WILBURTON—This month, an Oklahoma Baptist church located in the southeast region of the state will celebrate its 115th anniversary.

On Nov. 22, Wilburton, Highbridge will recognize this ministry milestone, with gratitude to the Lord for all He has done through the decades—and all He continues to do.

According to Pastor Doug Miller, the church is experiencing a time of renewal as it prepares to celebrate this historic milestone.

Two years ago, the church had declined to fewer than a dozen members and was on the verge of closing. Miller, who first came as a guest speaker for a series of revival events soon became interim pastor.

Fast forward to today, and Miller is the pastor and the church is now averaging about 70 people in attendance. The 115th anniversary offers an opportunity to reflect not only on the church’s long history, but also on the renewal unfolding within its congregation today.

“The Lord has been blessing our church family abundantly,” said Miller. The church recorded 13 baptisms in the last year and has nine more planned this calendar year.

Through an emphasis on reinitiating its Sunday School program and a focus on Wednesday night activities for children, the church has an outward focus. The church also has taken an active role around outreach, delivering Christmas ornaments to nearby houses along with a Gospel tract.

Miller noted that someone had taken the missions-minded approach and put a sign at one of the exit doors of the church. The sign says, “You are now entering the mission field.” That message connects the congregation’s activities inside the church with its outward focus.

“Thank you to whoever posted that sign and caught our vision,” said Miller. The church is reaching people from far and wide, with some driving as far as 20 miles to attend, as the congregation continues to grow.

“What’s happening out here is nothing more than a sovereign work of God. I’m from Wilburton. My dad pastored a church I had also pastored in Wilburton. I have been in the ministry for 45 years and I had previously pastored in Wilburton. When he brought me back here, it was a blessing to come full circle,” said Miller.

Miller emphasized prayer and perseverance, which paved the way for God to move.

“(Highbridge) has gone through ups and downs. When they were at a low point in members and had a supply preacher, they kept the belief that God could move again,” he said.

“At one point, the church was having Sunday morning service only and four women chose to still meet on Sunday and God honored what they did because there was a pastor that had retired that had moved to Lake Eufaula came over and to preach for them, and he began to preach and people started coming to the Lord,” he explained.

Like many churches, the congregation faced challenges during COVID but reemerged. I was preaching supply for the church, but the Holy Spirit of God just began to move and upon mine and my wife’s heart and to work out things circumstantially, moved upon the church’s heart we started seeing people get saved. So the church voted to call me pastor.”

Where many people see problems, Miller wants people to focus on opportunity. “I laid out for them a vision, and I told not to focus on the obstacles that you’ve got, but focus on the opportunities that you’ve got there are people all over the place out here and you need to have hope and we need to pray that the Lord would revive this church,” he added.

Miller says that he’s grateful for the move of the Lord but not satisfied or complacent. “God gave us a vision, and God blessed it. We have to believe our best days are not behind us but ahead of us. If God can move in Wilburton, He can move in any place or town in Oklahoma,” Miller said.

On the 115th anniversary nears, people from around the community are invited to attend. To see where the church has been and where it is headed.