Council Road Baptist Church - A Place to Grow
by Dan Moore
In the late 1970s, our newly growing family lived well north of CRBC. My wife, Cathy, soon found it far more convenient to look into the Council Road Daycare than continue to take Jeff and Doug to our home church at 16th and Villa. As it turned out, the Daycare Director was an old friend. For the next five to six years, God led us in growing our family and career growth, resulting in moves to and from Henryetta, OK, and finally leading us to build a home just slightly northeast of CRBC. As we constructed a house in some of the worst times to build, (I maintain that as every brick went up, the value went down) we trusted God to show us His way.
In early 1986, we were led to seek fellowship in a new church body nearer our home and where our children’s lives were centered in school. This was no easy decision since our previous church was where we were married, where my wife had been on the cradle roll, my mother-in-law worked in the daycare, my wife had worked in the daycare, and I was blessed to be ordained a deacon, run sound systems and write Easter dramas. Interestingly enough, when God leads, He knows your history, but He is not bound by it.
When we visited CRBC, we quickly found a welcoming, friendly, LARGE church. While not small, our home church was…forget that, compared to CRBC it was small. This brought on a feeling of change…a feeling of ending, rather than beginning. No more sound systems, Easter dramas, daycare, Sunday School teaching…a church this large had talented people…a lot of people…and simply wouldn’t need us.
Enter Norman Behymer. Norman has one of the greatest gifts a person can have…inclusion. And Norman decided to include me. Cathy and I weren’t big choir singers, but Norman found a way to include us. I knew there were far more talented writers in our congregation, but Norman involved me in Christmas and Easter productions allowing me to grow in my faith.
Cathy was busy wrangling three growing kids, with Jeff quickly approaching his time in the youth group. Again, God put people in our lives and our children’s lives that would make a lifelong difference. Chris Wall, Tad Thompson, Susie Bender, Jessica (Bender) Thompson, Daryl Reininger and many others intersected our lives. Chris Wall reached out to us needing homes for interns to live in while at CRBC. It was then we found the true value of each of those bricks that went up on our house as prices were falling: eight to 10 young people shared their lives in our home over the years. Their impact on our children can never be repaid.
This leads me to the greatest opportunity in growth God has granted. In 1994, CRBC was approached to consider participating in a new (for CRBC) ministry venture, a Truck Stop Ministry to go in at I-40 and Council Road. The pastoral calls went out to find those interested in helping this new ministry. Here was my problem. I worked in the trucking industry. I knew truck drivers had a tough time finding a place to worship on Sunday. BUT I also liked getting to sit with my wife in church for the first time in years. Then I felt God tug and say—if you won’t go, why would someone else? God’s handiwork began to unfold. Others were interested in this new ministry: Jess and Dottie McCraw, Larry and Verda Enright, Charles and Nancy Locke and Jim and Jackie Cary. Sometimes God gives us hints. Jim and Jackie Cary had been members at our old home church. Jim’s mom ran the daycare. Cathy’s mom worked for her, as did Cathy. Cathy’s mom had cared for their daughter there. So as this group stepped out in faith that God was in this mission, this planting growth happened. Jim is still the pastor 29 years later. Larry and Verda are still serving, as is Dottie. Many have passed on but found God’s calling in life. I am blessed to still serve as a Connection Group teacher and lead music at this blessed place.
Cathy and I came to CRBC thinking we would sit back, sit down and be invisible. I had plans. Now I think of an old Jewish saying—man plans, God laughs. God saw us, and through CRBC, He grew us.
Author Bio
Dan worked 45 years in the trucking industry and has been privileged to serve as a Bible study leader at both Council Road and at First Church TA, OKC (truck stop ministry that is supported by CRBC). He has also authored Christmas and Easter dramas and is blessed to have written one of CRBC’s Christmas books for children. He married way over his head to Cathy Cornell Moore and is blessed with children Jeff Moore, Doug Moore and Callie Morreau, all of whom gratefully take after their mother.