CEMENT—Situated in Caddo County, the town of Cement has a population of just north of 500 people, according to the most recent U.S. Census.
On an average Sunday morning, you will find more than 100 people gathered for worshipping God at Cement, First, which has seen an explosion of baptisms in 2015.
According to Mike Price, who assumed his role as pastor in April, God is bringing in a “harvest of souls,” with 28 baptisms since the spring alone.
“This is a wonderful congregation that loves people,” said Price. “We are trying to be faithful to teach and preach the Gospel to every person. People are responding in amazing ways, and it is all due to the Lord.”
Member and deacon, Stacy Cogburn, who has been active at the church for the past 10 years, is overjoyed to see people from the community come to the Lord.
“This is a praying church, this is a loving church,” he said. “We are seeing a real harvest of God’s provisions, and in my life, I have experienced answered prayer.”
Several of Cogburn’s family are members of the church, including his mother and grown children. Cement, First has a wide age-range of members, including many children and youth. According to Price, 10 students were saved at Falls Creek alone and later baptized.
A ninth grader named B.J. was among the numerous students who professed faith in Christ and were baptized. A student at the local high school, he hopes to make an impact for Christ with his life.
On Oct. 4, the congregation held “Harvest of Souls” celebration Sunday, as an outpouring of thanks to the Lord for the recent baptisms, which have seen older children, youth, men and women follow Christ in believer’s baptism.
After the worship service, which featured music, an offering and preaching, the congregation gathered for a huge potluck meal, symbolizing God’s abundance, said Price.
Plans are in place for a mass distribution of New Testaments, as well as taking the youth to an evangelistic event. Later in the fall, Price has scheduled a revival featuring Marty Brock, which he hopes God will use to advance the Harvest.
“We are not doing anything unusual or fancy for evangelism,” said Price. “We are just intentionally sharing the Gospel with every person we can in the church and surrounding community and leaving the results to God.”
He continued, “Jesus chose a handful of followers to take the Gospel to the whole world, and we are grateful to be part of that Great Commission today.”
Caddo Association Director of Missions Chuck Shilling, who served in an interim capacity prior to Price’s arrival, believes the congregation is a committed, hard-working group of believers.
“It was a very good experience to be with them for my wife, Charlene, and me, as we got to know several of the families well,” he said. “We are very excited about what God is doing there.”
About Price, Shilling said, “He is someone who loves the Lord Jesus and he loves sharing Jesus with the lost. He also loves his church. He is a wonderful pastor. He cares about his flock. And he is someone I have always been able to count on to help in the association when I ask him to do so.
Price and his wife, Jean, hope the baptisms continue to abound at Cement. For any good that is coming at Cement, Price attributes the glory to the Lord.
“To God be the glory, great things He has done,” he said.
