Author Description

This is the story of a church that began serving a small community in Indian Territory shortly after the end of the Civil War. For many years, the church provided a place for families to worship through world wars, pandemics, and financial crises. Toward the end of the twentieth century, the church envisioned and built a new campus to serve a growing community. This bold action of faith and stewardship positioned the church for the 21st century. In 1999, with the arrival of a senior pastor with a vision of what Claremore First United Methodist Church (CFUMC) could become, the church began a remarkable period of growth and expansion of outreach ministries. For the first two decades of the 21st century, CFUMC doubled in membership and tripled in worship attendance. Through local missions, it also became known as “the church that helps people.” The book describes how these extraordinary results were achieved when many mainline churches were struggling and should be of interest not only to local and statewide Methodists, but to any church or nonprofit that relies on gifts and volunteers to complete its mission. About the Author Ron Scott is a lifelong Methodist and has been a member of CFUMC since 1971. He has served in several administrative positions and ministries, and he recognized the importance of documenting the incredible story of CFUMC. In 2018, he offered to lead the effort to write a complete church history. Ron and his wife, Sally, have three children and eight grandchildren.