In 1998, David Rivers of Ridgecrest Baptist Church in Bridge Creek was
given the opportunity to organize a new church plant in the old New
Heights Baptist Church facility. (New Heights had voted with 16
members left, 13-3, to disband as a church.)

David Rivers and Paul Phipps visited in late spring or early summer of
1998 about the possibility of Paul coming as the new church’s first
pastor. After talking on the phone, Paul met with the entire
Ridgecrest team. They said they were talking to another man so Paul
asked them to work with the other man first, and to take Paul out of
consideration until they knew he was the right person to launch the
new church.

Shortly later, David got back with Paul, and they started talking
about Paul being the person to launch the new church.

Paul and his wife, Charity, announced to the church they were
pastoring that they would be going to plant True Oak Fellowship. Their
last day at their old church was in August.

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They began to gather interested people who wanted to help launch. A
small group of people met and began working and praying for the new
church. They cleaned, repaired, and repainted the facility and visited
people in the area, telling them about “a new kind of church” they
were starting. Before launching True Oak, the group went to Ridgecrest
for a special time where they joined Ridgecrest with the intention of
being sent to True Oak.

These people were:

Pastor Paul and Charity Phipps and their son, Caleb;

Jason and Tiny Shepherd, who served in youth ministey and as music leader;

Jim and Wylene Brunk, Grady County Director of Missions;

Terry and Cheryl Harwell and their sons, Corey, Dustin, Micah, and Shane;

Ben and Regina Garvie, who served in children’s ministry.

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The group held a “dress rehearsal” on Sunday, September 6, 1998,
during Labor Day weekend, inviting their families for a practice run.

They launched True Oak Fellowship on Sunday, September 13, 1998 with
125 in attendance. Many of the things True Oak did were very different
at the time, including worship with popular Christian music instead of
hymns, worship band instruments instead of piano and organ, and
individual seating instead of traditional pews.

Charity and Paul continued to serve True Oak until the end of May
2001, when they left to plant churches in Florida.

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Shortly after, True Oak called Ben Reid as their next pastor.

He served for 13 years before leaving on the last Sunday of 2014.

True Oak called its next and current pastor, Adam Lamle, on January 11, 2015.

Adam and his wife Patti continue to serve True Oak to this day.