Britton Baptist Church as pastor and the Trinity Baptist Church as Assistant Pastor. In the summer of 1948 the church had a tent revival on its newly acquired land and continued plans for the construction of a new church facility. Two brick educational buildings were constructed and the old buildings across the street were disposed of to the contractor who built the new education buildings. The old frame building burned down soon after the church disposed of it.
The move to the new property and building marked a new chapter in the life of the church. There was continued growth both numerically and financially. The infant church was now maturing into adulthood and beginning to fulfill the vision God had impressed upon that little group back in 1934. Bro. B. D. Vanderslice left to serve in Texas in 1953.
Rev. Bill Kersh who was pastor of First Baptist Church in Heavener, Oklahoma was called to become the next pastor. During Rev. Kersh’s three years of leadership as pastor, the church enjoyed a period of growth and development that greatly matured the church. Two former military barracks were moved onto the property at the back of the original five acres. The buildings were remodeled for use as educational space. In 1956, Bro. Kersh left the church to go into denominational work.
Rev. Ralph Longshore was soon called as the next pastor. He was serving at the Sunday School Board in Nashville, Tennessee when he accepted the call to Portland Avenue. Rev. Longshore had preached for the church in a revival meeting and felt the wonderful challenge of opportunity. Bro. Longshore was an evangelist at heart and led the church to new heights in baptisms and numeric growth. He will be remembered as the pastor who led the church to build its present auditorium. A two year bond program was entered into to provide funding for the shell of the auditorium. The growing church felt the future possibilities to be so great that the vacant five-acre block at the back of the property was purchased for future growth. Construction began on the long anticipated auditorium on July 13 of 1958. In the fall of 1959, Bro. Longshore accepted the call as Superintendent of the Department of Evangelism for the Baptist Convention of Alabama. Once again the church was looking for another leader to lead them to fulfill the vision of the original founders.
On January 21, 1959 the church called Rev. Frank Elkins as pastor by virtue of a unanimous vote on the first ballot. Bro. Elkins came to Portland Avenue from the First Baptist Church of Wewoka, Oklahoma. During Bro. Elkins four-and-one-half year pastorate the church was able to finish the new auditorium which seated by May of 1959 which coincided with the church’s 25th anniversary. Bro. Elkins was a strong leader who led the church to be strong in its Bible teaching and its evangelism. There were many additions to the church family during his pastorate and many believers were strengthened in their own spiritual walk because of his ministry. Bro. Elkins left Portland Avenue to enter into private business in 1962, but it was clear he was God’s man for the time he was with the church.
In August of 1963, the church called Dr. J. P. Dane as pastor. He came from the Oklahoma Baptist University in Shawnee where he was a professor in the Bible Department. His conservative teaching at OBU marked him as a staunch champion of the truth of God’s Word in an era when that belief put him into the minority.
The 1960s were a turbulent time in the United States. The assassination of JFK and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. were just symptoms of a chaotic time. Many American cities experienced “white flight” and “urban blight” in the 1960s and Oklahoma City was no exception. City dwellers were moving to the suburbs and Portland Avenue felt the effects. Dr. Dane told the writer that Portland Avenue was the only church that did not grow under his leadership. His explanation for why this was so included the same kind of things just mentioned. During his pastorate Dr. Dane led the church to bring a young man on the church staff by the name of Bill Green. These two formed a dynamic duo of ministry. Bill Green’s music ministry had over 400 enrolled. Dr. Dane once remarked that the church was the “Portland Avenue Choral Club!” Dr. Dane and Bill Green touched the lives of countless people through their giftedness and personal ministry. Dr. Dane was a prince of Bible teachers and preachers leading the church to a new spiritual depth under his leadership. He was a pastor at heart and loved the people. Mildred, Dr. Dane’s wife, and partner in ministry was a radiant Christian and was involved in the life and ministry of the church.
Dr. Dane further distinguished himself while at Portland Avenue by serving two terms as President of the Baptist General Convention of Oklahoma in the early 1970s. In fact, he was the first person to serve two consecutive terms as convention president. Dr. Dane was one of the key leaders in Baptist life in Oklahoma during his tenure as pastor.
In August of 1972, Dr. Dane made the difficult decision to leave Portland Avenue as pastor and become the Chair of the Bible Department at Grand Canyon College in Phoenix, Arizona. Dr. Dane’s nine-year tenure as pastor was the longest of any previous pastor. This endeared him in the hearts and lives of the people as did his wonderful preaching, teaching, and pastoral heart.
Dr. Jack Robbins followed Dr. Dane as pastor in 1973. Dr. Robbins came from the First Baptist Church of Velma, Oklahoma where he had served for three-and one-half years. Bro. Jack was a graduate of Samford University with B D. and Th.D.degrees from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth, Texas. Bro. Jack came to a church in a changing church and community. Bro. Jack was a visionary with an evangelistic heart. He helped lead the church to build the children’s building and family life center that replaced the two barracks which had been educational space for years. Bro. Jack lead in reorganizing the deacon ministry and putting into place a committee structure. In 1976 Bro. Jack resigned to take another pastorate.
Bro. Lawrence Matlock served as pastor from 1977 to 1982. Bro. Lawrence’s ministry reached out to young adults in the community some of whom are still very active in the church.
After the departure of Bro. Matlock the church extended a call to Dr.Steve McKown to serve as pastor. Bro. Steve had a lengthy ministry of nine years. One of the things that Bro. Steve accomplished while serving at Portland Avenue was the renovation of the Fall’s Creek cabin. A second story dorm and bathroom addition was added which greatly expanded the use of the cabin. This work was done by men from the church who lived at Fall’s Creek for a few months completing the work. In 1991 Dr. McKown accepted a call to a church in the Phoenix area.
In June of 1992, Dr. Walter Mullican began his ministry as pastor. He moved from the First Baptist Church of Eufaula, Oklahoma. He is in his 17th year of ministry, thus having the longest tenure of any pastor in the seventy-five year history of the church. Bro. Walter grew up in Shawnee as did his wife, Kathy. He graduated from the Oklahoma Baptist University in 1982 with a B.A. in Religion. He is a 1986 graduate of Southwestern Seminary in Fort Worth, Texas earning the M.Div.degree. In May of 2002 he graduated from the Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Kansas City with a Doctor of Ministry degree. While at Portland Avenue he has served the Baptist General Convention as its First and Second Vice-President and also as President of the State Pastor’s Conference.
One of the most significant ministries of the last fifteen years has been the Upward Sports Program started by Bob Miller who served as Minister of Student & Families from 1993 to 2003. This ministry has literally touched lots of families and students in the community.
In 1998 the church began the Touching Tomorrow Today campaign. This $799,000 renovation campaign was started to bring some much needed renovations and improvements to an aging facility. It started with the addition of the much needed metal roofs over two of our buildings. The new burgundy colored roofs fixed some much needed roof problems, but added an updated look to the buildings. Next came the much awaited renovation of the old auditorium that had served the church until the new auditorium was built around 1960. It had come into quite a state of disrepair, but in July of 2001 it was completed renovated and renamed Dane Chapel in honor of Dr. and Mrs. J. P. Dane. This wonderful facility now has six classrooms, and seating for about 110 with its own sound system and multimedia capabilities. Touching Tomorrow Today was also going to bring renovations to the auditorium and church offices along with adding two new vehicles for transportation, but that plan was altered rather dramatically on a sunny spring morning in April of 2002.
April 3, 2003 was to be a rather typical Wednesday. The weekly staff meeting would take place that morning and preparations for the mid-week service would keep the office staff busy about their tasks. However, all that changed at a little after eight o’clock in the morning. A couple looking for rental property in the neighborhood were heading east on 13th Street when they noticed smoke curling up from the eaves of the north education building. A quick call to 911 brought the fire department which turned in more alarms until the fire became a four-alarm fire. In a couple of hours the fire was contained and put out, and then began the process of determining the extent of the damage to the building. When the staff was allowed back in the building, it quickly became apparent that the extent of the damage was far worse than any could have imagined. The entire north building was a loss inside as the fire began in the old Sunday School office and had burned so hot that the metal joists had melted and twisted allowing the upper floor to buckle and drop about four inches. Smoke and water damaged in varying degrees the rest of the facility. It was learned that smoke damage can be just as damaging or more so than actual fire damage. Major work would be required to bring the building back into a state of use by the church.
The church met that evening for a prayer and information service in the Family Life Center. The Children’s Building and Family Life Center were left undamaged by the fire. A larger than usual crown for a Wednesday evening service gathered along with a good number of reporters from the local media covering the fire. It was in this meeting that Portland Avenue Baptist Church showed her true character. It is a character of faith and determination that has allowed this church to survive well beyond many other urban churches. A little fire would not stop us from our mission and vision. This thought was conveyed on a large bright yellow banner that hung from the front of the fire damaged education building. The church, led by her staff, determined to keep moving forward. Nothing on our calendar or schedule was changed. We would continue to be the church and do the ministry of the church even if our building was damaged.
The Family Life Center was converted into a temporary auditorium that would serve us beautifully for around 15 months. The staff members did an incredible job of seeing that facilities came together during this time. They must be mentioned by name. Rick Brown had come to PABC in 2000 as our Minister of Education and Outreach. Bro. Rick was a invaluable asset during the whole process of restoration of our facilities. He was heavily involved in the redesign of the building and coordinated so much of the day to day activities of a major renovation project. In 2004 Bro. Rick left our staff due to budget cutbacks, but one cannot but think his service at PABC was not unlike that of Queen Esther was who called for “such a time as this.” Bob Miller, longtime Student Minister at PABC, brought invaluable skills and resources to bear during this time. He helped coordinate the building of the awesome stage used during our time in the FLC. Jason Henson, Minister of Music, was a trooper as well. He was able to keep our ministry of music and worship at a high level during the renovation even conducting several musicals with both children and adults. The office staff of Gina McKean, Teddy Graham, and Dee Hood was an incredible help during this time. Everyone learned much about flexibility and patience.
The renovation of the main building was done by Diversified Construction of Edmond, OK. Mr. Mark Latham is the owner and president. Mr. Russell Baker, a member of Crestwood Baptist, was the architect for the project. The main building dated back to the 1950s and 1960s and had to be brought up to current building codes including ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act). This meant an elevator would be required along with a number of other code upgrades.
The entire facility was redesigned to meet the needs of the church family as it currently ministers and as it looks to the future. Total cost of all renovations was right at $2.8 million dollars. The church took on $861,000 of this cost in indebtedness to complete the project. This was a step of faith that the church family will pay dividends for the future generations who serve the Lord at PABC.
Fifteen months after the fire, on September 7, 2003, the newly renovated facility was dedicated again to God’s glory and service. We were honored to have Mr. Kirk Humphries, then mayor of Oklahoma City, as our special guest along with Mr. Larry McAtee our city councilman. Words cannot give adequate description of the newly renovated building. You must see it to believe it