About Us

History of Bartlesville First Assembly

During the spring of 1921, Mrs. Adeline Godwin of Bartlesville visited her brother in Colorado.  During this visit, she experienced a powerful touch of God in a service at a local Assembly of God Church.  After returning to Bartlesville, she began to hold prayer meetings in her home.   These prayer meetings continued through the winter.  During the summer of 1922, the Harmon – Neville revival was conducted at 2nd and Osage.  So many miracles occurred that the local paper, The Daily Examiner, published many front page articles regarding this move of God. The fruit of this revival, plus subsequent ministry of Rev. Jack Norville, was a group of people on fire for God.  Later, in 1922 and into 1923, Jack Nevills held a series of revivals in what was known as the Old Candy Kitchen on Park Street. They quickly outgrew this building and rented a larger building on land now occupied by the Slumberjey Company.     In 1924, under the leadership of Rev. James Kerr, a building program was launched.  During the spring and summer of that year, land was purchased by the congregation and a modest frame building was erected at 1025 W. 3rd .  The congregation became an official Assemblies of God church on October 5, 1924.
 
Throughout the years, this congregation has been blessed to have wonderful pastors.  Rev. James Kerr was the first pastor serving three years.  Rev. H.B. Laws, 1928 and part of 1929; Rev. Walter Higgins, part of 1929; Rev. Otis Keener, October 1929 to June 1930.  Rev. C.O. Haymaker, 1930 – 1940.  Rev. U.S. Grant, 1941 through 1945;  Rev. F.D. Wall, 1946 and 1947; Rev. C.H. Asher, 1948 through 1952;  Rev. Willie Conrad, 1953 through 1955; Rev. H.Paul Holdridge, 1956 through June 1969; Rev. James Brankel, July 1969 through 1971; Rev. Tom Goins, 1972 through 1976; Rev. Robert Polvado, 1976 through 1985;  Rev. B.R. Brummett 1986 – 2003; Rev. Darryl Wootton, 2003 – present.
 
As times have changed, so has our facilities.  The original facility on 3rd and Virginia was remodeled twice during Pastor Haymaker’s ministry.  The stone sanctuary was constructed and paid in full just two years after completion during pastor Grant’s ministry.  An addition consisting of three levels was made during Pastor Asher’s ministry.  This gave much needed space for  classrooms and office space.  During Pastor Holdridge’s ministry, a two-story brick edifice housing Sunday School and a large fellowship hall was built just east of the Sanctuary.  Later during Pastor Holdridge’s tenure, the property at 900 South Dewey was given to the church and a beautiful facility was built.  During Pastor Polvado’s ministry, a vision for a new Sanctuary and Family Life Center was proposed and fund raising was initiated.  Under his leadership, property adjacent to the church facility was purchases as it came available.  Under Pastor Brummett’s ministry, the Family Life Center was completed in 1988.  New property was purchased on southeast Price Road for future growth in 2007.  God has done many great things in the history of First Assembly and the best is yet to come.  The church is currently debt free and moving ahead.  We know that the best is yet to come!

What We Believe

The four cardinal doctrines of our church are

• Jesus is our Savior – eternal life and forgiveness of sins can be obtained through  the finished work of Jesus Christ
• Jesus is our Healer– God still does the miraculous in the present age
• Jesus is our Baptizer – Jesus empowers the believer through the gifts of the Holy Spirit.
• Jesus is our Soon Coming King– Jesus is returning for His bride – the church.  That return could be today!

Further explanation of these cardinal doctrines are contained in our 16 Fundamental Truths.  (ag.org)

Purpose, Vision and Strategy

Purpose and Mission

The purpose of Bartlesville First Assembly of God is to glorify God by connecting lives to Christ, the Church and the Challenge.
Purpose answers the question, why do we exist?  Everything Bartlesville First Assembly is involved in must bring glory to God.  Mission answers the question, what are we supposed to be doing?  As we accomplish this mission of connecting lives, we will fulfill our purpose of glorifying God.

Vision

The vision of Bartlesville First Assembly of God is to be a place of love, joy and peace where lives are transformed into being completely committed Christians.

Core Values

Bartlesville First Assembly of God’s core values are those fundamental beliefs that we prioritize.  

We value the Lordship of Christ

Christ is the head of our church and we must honor Him in all we do. We are committed to worshiping Christ passionately in our celebration services, privately in our devotions, and publicly in our daily lives.

We value the Word of God

The Bible is God’s inspired Word and our final authority. We are committed to the preaching, teaching, and application of God’s Word that inspires a hunger for spiritual development. 

We value the Supernatural

The Holy Spirit is at work today and equips the church for the supernatural.  Through consistent prayer, faith in God, and yielding to His Spirit, we expect God to accomplish the impossible through the gifts of the Spirit.

We value Loving Relationships

Everyone at every age should be surrounded by loving relationships. These relationships form a refuge in troubled times and enjoyment in peaceful times.  Christ said these relationships would show the world we are His disciples.

We value Unchurched People

Unchurched people are the focus of Christ’s commission to His followers.  We are committed to using our full resources and our full energy in connecting unchurched people to the love of Christ both locally and globally in these last times.

We value Family

The family is an institution established by God. Our church is dedicated to developing solid marriages and families. We are committed to strong ministries for children, youth, young adults, adults, and seniors.

We value Ministry Excellence

Since Christ gave His best, we should give our best and keep a high standard of excellence in the ministries and activities of our church.    Our goal is to leave everyone and everyplace we encounter better than when we found them.   

We value Creativity

Christianity should never be boring or trapped in legalism. The God who created the universe will help us find creative, innovative, and culturally relevant approaches in presenting the message of Christ.

We value Change

Change is necessary for spiritual growth and spiritual growth is a priority for all believers.  Either you are growing or you are dying. Connecting to the church for biblical training, gift discovery, servant leadership, and ministry opportunities are all important steps in the believer’s maturation process.  

We value Unity

Church should be a place where everyone is moving towards the same God-honoring goals of love, joy and peace.