The Legacy of Carbondale

Our Legacy

The Assemblies of God was born in the fires of a Pentecostal outpouring at the turn of the last century. Those early Pentecostals believed the God of the Bible was still saving, healing, working miracles, changing lives, revealing Himself to His people, empowering them to live holy lives, and to take the good news of Jesus to the whole world.

The Pentecostal message was good news to the hard-working folks of the westside of Tulsa. Believers at Red Fork formed a group and applied for affiliation with the Assemblies of God.

About the same time a group of believers in the Carbondale Community Church were encouraged by their pastor to seek a deeper experience with God. The two groups joined together and became Carbondale Assembly of God.

In 1936, acting in faith and under the leadership of Pastor H.T.Owens, the church borrowed $1400 to purchase land and built a building at the corner of West 48th and South 31st W. Avenue—our first permanent home. In spite of difficult economic times, church members pledged $52.50 per month to repay the loan.

The congregation moved to our present location in 1967, having purchased 5 acres and built a brand-new building. In time, a gymnasium was added, office space created, and the sanctuary renovated.

No one could have foreseen the change which would impact the church when on May 4, 1999, a tornado ripped through our property damaging beyond repair the building, with the exception of the sanctuary which suffered only minor impact.

Once again the people of Carbondale were called upon to sacrificially give, and in January 2001, we moved back into our new facility completely debt free.

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90 years after the Pentecostal message came to our westside community we are still meeting, still worshiping, still announcing the good news that Jesus saves, heals, baptizes in the Holy Spirit and is coming again. The building only tells part of the story though. The pastors and the people tell another.

In the 90-year existence of our church there have been 15 pastors.

1933 - Rev. F.A. Hill (Red Fork Group)
1934 - Rev. Earl Davis (Carbondale Group)
1934 - Rev. B. H Caudle (Carbondale Assembly of God)
1935 - Rev. L. R. Lynch
1936 - Rev. H. T. Owens
1939 - Rev. F. C. Cornell
1943 - Rev. George Newby
1946 - Rev. J. C. Minor

1947 - Rev. Eric Johnson
1948 - Rev. R. M Crenshaw
1950 - Rev. R. G. Helvey
1956 - Rev. H. D. Pieratt
1975 - Rev. J. L. McQueen
1985 - Rev. Phil Taylor
2024 - Rev. Dan Wootton

Each of them instilled something deep into the heart of our church and her people. This spiritual DNA lives on long after each beloved pastor’s tenure. What they taught us, embodied, exemplified, and passed on have become our core values:

  • Pioneer Spirit that was Full of Faith
  • Commitment to the Word of God
  • Missions (both home and abroad)
  • Christian Education/Discipleship
  • Evangelism and Outreach
  • Dependence on the Holy Spirit
  • Compassionate Care
  • Servanthood and the Message of Grace

This is who we have been, who we are, and who we will continue to strive to be at Carbondale for another 90 years.