Cameron Baptist Church in Lawton celebrates 75th anniversary

Many things have changed over the years, but there is one that hasn’t for Cameron Baptist Church: welcoming everybody without pretenses.

Cameron Baptist Church, 2621 SW C, will celebrate its 75th anniversary Sept. 13-17 with several worship services and a potluck luncheon. Past and former members are invited to the revival services and to a potluck luncheon on Sept. 16.

“We celebrate that we are still here, active and relevant,” said Ellen Driskell, head of the 75th anniversary committee. “Our purpose is for people to come here and learn who Christ is. We are welcoming everybody with no pretenses, and we are thankful to be part of the Lawton-Fort Sill community. We hope to keep serving for another 75 years or more.”

“We just want you to be there,” Pastor Mike Teel agrees. “We want to stay engaged and provide the spirit to those who need it.”

Teel emphasized that Cameron Baptist attracts a lot of down-to-earth people who come and enjoy the church’s welcoming spirit. For Teel, who has been part of the church for 45 years, Cameron Baptist members are family.

Serving the community, sharing the gospel and keeping an open door to everybody are some of the things that haven’t changed over the years. What has changed, though, is the way the church is reaching out to its members and the community, Driskell said. Modern technology and the internet are the biggest changes to the way the church communicates. One example: Wednesday’s and Sunday’s worships are live streamed on Facebook, giving members without the ability to attend personally an opportunity to join from afar.

Cameron Baptist Church’s involvement in a community that is heavily influenced by Fort Sill Army post has led to a lot of people coming through over the years, Teel said. For the 75th anniversary, many former staff members will come back, leading the festivities and taking over the worship services. Some will share their testimony and the main message, and others will lead the music. For Teel, this will be a great way to “refresh old friendships.”

Three worship services will take place at 6:30 p.m. Sept. 13-15, with the official 75th anniversary worship at 10:45 p.m. Sept. 17.

At 11 a.m. Sept. 16, the church will come together for a reunion and lunch at noon. Cameron Baptist Church asks luncheon participants to RSVP by Thursday, Aug. 31, as well as to bring two out of three options (vegetables, salad, dessert) for their own family plus two more people.