About Us
The Government of Grace Bible Church is a plurality of elders who use the Scriptures to govern the church.
Deacon
Paul Buchanan
Deacon since 2016
About Us
Our Story
1978: The Founding of Grace Bible Church
After graduating from Dallas Theological Seminary in 1978, Phil Bowersox moved back to his hometown of Oklahoma City to plant a Reformed church with a core emphasis on biblical exposition.
With God’s grace, he started Grace Bible Church in a small bail bond office in downtown Oklahoma City, where smells of cigarette smoke and alcohol were weekly reminders of the need for sharing and explaining God’s grace.
In order to sustain the ministry, Phil Bowersox balanced three careers: U.S. Army Reserves, business, and the church.
1987: Church Growth
After several years, the church was able to afford office space as a meeting place because the congregation was steadily expanding.
With a growing attraction to Biblical Exposition, the church was finally able to rent its own commercial office space to meet in.
1990's-2014
Because of continued growth in the congregation, in 1994 Grace Bible Church moved again to a larger commercial office space on Wilshire just west of the Broadway Extension.
In 2004, Grace Bible Church began sponsoring a lecture series, titled the “B.B Warfield Memorial Lecture Series”. The goals of the lecture series are to 1). Promote the exchange and examination of the great historic doctrines of the Church. 2). Foster a corporate sense of the relevance of the Christian faith and Reformed theology to our culture. 3). Challenge the individual believer to connect with the historic Christian faith and the Church.
The church has partnered with the Alliance of Confessing Evangelicals to increase the outreach of the lecture series to a larger audience and has resulted in out of state attendees. The lecture series has continued annually every year since 2004 and is currently held at St. Edwards Chapel at Casady School every summer.
In 2009, Grace Bible Church expanded its outreach internationally to Uganda. The church partnered with Tim and Cheri Hoke, who are members of the faculty of African Bible University, to train ministers in the Reformed faith.
In addition to work in Uganda, in 2014, Grace Bible Church partnered with a graduate of African Bible University to sponsor a number of efforts in the Congo: 1. Establish a local church 2. Build a medical clinic 3. Start a school for local Pygmy children.
2014-Present: Re-Location to The Village, OK
In 2014, with the continued growth of the congregation, Grace Bible Church purchased Queen of Angels, a pre-Vatican II Catholic Church. The priest of Queen of Angels was retiring and had the desire that another church purchase the property to continue a local ministry. Despite the differences in theology, Grace Bible Church met the requirement and purchased the property.
Church Renovations
Upon purchase of Queen of Angels Catholic Church, renovations began to remove confessionals and a statue of Mary, turn the sacristy into an office, and bring in new pews and pulpits. The parsonage was transformed into Sunday School rooms and a nursery.
The church also updated the stained glass windows of the sanctuary that reflected a Catholic message, to teachings of the Protestant Reformation.
Stain Glass Window Modifications
The Northside Windows Now State:
- Ecclesia Reformata, Semper Reformando
- Sola Fida, Post Tenebras Lux
- Christ is the Radiance of His Glory
- Sola Gratia, Solus Christus
- The Free Gift of God is Eternal Life in Jesus
The Chancel Windows Now State:
- I am the Good Shepherd Who Lays Down His Life for His Sheep
- I am the Resurrection and the Life
- Even the Righteousness of God Through Faith in Jesus Christ
The Southside Windows Now State:
- Preach the Word – All Scripture is Inspired by God
- God Made Us Alive Together with Christ
- Christ is the Image of the Invisible God
- By Grace You Have Been Saved
- Sola Scriptura, Soli Deo Gloria
