About OBC

Pastor Ed Rogers and his Wife Patrice

Front and center: Ed and Patrice Rogers; Back Left: Lee and Holly, Andrew and Lauren, Devin and Rachel, and Caleb; Back Center: Matt and Summer, Sadie, Jada, Zoe, and Trek; Right: Chad and Melissa, Parker and Carly.

Octavia Baptist Church was organized in Aug., 1905 before Oklahoma became a state. You can check out the picture album called "Church Beginnings" for some pictures of the minutes of the first meetings, etc.

Octavia Baptist Church has had Ed and family as Pastor, teacher, and friend since October, 1983. Ed says he can always remember his first time preaching as pastor because it was Halloween. The picture above was taken October, 2013 when we celebrated their 30th. Anniversary as our pastor and family.

Since then, the church has experienced exceptional growth, considering the rural area it serves. It has moved from it's first church site in downtown Octavia, about 1 1/2 miles west of Hwy. 259, to 17 acres on the corner of Hwys. 259 and 144.

The church building will comfortably seat 260 people, and uncomfortably, probably another 30 or 40. When we've had exceptionally large attendances at funerals or other gatherings, chairs have been added in the aisles and in the foyer to accommodate the visitors.

The old church building was moved from the property in Octavia proper to the new property on the highway, after the new church facilities were built in 1991 - 92. It was remodeled, later added to, and serves as the Fellowship Hall. It not only serves our church but oftentimes the community for birthday parties, family reunions, weddings, and so on.

Our church motto is "Connecting People to God". As you can see from some of the other pages on this web site, we are involved in youth ministry, children's ministry, missions, as well as many other ministries as the need arises. As a member of the Southern Baptist Convention, our statement of faith is encapsulated in the Baptist Faith and Message. You can read the Baptist Faith and Message by clicking the underlined link.

We have heard over the past 39 years some wonderful sermons and lessons, and received encouragement to keep on, challenges to change, words of comfort in the midst of tragedies, support during those trying times, and always they were delivered with love and compassion from one who knows many of us so well, and loves us in spite of that knowledge. Sermon notes are now available on this web site for all who are interested in reviewing or following along from Sunday to Sunday with us.

Our pastor and his family have become, in many ways, and to many people, our community's pastor. They minister wherever and whenever there is a need. No one is turned away when they have a need.

In the future, our church is open to growth in all of our ministry areas - especially that of missions. We have become increasingly involved in Compassion International, and currently our congregation is supporting around 30 children through that ministry.

We have young people that have grown up in our church who are currently serving in various mission-type ministries, and more coming along that are looking forward to that type of service as well.

If you can visit some of the other areas of the web site, you will gain a fuller insight into who we are and what we are about. We are God's people trying to do God's will in God's way - "connecting people to God".

And, if you are ever in the Octavia area, we would be happy for you to visit our church. It may look "big" by outside measurements, but inside our small-church friendliness is abundant.

Associate Pastor Josh Smith and his Wife Stephanie

Josh and Stephanie, and their four children, Dempsey, JoAnna, Archie, and Ollie.

On April 23, 2023 our new Associate Pastor, Josh Smith, preached his first sermon in that capacity.

He, his wife, Stephanie, and their four children, Dempsey, JoAnna, Archie, and Ollie, joined our congregation with the plan to eventually assume the pastorate.

Josh previously served as youth minister at First Baptist Church in Antlers, OK - 10 years, FSBC in Guthrie, OK - 4 years, and youth intern at First Baptist, Seminole - 2 years. He is already on board to play a big role in Day Camp this year, and he is alternating the preaching, teaching duties with Ed on Sunday mornings and Sunday evenings.

We are excited to have Josh and his family here at OBC and look forward to what he will bring to our congregation and our area. We believe this is where God wants him to be and he is praying for God to use him to bring others to faith in Him, and to encourage, strengthen, and disciple other believers in their walk with the Lord.

Thus begins a new chapter in the life of Octavia Baptist Church.