A church on Commercial Street
First Baptist Church Inola sits at 500 East Commercial Street in Inola, Oklahoma, a small town in Rogers County east of Tulsa. The congregation's own summary of itself is short: "We exist to connect people to Christ, His church, and His mission." Its mission statement frames that work as "Living in Gospel-centered Community," and ties everything back to 2 Corinthians 5, where reconciled people become "ambassadors of reconciliation" in the places they already live and work.
The church identifies with the Southern Baptist Convention. A percentage of its undesignated gifts flow through the SBC's Cooperative Program, and the church supports the Annie Armstrong Offering for North American church planters and the Lottie Moon Offering for international missionaries. Its doctrinal footing is the Baptist Faith and Message (2000) alongside the 2nd London Baptist Confession of Faith (1689), and the articles - Scriptures, God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, Man, Salvation, God's Purpose of Grace, the Church, Baptism and the Lord's Supper, the Lord's Day, the Kingdom, Last Things, Evangelism and Missions, Education, Stewardship, Cooperation, the Christian and the Social Order, Peace and War, Religious Liberty, and the Family - reflect that combination.
Preaching straight through the Bible
The pulpit at FBC Inola is given to verse-by-verse, expository preaching. "We see the proclaiming of God's Word to a world in need of truth through exegetical, verse by verse, preaching to be one of the greatest acts of worship." Pastor Justin Sampler has worked his way through 1 John and Philippians. Pastor Thomas Jones has preached the Exodus series titled "A Kingdom of Priests" and "The Greatest Salvation Event in the Old Testament." A guest sermon from Dr. Heath Thomas, President of Oklahoma Baptist University, is in the archive as well.
Sermons are recorded and archived, with both video and audio downloads offered. They are also livestreamed, so anyone unable to attend in person can follow along through the live stream page.
Worship that mixes old hymns with new songs
The church teaches its own philosophy of congregational singing. Singing is described as a response to God's command ("Col. 3:16; Eph. 5:19"), an expression of being made in His image, and a way for the body to grasp and remember the gospel of Jesus Christ. The musical diet is described as a blend: "old hymns, new hymns, and contemporary worship songs." The bar the songs are measured against is theological rather than stylistic - biblically sound lyrics, trustworthy sources, singable melodies, songs that display God's holiness, reveal human sinfulness, and proclaim Christ's love. Pastor of Worship Joseph Ragsdale, who joined the church in February 2025, frames his calling in the same terms: "lead the church in congregational singing through songs that glorify God's holiness, reveal man's sinfulness, and proclaim Christ's full redemption."
Sunday and Wednesday rhythms
A typical week at FBC Inola has two anchor points. On Sundays, Bible study runs at 9:15 a.m. with classes for every age - preschool, children grouped by grade, middle school and high school students separately, adult co-ed classes, and additional men-only and women-only groups. The worship service follows at 10:30 a.m., with childcare provided for preschoolers during the service. Parents who prefer to keep little ones with them are welcomed; the pastors do not mind a restless child, and the foyer has a viewing area where the service is shown on screens.
Midweek, Wednesday Night Activities run from 5:00 to 8:00 p.m., with Kids' and Student services meeting alongside an Adult Bible Study at 6:00 p.m. The Wednesday rhythm feeds back into the Sunday morning groups so that teachers and small-group leaders can follow up throughout the week.
Office hours run Monday through Thursday, 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., and the phone line (918-543-2756) is answered in that window.
Teaching children from the start
Children's ministry is split into two groupings under the direction of Debbie Barrett, Director of Childhood Ministries and Mother's Day Out. Preschool (birth through kindergarten) is built around partnering with parents in the earliest years; teachers describe their goal as a "safe and fun environment in which even the youngest can learn about God," with the ultimate aim that by the time a child finishes sixth grade they know Jesus as their personal Savior and have made Him Lord of their life.
Children in first through sixth grade meet for Kid Ministry on Sundays and Wednesdays. The teaching style is hands on and creative, with teachers wanting each child to know how to have a personal relationship with Jesus, learn Bible skills, and begin serving others. The church also runs an active Mother's Day Out program (with its own tuition page) for younger children, and Barrett's ministry calendar mentions Day Camp, Kids Kamp, Vacation Bible School, and New Convert's Class as recurring milestones in a child's progression through the program.
Student ministry built around Scripture
Student ministry is led by Pastor Thomas Jones, Pastor of Students & Families. Jones's own framing of the ministry is text driven: "Thomas believes in the life-giving power of God's word - it is the seed that sprouts to new birth and the milk that sustains the newly born." The ministry's mission rests on Matthew 28:19-20 and Ephesians 4:11-14, and its stated focus is discipleship, "helping teenagers follow Jesus closely and learn to obey all his commands," with the fun special events wrapped around that central commitment.
Students meet for Sunday morning Bible study at 9:15 a.m., grouped by middle school and high school, and then rejoin on Wednesday nights for student services. Lynnette Overstreet, who has served the church for 23 years, is among the adult leaders in the student ministry.
Small groups in local homes
Small groups form the connective layer between Sunday worship and the rest of the week. Most groups meet at 5:30 p.m. in homes, are open to anyone who wants to join, and range across ages - including multi-generational groups. Each meeting typically includes a shared meal or snack, a Bible discussion, and prayer. The church describes the goal simply: "a casual place to get to know people better and build relationships with others seeking to live as a follower of Christ." Anyone interested in finding a group is invited to call the church office, which keeps a current list of groups and locations and can connect visitors with a group leader. The belief page reinforces this approach: "The best way to really know and understand what we believe at First Baptist Inola is being involved in one of our local small groups."
The ladies' parlor, the men's breakfast, and shared meals
Several recurring gatherings give shape to the week beyond Sunday and Wednesday. Tabitha's Hope Lunch meets in the parlor by the coffee shop on the last Sunday of the month at 11:30 a.m., and is open to all widows and single adult ladies following the morning service. The Ladies' Sewcial meets on the first Friday of each month from 10:00 a.m. to noon, also in the parlor by the coffee shop, and invites women to bring their quilting, stitching, and sewing projects.
The Men's Prayer Breakfast meets in the gym on the last Sunday of the month at 7:30 a.m. ("all men and boys are welcome"), and the Adult Lunch gathers in the gym on the first Wednesday of the month at noon. The Family Fish 'n' Fowl suppers, held periodically in the gym, are advertised as a free event featuring fried catfish, smoked chicken, sides, and dessert. The gym - used for both meals and prayer breakfasts - is the de facto hospitality hub for these shared-table ministries.
Sending and serving beyond Inola
FBC Inola's outreach is built around the conviction that "out of this gospel-centered service is the overflow of discipleship." Practical opportunities include tree cleanup after storms, mowing at a children's home, serving meals, serving the homeless, and supporting missionaries around the globe - "most of these opportunities come through being involved in a ministry group." A standing "I want to serve" form on the site connects interested adults and students with ministry leaders.
Mission giving travels further than Inola through the Cooperative Program, the Annie Armstrong Offering for North American church planters, and the Lottie Moon Offering for international missionaries. Within the church, sending teams have gone both domestically and internationally, with several trips coordinated by members of the staff.
Giving and staying connected
Online giving is available through the church's giving page, with debit card and e-check (ACH) options. The church notes a 2.5% plus $0.30 processing fee on credit card gifts and 1% on e-check gifts, with the option to add the fee to the gift. Checks made out to First Baptist Church can be mailed to the PO Box 160, Inola, OK 74036 address, set up through a bank's bill pay, or placed in the Sunday offering plate. Financial questions go to Finance Secretary Rita Adam at ritaadam@fbcinola.org.
Sermons are posted with both video and audio downloads; one recent sermon is also embedded on the site through Vimeo. The church maintains active Facebook and Instagram accounts under the names "firstbaptistinola" and "fbc_inola," and the events page also includes a full calendar view for anyone mapping out the months ahead.
Pastors and staff
The pastoral team is led by Pastor Justin Sampler, a native Oklahoman with a Bachelor's degree from Cameron University and a Master of Divinity from The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, where he is currently pursuing a Ph.D. in Christian Preaching. Sampler served in the U.S. Army National Guard as an enlisted Soldier, a Field Artillery Officer, and a Chaplain, retiring in 2018; he and his wife Jessica have six children.
Pastor Thomas Jones grew up between Seattle and Alabama and joined FBC Inola from Raleigh, NC, where he volunteered for ten years in student ministry. He is a graduate of Samford University (B.A., history) and Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary (M.Div.), and was called to pastoral ministry in 2013.
Pastor Joseph Ragsdale grew up in Tulsa and began leading worship at seventeen in the church his father still pastors. He holds a B.A. in Christian Studies and a Master of Divinity from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, and joined FBC Inola in February 2025.
Debbie Barrett directs the children's ministry and Mother's Day Out program. Two long-serving staff members - Lynnette Overstreet (Ministry Assistant & Communications) and Rita Adam (Finance Secretary & Pastor's Secretary) - support the ministry from the church office.
The beliefs underneath everything
The doctrinal backbone is the Baptist Faith and Message (2000) and the 2nd London Baptist Confession of Faith (1689). On the Scriptures, the church teaches that the Bible was "written by men who were divinely influenced," is "God's explaining Himself to man," and is "completely true" and "completely correct" with "Christ as the center of divine revelation." God is one Being in three Persons - Father, Son, and Holy Spirit - equal in nature and distinct in personal characteristics. Salvation is described as the whole man being made new through regeneration, justification, sanctification, and finally glorification. The church holds that believers, once truly united to Christ, "will never lose their salvation," even as they may stumble and "grieve the Spirit" along the way.
Two ordinances are observed: baptism by immersion of believers in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit (a prerequisite for church membership), and the Lord's Supper, in which church members eat bread and drink the fruit of the vine to remember the Redeemer's death and look forward to His return. The church on the first day of the week gathers to celebrate Christ's resurrection and to commit itself to worship and spiritual growth, both public and private.
Distinctives flow from those beliefs. Pastoral leadership is reserved for men who meet the scriptural qualifications; deacons serve alongside them as scriptural officers. Both men and women receive spiritual gifts for service in the church. Marriage is taught as the lifelong union of one man and one woman, and the family as God's first institution. On religious liberty, FBC Inola holds that "a free church in a free state is the Christian ideal." On peace and war, the church teaches that "the true solution for war is the gospel of our Lord" and prays for the day when the Prince of Peace is in control.
All of that doctrinal work is lived out in the rhythms described above - verse-by-verse preaching, blended congregational singing, weekly gathering on Sundays and Wednesdays, small groups in homes, ministries for children and students, and shared tables in the gym and the parlor - under the straightforward banner the church repeats across its pages: "We exist to connect people to Christ, His church, and His mission."