Trinity Baptist Church of Octavia
24686 Octavia Road & P.O. Box 54
Smithville, OK 74957
TrinityBaptistOctavia@gmail.com

Our Story

The land Trinity Baptist Church of Octavia is located on was part of the original government allotment given to the Wilson Family when the Choctaw Indians came from Mississippi.  Raymond and Matilda Wilson gave the property for use as a church site and stated that if there ever ceased to be a church on the property it would revert to the heirs. So, in 1905, Octavia Baptist Church was established.

When the original Octavia Baptist Church purchased highway frontage property on Highway 259, they had the original church building physically moved to that property.  The original church site given by Raymond and Matilda Wilson was vacant.  Their daughter, Rayma Wilson, felt there needed to be a church on the property as her parents desired and asked her niece, Helen Caldwell, and husband Ben to oversee the building of Trinity Baptist Church of Octavia.  

It was founded by Ben and Helen Caldwell, Imogene White, and Rayma Wilson on December 5, 1995.  Construction of the present church building began soon; however, one member, Imogene White, passed away before construction was completed in May 1996.  Russell Shuffield from Malvern, Arkansas was the first Pastor and served as Pastor from July 1996 until 2001 when his health forced him to resign. Doug Maggard from Antlers, Oklahoma was called as Pastor from 2001 to 2003 when his health prevented him from traveling.   In 2002, due to Pastor Maggard’s health issues, Ben Caldwell asked the Pastor of Octavia Baptist Church if he knew of someone willing to fill the pulpit of the small church when needed.  He was given the name of a young man from Watson who recently surrendered to preach named Randy Keiss.  Randy filled the pulpit in Pastor Maggard’s absence and, in 2003, Pastor Maggard ultimately had to resign due to health issues.  In the spring of 2004, Randy accepted the call to Pastor, was ordained, and is the current serving Pastor.