Who we are and what we believe.
You are Welcome Here.
We are an open and affirming congregation located in Enid, Oklahoma, with a long history of care and concern reaching beyond our church doors.
The First Presbyterian Church welcomes all of God's people to take part in worship, Christian education, mission work, and community. In this congregation you will experience faith and discipleship that embraces beauty, challenges the heart and mind, serves the wider community, and respects and honors diversity.
Our Mission Statement:
As a community of Christians we:
Faithfully worship God,
Prepare people to follow Jesus Christ,
Compassionately serve one another in love.
Our Beliefs
We are members of the PC(USA).
While you’ll find a broad range of personal expressions of faith represented in our congregation, Presbyterians believe that:
• There is one God. This God made covenants with the people of Israel throughout histroy, and fulfilled and extended the covenants most fully in the person of Jesus Christ.
• Jesus Christ is the only son of God. Jesus was born of the virgin Mary, lived, died, and rose from the grave to bring salvation to all men and women. Jesus Christ is the living hope of the Church throughout the ages.
• The Holy Spirit is the comfort and guide for the Church. The Holy Spirit is God's inspiring power that brings men and women to faith, convicts them of sin, and assures them of God's pardon.
• The Bible is the inspired and authoritative Word of God, containing all things necessary for salvation. The Bible is comprised of the Hebrew Scriptures (“The Old Testament”) and the Christian New Testament. By the power of the Holy Spirit, the Bible is still speaking to God's people.
• Faith in Jesus Christ is all that is necessary for salvation and to receive God's grace.
• Grace is God's free gift to those who exercise faith in Jesus Christ. Grace is the assurance that sins have been forgiven and that a new life is possible.
• Sacraments are a way that we experience God's grace, and there are two: baptism and communion.
◦ Baptism is the symbolic act of washing away sin. Baptism confirms that all are born in grace and forgiven of sin, and is for infants, children, and adults alike.
◦ Communion, or the Lord's Supper, is a meal of remembrance where we are physically and spiritually nourished by the body and blood of Jesus Christ. Communion at The First Presbyterian Church is open to all.
• The Church is the body of Christ in the world. Though there are many parts of this body, they are one by Christ's power, and all men an women are called to be a part of this body.
Our History
FPC Enid has been sharing God’s live through service to our neighbors since 1893!
On Sunday, September 17, 1893, the day after the opening of the Cherokee Strip, the first religious services were held in Enid, Oklahoma. Among those leading services in the newly settled land were two Presbyterians, a missionary and a minister. G.V. Albertson, the Presbyterian missionary, led afternoon worship services, while Rev. H.P. Wilson, the Presbyterian minister, led evening services and taught a well-attended Sunday School.
The First Presbyterian Church was formally organized on January 28, 1894, with a membership roll of about 150 people, most of which had participated in the Cherokee Strip Land Run the previous year. Sunday services and classes were held in various buildings in Enid as the congregation grew: the Federal Building, in a one-room frame building on East Broadway, and eventually in a liquor wholesale warehouse on Randolph. While meeting in the liquor warehouse a plan was put into place to build a church facility at the corner of what is now Broadway and Jefferson; the structure was simple, with exposed rafters and muslin covering the windows.
By 1906 the simple structure at Broadway and Jefferson was outgrown and work was begun on a cream-colored brick building to replace it on the same location; the building was erected at a cost of $20,000. The new facility was dedicated on May 1, 1907 and is pictured here:
When The Rev. Dr. Dan Luther Edwards arrived in Enid to begin his pastorate in 1920, The First Presbyterian Church had been growing exponentially. With the need for more worship and education space, a committee was formed to explore expanding the current facility or building something new. After nearly six years of exploration, fundraising, and prayer, it was decided that a new facility was necessary. On Friday, October 29, 1926, in front of the entire community and a congregation from all over Oklahoma, the cornerstone was set for the building where we worship to this day.
The current church building, located one block south from the structure erected in 1907, was completed in 1927. The building is a testament to the ideals of Reformed Christianity: reverent worship, lifelong Christian education, and communal fellowship. The church building provides ample space for the preaching and teaching of God's Word and worship, classrooms of all sizes and shapes for Christian Education, and many spaces for the congregation to gather for meals and small groups. The church is not the building, but rather the people who come seeking God and a relationship with Jesus Christ and their neighbors; the church facility is a place where this happens!
The First Presbyterian Church has been a constant beacon of God's love in Enid for over 127 years. With such a central location in the downtown Enid area, The First Presbyterian Church takes advantage of many opportunities to serve the wider community. From hot meals, to after-school tutoring, to public concerts and the arts, The First Presbyterian Church is a place where all of God's people can come and experience the love and presence of God. At the heart of everything we do is a commitment to form disciples of Jesus Christ who go out into the world with the message of the Gospel.