Church History

On July 25, 1925, Rev. R. M. Parks, District Superintendent of the Western Oklahoma Church of the Nazarene, gave Rev. M. M. Lowery a three month appointment to help form and serve a new congregation at Yukon, Oklahoma. The next day, July 26, Rev. Parks, accompanied by song evangelist sisters Hester Parks and Mrs. Kendal White, held a tent revival as part of the organizing effort.

Regardless of church affiliation or preference, people came to hear Rev. Parks. The meeting was located on what is now Yukon’s Main Street, just east of the First Baptist Church–approximately where Yukon City offices now stand.

Rev. Shaw was the first minister to serve as pastor of the new church.  He served until the annual district assembly of the Western Oklahoma District, a few weeks after his coming.  At that time Rev. Beverly Lewis was elected as pastor for the Yukon Church and served for two years.

Ten charter members were taken into the church, including Mr. and Mrs. Marvin Tidwell, Mr. and Mrs. W.A. Hamman, Mr. and Mrs. A.D. Hamman, Grace Hamman Hembree, Freda Hamman Watts Campbell and Dr. Mary Aldridge.  A high percentage of the charter members were members of the Hamman family – ancestors of David Hamman.

The new congregation held their first services in the lodge hall located over the Bass Store at the corner of Fifth and Main.

A fire in the home of the church secretary destroyed early church records, but much of the history was recalled in later years by Freda Hamman Watts Campbell.

Soon after Rev. Lewis assumed his pastoral duties, the congregation started making plans to erect a church building of their own.  Property was purchased at the corner of Sixth and Cedar Streets and a residential building was remodeled to serve as a church auditorium at that location.  Funds were solicited from Yukon businessmen as well as from members of the church congregation in order to finance the first building for the Yukon Nazarenes.  In March of 1926 the congregation moved into their own church building.