About Us
Eden Chapel has been a welcoming congregation through the years—and still is. Those who visit will find that Sunday mornings are a good starting point to connect. Sunday school classes are held from 11:-12:00 after a time of fellowship. This is a good time to meet new friends and enjoy a snack and cup of coffee.
Our worship service helps to define who we are as a church. The service starts at 9:30 AM and features Bible-based teaching and a blend of traditional hymns and contemporary songs. Our worship service includes a special time for children and features an age-appropriate message for them.
What We Believe
God, who is one, is revealed in three distinct persons—God the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
We believe in salvation through Jesus Christ. God became human in Jesus. His life, death, and resurrection demonstrate God's redeeming love.
The Holy Spirit is God's present activity in our midst. It is the Holy Spirit at work when we sense God's leading, God's challenge, and God's support or comfort.
People have been made in the image of the Creator. Like God we have the capacity to love and care, to communicate, and to create.
The church is the body of Christ, an extension of Christ’s life and ministry in the world today.
We believe that the Bible is the primary authority for our faith and practice.
The kingdom or reign of God is both a present reality and future hope.
These beliefs are based on the foundational statement of beliefs in The Book of Discipline.
Our Mission
Eden Chapel exists so that all people may:
KNOW the love of God in Jesus Christ,
GROW as disciples of Jesus Christ,
and GO share the love of God in Jesus Christ.
This is our mission at Eden Chapel United Methodist Church.
We live this mission out through various opportunities
for worship, study, prayer and service.
You are invited to join us as we continue to Know, Grow and Go.
Our History
Eden Chapel is observed its 125th anniversary in 2020!
Eden Chapel beginnings go back to 1894 when a group called the Glenwood Class met in a log cabin schoolhouse located diagonally across the road from the present church in what is now Glenwood Cemetery. The Glenwood Church was organized as part of the Arkansas Valley Conference of the Church of the United Brethren in Christ denomination.
A young, dynamic preacher named Reverend Frank C. Eden held a three-week Spirit-filled revival in 1895 that brought many people to the Lord. The schoolhouse was so crowded that Reverend Eden had to enter through a window for the closing service. The enthusiasm generated by the revival led to the decision to build a church structure, so on November 1, 1895, a building committee was organized. Vachael and Susan Albright donated one acre of land for the building site. After working for almost two years, the founders completed construction on September 3, 1897. The church was named Eden Chapel in honor of Rev. Eden.
Church leaders from across Oklahoma came together at Eden Chapel February 9-14, 1898, to organize the churches into the Oklahoma Conference. Thus, Eden Chapel was the site of the first annual conference of the Oklahoma United Brethren Church in Christ. Eden Chapel was dedicated during the conference.
By 1908 Eden Chapel had grown to such a large parish that the decision was made to build another church farther west which would become Lost Creek Church. Eden Chapel and Lost Creek have had close ties over the years, working together in joint ministries and sharing pastors.
A new sanctuary and classrooms were added in 1987.
The church continued to minister to the people in the area through powerful revivals, Sunday school programs, fundraisers, and more. In 1946, after six months of remodeling, Eden Chapel hosted the last annual conference of the United Brethren Church, which was being held in Stillwater, for Sunday services and a noon lunch. Later that year in November, the Evangelical Church merged with the United Brethren Church to form the Evangelical United Brethren Church. The Evangelical United Brethren Church later merge with the Methodist Church in 1968 to form the United Methodist Church.
Rural electricity arrived in the area in 1949 and Eden Chapel soon had electric lights. Major remodeling of the church began in 1952, only to have the structure burn to the ground on June 6, 1953. People from the community were determined to rebuild the church, and on March 7, 1954, a new building was dedicated. A new sanctuary and downstairs classrooms were added to the structure in 1987; and a kitchen, nursery, office, prayer room, and restrooms were added in 2005.
Puppets and interesting characters started helping
to bring the message of God’s love during the 1980’s.
Eden Chapel has been blessed with many dedicated founders, members, and inspiring pastors over the years. Many pastors served for a short time while others led the congregation for longer terms, most notably Rev. Frank Eden, Rev. Van Nickels, Rev. Roy E. Trent, Rev. Max Rudd, and Rev. John Curtis. Each has contributed to establishing and growing the body of believers at Eden Chapel.
Throughout the years Eden Chapel and Lost Creek have had a close relationship, but it became even better under the leadership of Rev. Max Rudd. The two congregations joined together for programs at Christmas, Easter, Vacation Bible School, and Valentine banquets, as well as youth activities, Bible studies, and mission trips. The “sister” churches thrived and eventually become separate charges in 2004.
Today under the leadership of Rev. Katie Paul, the emphasis on helping people grow in their relationship with the Lord, missions, and providing a friendly, family atmosphere continue to bring glory to God and the good news of Jesus Christ to this rural Oklahoma area and beyond.
History is from 1894-1984 Ninety Years of Country Faith by Barbara Wells.