Outreach North America
Redbud Church, Claremore, Oklahoma
By Julie Carini (member)
According to Rev. Mitchell, pastoring one of only three ARP churches spread out across the state and part of the Florida Presbytery can sometimes feel like “an equal mix of Methodist circuit riders, the early church, and the Wild West.” Rev. Mitchell and his family fell in love with the people and the land while he was serving as an associate pastor in a town neighboring Claremore. He says while there are many churches around, he sees few that are preaching a gos- pel of grace and fewer still that are teaching scriptural Reformed distinctives. “There was/is a great need,” Rev. Mitchell said, “None of the ARP pastors in Oklahoma are native to the state, yet we see church planting in Oklahoma to be worthy of our lives.” Redbud Church’s core group started as a community group of a PCA church in
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March 2021. Meeting in members’ living rooms, they sought the Lord’s direction and in January 2022 came into the ARP as a mission work. Since starting public worship in May 2022, the group has grown steadily, with new members primar- ily hearing about the church through word of mouth or through the internet. -
the Reformed faith and looking for churches that believe and teach this,” Rev. Mitchell said, “There is a dearth of Reformed churches in Oklahoma, so it’s pret- ty common to have visitors come in search of a historic expression of the faith.” With growth, Redbud has experienced typical church-plant growing pains. One of the most pressing needs for Redbud right now, Rev. Mitchell said, is space. “We’ve tripled in size since starting public worship… and yet we’re still meeting in a fairly small space with no classrooms and one restroom.” Mon- ey also presents a challenge for the church plant. “Margins are thin in church plants,” Rev. Mitchell said, “and there is a delicate balance between paying for what we need now versus what we will need in 3-6 months.” Despite obstacles, Redbud continues forward movement. Rev. Mitchell at- tributes this to three main factors. First, the Lord: “Redbud has almost no mar- keting and there’s nothing ‘slick’ about us. But we’ve prayed and prayed for this church plant to succeed and the Lord has answered in ways both small and large.” Second, the need: “People are hungry for a faith that is historic, rooted in something bigger than themselves. In a changing world, we are able to offer - bud people who are serious about their faith, who don’t take themselves too seriously, who are down to earth, who desire to be faithful in the little things, who are winsome and genuine, and who share a vision for Christ’s kingdom and church in Oklahoma and beyond.”
hen Rev. Scott Mitchell, along with his wife, Bonnie, and two chil- dren, began planting Redbud Church of Claremore, Oklahoma, in 2022, he knew the work would take grit and an entrepreneurial spirit.
Helping You Reach Your Community 14 The Associate Reformed Presbyterian
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