The history of the American Restoration Movement in McAlester, and specifically of the churches of Christ, dates back to 1908, the year after
Oklahoma became a state. Henry Rains and his family came in a covered wagon from Kentucky, by way of Texas, to do mission work among the
Indians. The success of Rains' work among the Indians was not recorded, but it is known that he found several church members in McAlester
and they started meeting regularly in various homes--a record of the first congregation among the Restorers in McAlester. No record of earlier
meetings is known.

When Argolis Anderson returned from World War I, a group was meeting at Mary (Anderson) Wood's grandparents' home in North Town. As the
church continued to grow, the Odd Fellow's Hall in North McAlester served as the regular meeting place. The church was allowed to use the
building in return for cleaning up any trash that was left on the premises from Saturday night activities. For another period of time, the church met
in a millinery shop in North Town. Later they met in the old Methodist building on West Grand Avenue. Then a meeting place was built in 1924, a
brick building near the American Legion building on South Third Street. Brother Harbert Hooker was one of the preachers during the 1920s.

The oldest existing membership list was evidently compiled when the congregation moved into the new building on South Third Street. There
were, as of June 22, 1924, 68 members listed. Brethren J. W. Case, B. M. Strother, and D. B. Killebrew were serving as elders, and brethren
Argolis Anderson, A. C. Grimes, and H. C. Marshall were deacons. What followed was evidently a period of amazing growth. The new building,
after only 8 or 9 years, was already too small, so arrangements had to be made for a different meeting place.

As a result of the vision of those few hardy souls that were part of the church in that day, the church bought the Busby Opera Building at Second
and Washington in 1932. The purchase price for the Opera House which had been sitting idle for several years was $2500. The building was
massive, standing as high as a five-story building. It has been built in 1907 at a cost of $175,000 and was known in its day as one of the finest
opera houses ins the South. It had perfect acoustics and one of the largest stages and seating capacities of any theater around.

The church worshiped in the balcony until the auditorium was remodeled and suitable for use. There were many long nights and long days that
the members worked on the Busby Theater during which the children would go up on the third floor to play. In 1935 an article appeared in several
gospel papers entitled "From Comedy to Christ." The article read in part, "In the city of McAlester, Oklahoma, there is an imposing theater
structure, loated on a downtown corner....It was built after the style of a few years ago for stage plays and comedies....It has main floor, first and
second balconies, fully equipped. Abandoned for the lack of patronage sufficient to make it a paying investment in this day of the modern in
theatrical performance, this imposing edifice stood for a number of years as a tax burden to its owners. The sequel to it is that the McAlester
church negotiated for its purchase and obtained it at a surprising nominal figure. It has been remodeled into one of the best church buildings
owned by any church of Christ in the state of Oklahoma." It took the members three years after the purchase for the building to be ready for
use--walls were scraped and painted, a rostrum and baptistry were built, and classrooms were prepared. When the first gospel meeting was
held in the building, 30 were baptized and 12 restored. Among those baptized at that meeting were Mary (Wood) Bridgwater and Kenneth and
Ruby Hudelson. In 1933 the membership numbered 217.

Brother Ramsey Wright followed Brother Hooker and served as the preacher in 1932 and 1933. He had come to McAlester from Locust Grove
(OK) on a freight train for the purpose of attending a preachers' meeting. He made a short talk and was hired to preach for $20 per week. He
returned to Locust Grove, bought a Model T for $75, and brought his wife to McAlester. He and his wife often entertained the young people.

The Second and Washington church continued to meet in the downtown location for almost half a century, undergoing several major remodeling
projects. The building had an auditorium seating 850, 23 classrooms, a library, nursery, kitchen, fellowship-work room, and offices. Despite
various internal difficulties, including a court case on the majority-rule question in 1936 and a disturbance concerning the children's homes and
cooperation question in 1956, the church continued to be a great power for the cause of Christ in southeastern Oklahoma and around the world.
In 1943, several church members who lived in North McAlester desired to work with strengthening the church's presence in that area, and the
Second and Washington church supported the work, helping them obtain their first meeting place, helping in the preaching of the gospel, and
helping in various early building remodeling and addition projects. The difficulties mentioned above and the establishment of another
congregation in McAlester took their toll in numbers. In 1942 Bible school attendance averaged 130, but by 1947 was up to about 200 despite the
beginning of the North McAlester congregation. In the mid-1960s, the church reached its highest attendance with around 400 present regularly.
The congregation was also instrumental in developing congregations at Crowder, Canadian, Indianola, Haileyville, and Wilburton.

In 1979 the Second and Washington congregation thought it best to move to new facilities, and a building was built on property on South Main. A
membership of slightly over 250 moved to the new facility. In the 1990s, a Family Life Annex was added.  The Annex provides space for classes
and church activities, as well as community events. McAlester Christian Academy is also housed in the Annex.

As the church begins a second century, the church is growing numerically and spiritually.  An active community outreach program brings 100s of
visitors to church activities each year.  The church is also involved in mission work around the world--especially in Latin America.  

[Note: Thanks to Edna Capers and Mary Louise Wood who graciously provided information that has been formatted and rewritten here. Other
information was taken from previous church directories.]
History of Restoration Plea in McAlester, Oklahoma
Church of Christ, McAlester, Oklahoma
Picture of the Busby Theater,
which was purchased by a group
of Christians in 1932 and became
the home of the Second and
Washington Church of Christ.

The church moved to its present
location at Main and Oklahoma in
south McAlester in 1979.