I have received some church history and will be
posting snapshots from this very dense material. Please forgive the
somewhat confusing diction. Other than minor details, this is the wording
used in the original documentation:
* * * * *
In 1918, when most of the churches changed their
names from True Followers of Christ to the name of The General Assembly and
Church of the Firstborn, the church that is located between Cleo Springs and
Ringwood, Oklahoma decided that to change the name of the church would make
them heretics. This resulted in them rejecting all of the other churches.
This church has had many splits since that time. One
of the groups that split off years ago have a church that was started by Brother
Marion Reece at Ringwood and some of his descendants are still attending that
church. Three of Marion Reece’s grandsons were elders of that congregation. The
had meetings there on the forth Sunday of the month and every Thursday night.
Charlie Smith was the brother that moved to Idaho and started that group there.
The brethren that lived west of Enid that go by the True Followers use the
scripture for a woman to keep silence in church, and forbid women to speak in
prophecy in the church.
The following church history was received by Brother
Jack Robinson in the early 1980s:
Followers
of Christ Church
Minsters through the years from the
early days’ history:
Mr. Burton – baptized Mr. Brewer
Mr. Brewer – baptized Mr. McDonald
Mr. McDonald – baptized Mr. Marion Reece
Mr. Marion Reece – Baptized Mr. Tommie Morris
Mr. Marion Reece – Baptized John Morris
Mr. Tommie Morris – baptized W.A. Morris
Mr. Tommie Morris – baptized Marion Morris
Church was built on John Morris’ land in 1946 where
he had homesteaded 60x23 feet – later more square feet was added on. John
Morris pleased, after long discussion that one day he drove by W.A. Morris and
Jon and Duane had hauled the first loads of sand and makings for foundation.
When John Morris was asked what we’d call church
after it was built, he replied, “it’s Church in Wildwood for Followers of
Christ.
Marion Reece married Lydia Morris.
W.A. Morris and Marion Morris were John Morris’s
sons.
Prior to 1940 – George Long and George Oakley were
ministers. The elders were Elliott and Reed.
Charlie Smith married Sally Morris and moved away
from the church to the northwest. He ordained White and Baldwin.
The split up the Ringwood, Oklahoma church came in 1940 on the
third Sunday meeting. George Long and George Oakley didn’t agree about fornication
and certain teachings. Therefore, John Morris told them that he would continue
to have church on the fourth Sunday meeting at a school near where he lived
until 1946 when the building was built on his land.
John Morris and his son Marion Morris ordained Ed
Long, John’s nephew. Elders W.A. Morris, his son, Cecil Morris Senior.
After John Morris passed away, Marion Morris and
W.A. Morris, and Cecil Morris senior carried on as church elders. After the
elder Jack Watkins passed away, they ordained elders Jim Wallace, Ted Nakvinda,
and Gary Wallace.
Men who spoke in tongues in the past included:
George Oakley, Charlie Smith, Will Nichols, Jim Hayes, Monroe Testamen, and
Alva Brown.
This was verified by W.A. Morris and submitted by
his niece, Joyce Morris.
