At the Corner of Penn and Exchange
Exchange Avenue Baptist Church is at 1312 S. Pennsylvania Avenue in Oklahoma City, on the corner of Penn and Exchange. The church has a history of Christian ministry stretching more than a century, and its mission is to love God and love others for the glory of God, the good of the city, and the salvation of souls. It is known for gospel-centered worship, Bible study and discipleship for every generation, and practical care for neighbors through a free community dinner, food pantry, and clothing closet.
The church describes its members as everyday people, young and old, and says everyone is welcome. Its aim is a place where people can meet Jesus, form life-giving community, discover their gifts, and put them into service. The next generation is a particular focus, while the long history and active city ministry shape its present work.
Sunday School at 9:30, Worship at 10:45
Sunday begins at 9:30 a.m. with Sunday school. Adult classes include college-age people ages 18 to 25, all adults, community groups, senior adults, and an all-ages class taught in Spanish. Students in grades 6 through 12 gather for Rooted, their Sunday school time, with donuts and coffee. Children meet for nursery care from ages 0 to 4 and classes from kindergarten through fifth grade. Worship begins at 10:45 a.m. On Wednesday, discipleship gathers at 6:00 p.m. in the chapel, and family meal follows at 7:15 p.m.
During worship, Scripture is read and preached, the congregation sings, sin and brokenness are confessed, grace in Christ Jesus is remembered, and the church responds in praise. Baptism is part of gathered worship, and people are sent out on mission. The music pairs songs with long histories in the church with a theologically sound modern influence. The livestream begins at approximately 10:40 a.m. each Sunday for the 10:45 service, so visitors can watch worship live.
Building Biblical Foundations with Children
The children's ministry aims to build excited, lifelong disciples of Jesus. Its goal is to lay biblical foundations, help children come to a saving knowledge of Christ, and establish a biblical worldview. Sunday morning Bible study provides separate groups for nursery care and elementary-age children. Wednesday discipleship activities also include nursery care alongside classes for kindergarten through second grade and grades 3 through 5.
Families can make the full Sunday service their rhythm as well. Nursery care extends into worship for children ages 0 to 4. After the musical worship portion of the service, children ages 4 through third grade join children's church and are picked up in the children's wing immediately following worship. These options place Bible study, age-specific care, and family worship within the same Sunday gathering.
Students: Rooted, Midweek, and Refuge
The student ministry serves grades 6 through 12 and centers its life on worshiping Jesus and making him known. Rooted is the weekly 9:30 a.m. Sunday school gathering, when students come together to study the Bible. The Wednesday gathering at 6:00 p.m. takes place in the main room and includes games, fellowship, musical worship, and a message. The church presents this as an approachable place for students and first-time guests to spend time with the group. Small groups, teaching, fellowship, and musical worship all shape the student week.
Refuge is the student ministry's monthly time for intentional leadership and discipleship. Students work together through God's Word, learn how to establish a quiet-time practice, are encouraged to live out their faith, build accountability, and are intentionally discipled for Christ. A REFUEL quiet-time guide supports daily devotion, while additional guides help students work through accountability partnerships and meetings. Parents and guardians have a Facebook group for student ministry updates, while students and leaders communicate through the BAND app after approval.
Adults in Classes and Verse-by-Verse Study
Adult Sunday school is centered on fellowship, prayer, Bible study, and relationships. The classes have three aims: to edify one another as growing followers of Jesus Christ, minister to one another when needs arise, and multiply believers by sharing the gospel with people around them. Alongside college-age, community, all-ages, and senior classes, Sunday school includes the Spanish-language class for all ages. Wednesday evening discipleship continues that emphasis. Adults meet in the chapel from 6:00 to 7:15 p.m. for prayer, Scripture reading, and a verse-by-verse study through a book of the Bible.
A Monday Table for the City
Every Monday night, Exchange Avenue Baptist Church serves a free community dinner to neighbors. The meal includes chili dogs, chips, and dessert, with the aim of meeting practical needs while extending the love of Christ. Church leaders say the open, welcoming table serves about 100 to 125 people each week. The goal is to provide a warm meal with a smile, make room for people who feel welcome and loved, and let the work of God shape the service.
Food, Clothing, and Practical Care
On the third Monday of each month, the church operates a free food pantry from 3:30 to 5:30 p.m. Church members carefully pack bags of easy-to-use groceries for neighbors, and the pantry also includes a clothing closet. Groceries are distributed first come, first served, and identification is preferred. New or gently used clothing can be donated during office hours or ministry programming.
The pantry is one of several ways the church carries its mission into everyday neighborhood life. Members prepare food, distribute clothing, welcome families to the Monday table, and contribute financial and material support to people facing practical needs. Financial gifts can also be directed specifically to the food pantry, while the general offering supports the church's wider work of worship, discipleship, and service.
The Faith Exchange Avenue Baptist Church Confesses
Exchange Avenue Baptist Church adheres to the Baptist Faith and Message 2000. Its understanding of God centers on the Trinity: God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit, with each person fully God. The Trinity is described as a mystery beyond human reasoning, with the Godhead working in harmony from creation through salvation, sanctification, and redemption. The church also teaches that the Bible is the inerrant Word of God and completely trustworthy. Scripture is described as inspired by the Holy Spirit, with both the written Word and the incarnate Word revealing God and his will.
Worship is central to this shared life. The church teaches that believers gather humbly and boldly as one unified people to hear Scripture, sing, confess sin, remember grace in Christ, respond in praise, receive baptism, and be sent on mission. Discipleship is described as an active life in a local church. People are baptized and taught, while the church encourages, challenges, calls out sin, and points people toward Jesus so they can mature and be sanctified.
The church's understanding of family and community rejects the idea of a lone Christian. Salvation ushers believers into the family of God, and people are called to gather regularly to read Scripture, pray, sing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, and observe the Lord's Supper. The mission extends from Oklahoma City to the metro area and the wider world through evangelism, missions, social justice, and intentional missional living with friends, families, and neighbors.
Diversity is another part of the church's stated faith. Exchange Avenue Baptist Church desires to see all tribes, tongues, and nations worship Jesus in the unity found in the gospel. Its teaching emphasizes acceptance and love regardless of background, race, social standing, political leanings, or current circumstances, while calling everyone to repent of sin and turn to God for forgiveness.
Christ at the Center of Musical Worship
Musical worship keeps Christ at the center whether the congregation sings a song carried for centuries or one heard for the first time. The repertoire pairs established hymns and psalms with modern influences chosen for their theological soundness. The worship team is made up of everyday volunteers who love to sing and play instruments, and church members are welcome to join. Musical worship also has a prominent place in the student ministry, where students regularly gather for worship at Rooted and Midweek.
Giving, Archives, and the Church Office
Exchange offers full-length worship recordings, searchable past sermons, and an archive of virtual Sunday school lessons. Sermons can be organized by date, speaker, or series, while complete worship services are also available through the church's YouTube channel. Giving is available as a one-time or recurring contribution, either for the general offering or a designated ministry such as the food pantry. Gifts can be made during worship, online, or by mail to 1312 S. Penn, OKC, OK 73108. The church office is open Monday through Thursday from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
The People Behind the Ministry
Preston Morris serves as student and worship pastor. He began leading worship at Exchange in January 2018 and joined the staff that May, after earlier experience as a student ministry intern. He graduated from Oklahoma Baptist University in 2019 with a degree in communication studies. Cathy Viesca-Aguirre is children's director and church administrator. She began attending Exchange in 1987, was baptized there as a teenager, and later provided administrative support before moving into children's ministry in 2022. Jon Johnston is the ministry contact for adults, and Keith Brawdy is the ministry contact for the community dinner.
One Mission Across the Week
At the corner of Penn and Exchange, Exchange Avenue Baptist Church continues to gather young and old around Scripture, worship, discipleship, and service. Its week joins Sunday school and worship with children and student ministries, adult classes, a free Monday dinner, a monthly pantry, and musical worship led by volunteers. The common thread is its mission to love God and love others for the glory of God, the good of the city, and the salvation of souls.