A History of Wildwood Community Church

our History

God's Provision In The Past:

The Early Years
What began as a small Bible study with a few committed believers has grown over the years, by God's grace, into a local church body dedicated to worshipping, serving and honoring the Lord Jesus Christ.

The roots of Wildwood trace back to September 1966 when a Bible study was begun by a small group of OU students who had a Mennonite Brethren background.  They first met in a garage of a home.

Church Planting Pastor
After this Bible study was begun, the M.B. conference enlisted a church planter by the name of Dick Gerbrandt to come to Norman part-time and invest some effort in the prospect of seeing a church formed.  By December of that year the group had outgrown that garage and began holding their meetings in the Parlor of McFarland Methodist Church in Norman.

By spring of 1967, the fellowship recognized the need to begin holding regular Sunday morning services, so a second move made to the home of Dick J. Gerbrandt at 501 Clearview Drive in Norman.  Worship serviced were once again being held in a garage.

In February of 1968, the church moved again.  In need of more adequate facilities, the body began renting the Seventh Day Adventist Church at 901 N. Peters (which currently houses a law office).  By April 1968 the Norman Mennonite Brethren Church was officially incorporated with 25 charter members.  The fellowship continued to meet in the rent facilities on N. Peters until the church purchased its first property.

First Property, First Full-Time Pastor
The church purchased its first property, consisting of 3 acres and a house, in 1973 at the corner of Rock Creek Road and 9th Ave. NE.  On June 2nd of 1974, Pastor Gerbrandt resigned in order to welcome the church's first full-time pastor, Lyle Cunningham, a recent graduate of Dallas Theological Seminary.  Having just completed his formal training Lyle and his wife, Ruth Ann, were ready for the challenge of a new church.  During that same time the church decided to change its name to Wildwood Mennonite Brethren (since it was located next to the Wildwood Green housing addition).

In 1976 the church's first facility (3600 square feet) was completed at 905 E. Rock Creek Road (today this building is home to Northeast Baptist Church).  That same year, since the church makeup had been continuing to diversify, another name change was made in light of these shifts, and to broaden the appeal to the Norman community.  The new name chosen was Wildwood Community Church.  Pastor Cunningham served at Wildwood from June 1974 - December 1978, resigning to take a church position in California.

Wildwood's Second Full-Time Pastor and Another Move
Pastor Bruce and his wife Janet arrived at Wildwood in July of 1979, following Bruce's graduation from Dallas Seminary in May 1978.  As the ministry outgrew the facility on Rock Creek Road and expanded into the former parsonage, along with three portable buildings, a decision was made in 1985 to move to our present location at 1501 24th Ave. NE ... the former home of the Redlands Racquet Club (an indoor and outdoor tennis facility).

God opened the door to purchase 9 1/2 acres and the building (appraised then at $1 million) for $350,000.  This was a HUGE step for a small congregation and stretched the faith of the Wildwood family.  The Redlands location needed extensive interior demolition and remodeling.

During part of the construction period WCC met in an interim facility at 2795 Broce Drive in the Broce industrial park near Community Christian School.  The first phase of construction was completed over a period of a year and Wildwood's first services were held in our new facility in July of 1986.

Another Change
Also in 1986, as the culmination of several years of amiable discussions with the Mennonite Brethren conference, a mutual decision was reached to officially cease Wildwood's formal affiliation with the M.B. conference.  This move was made with supreme gratitude for the faithful financial and prayer support by the churches of the Mennonite Brethren conference which played a key role in the creation of Wildwood Community Church.  Warm regard for one another continues to this day.

Continued Growth
Wildwood has continued to grow spiritually and numerically.

Here are some highlights:

- We have developed 41,000 sq. feet of ministry space.

- We have 7 full-time pastors, plus 5 other ministry support staff

- A Youth Group of 150

- Sunday Morning Children's Ministry of 200

- Wednesday night Awana Ministry of 150

- Sunday attendance of 800