 | Wyldewood Baptist Church |  |
| Preaching the Word Reaching the World |
Our Pastor
Pastor Randy King was born and raised in the Oshkosh area on a dairy farm.
When he was 17 years old he heard the gospel of Jesus Christ for the first
time at a small Baptist church in Oshkosh called Southside Baptist Church.
At the age of 18, in December of 1969, he trusted Christ and was baptized
at Southside Baptist Church. Under the leadership of Pastor Howard Nelson
he became the youth director in 1971 and served in that capacity until 1988.
In February of 1988, Pastor Nelson officially resigned as pastor and began a
ministry to the Scandinavian countries. Pastor King was chosen as the new
pastor, and the church has continued to grow under his leadership. His
undergraduate degree is a Bachelor of Religious Education and he has the
Master of Ministry degree from Northland Baptist Bible College in Pembine,
Wisconsin. He is presently enrolled in the Doctoral program there.
He has traveled extensively in the United States and to several foreign
countries ministering the gospel. Pastor King serves on the boards of the
Wisconsin Association of Christian Schools and Independent Baptist Missions
for Asians. He also oversees each of the various ministries of Wyldewood
Baptist church, including the Omega Ministry, First Light Baptist Mission,
Wyldewood Christian school, the Bible publishing ministries, and Wings as
Eagles. He and his wife Lori have 6 children and 10 grandchildren (as of 2005).
Our History
Wyldewood Baptist Church was founded in June of 1961 under the
name "Southside Baptist Church." It was located on the south
side of Oshkosh in a former Methodist church building, on the
corner of 11th and Minnesota. A handful of people gathered
under the leadership of Pastor Doug Kasten and began to build a
Bible-believing, independent Baptist church. For a brief time,
the church was also pastored by Ilah Claycomb, until June of
1965, when Pastor Howard Nelson was called to lead the church.
For the next 22 years the church grew tremendously. In 1975, having outgrown their first building, the congregation built a new building west of town on a 20-acre site in the flourishing Wyldewood development. The church was renamed Wyldewood Baptist Church.
The church grew to about 350 members, and many new ministries were begun. In 1975, a Christian school was opened, with more than 50 students enrolled in grades K-12. Utilizing the curriculum for Accelerated Christian Education, Wyldewood Christian School has consistently maintained high academic standards and Biblical principles.
The youth ministry was expanded, with weekly programs for all ages and many adults volunteering to serve in different capacities. The church operates three buses on a regular basis, providing free transportation to anyone needing a ride to the youth programs or Sunday School.
In 1979, a satellite ministry was founded, called "Couriers for Christ." This is a world-wide missions effort to get Bibles, Christian literature, and other needed material into Communist lands. We rejoice today as we see doors opening to this vast mission field. We are already actively involved in providing help to these fellow believers. Today, over 220 churches in the United States send money and other resources to our church to be used for this cause. Hundreds of thousands of dollars and more than a million pieces of literature have been channeled through this mission outreach.
Also in 1979, our church started a Bible publishing ministry, called "Bearing Precious Seed." This ministry prints and distributes Bibles right from our facilities in Oshkosh. To date, we have published Scripture for 35 countries around the globe, most of that going to Central and South America. We work closely with our missionaries, supplying them with needed scriptures at no cost. Again, churches across America help financially to make this possible. In 1996 our church built the Virginia Nelson Memorial Print Shop which has greatly enhanced our publishing ministry.
Since 1988, Rev. Randall G. King has been the pastor. After serving as the associate for 18 years, Pastor King was chosen to succeed Pastor Nelson. Pastor Nelson has changed direction in his ministry, and has founded "Scandinavians For Christ," a mission outreach to Norway, Sweden, and Finland. Another exciting facet of our ministry is Rev. Alan Ives and his ministry in Music Evangelism. He and his family provide music and preaching all across America, and they have a bookstore called Concord and Harmony that is an excellent source for Godly music and materials. In the spring of 1996 our church became the sending church for Rev. Terry and Sarah Rushing as missionaries to Uranium City, Saskatchewan, Canada. They are working with Lighthouse Baptist Mission and Brother Jim Pfaffenroth ministering to native Indians.
In September of 1996 Wyldewood Baptist Bible Institute was established to provide additional ministry training for those in our congregation. The curriculum is being developed for a three year certificate program. In the late fall our church became the home church for a missionary aviation ministry, "Wings As Eagles." This ministry serves mission fields around the world by providing transportation for pastors, missionaries, and support teams who serve on the field.
Some of the biggest events on our calendar every year include hosting the statewide ACE school convention in March, "Blue and White Sunday" honoring law enforcement personnel in July, our aviation conference "Meeting In The Air" during the EAA fly-in, and our annual ladies meeting called "The King's Daughters" every September. We also host an annual mission conference in October, and our local church supports 55 missionary families on a monthly basis.
Today, our congregation of about 470 is growing and enthusiastic. Our representatives preach all around the world, laboring in our various ministries for the cause of Christ. We continue to seek more ways to honor God, help Christians, and reach the lost for Jesus Christ. Our goal is to reach our community with the gospel message of repentance and faith. We believe that all people everywhere need a Saviour, and that Jesus Christ came into the world to save sinners. Our ministry, both here and abroad, is to make plain God's plan of salvation through the atoning blood of His only begotten Son.
Our Goals
The three main purposes of our church are to glorify God, win
lost souls, and edify believers. We believe that the Great
Commission, as given in Matthew 28:19-20, is the marching orders
for all true churches today. We endeavor to use all honorable,
wise, and effective means to obey God's commands and fulfill His
purpose for our church. A major emphasis of our ministry is
challenging, preparing, and equipping soldiers of the cross to
be laborers in God's vineyard.
Our church goals include reaching our community with the gospel of Christ, being the salt of the earth for righteousness' sake in our area. We will continue to encourage other churches and missionaries through our various ministries. We reiterate our strong commitment to worldwide missions and the continued publishing and distribution of Gospel literature. Specific information about how these goals are accomplished and how our ministry functions are available at the various pages on this site.
Our Affiliations
Our church is unapologetically independent Baptist. When our
church was founded in 1961 it was pastored by Doug Kasten. He
was a graduate of Baptist Bible College in Springfield,
Missouri. From that time until this, we have had a loose
affiliation with pastors of the Baptist Bible Fellowship of
Wisconsin. We support several BBF foreign missionaries and
attend the Wisconsin BBF youth camps. Students from our church
have attended many different Bible colleges. Wyldewood
Baptist Church strongly opposes ecumenism and the various
compromises so prevalent today. Throughout the history of our
church we have tried to encourage those Baptist churches and
pastors who have stood for Christ and His word. We have many
friends who belong to different groups (or no group), but we
have a policy of not trying to "steer" someone else's ship. To
their own master they stand or fall, not to us! Hundreds of
Baptist churches across America support our Bible publishing
ministries, and virtually all of them are independent Baptists.
Our Music Ministry
At Wyldewood Baptist Church we love good music and make it an
important part of our ministry. We enjoy singing the old songs
of Zion and believe that music should exalt the Lord Jesus
Christ, not the performers. Our church is traditional in its
song service, using hymn books, piano, organ, and orchestra.
While our services are lively and bright, we make no attempt to
please those who want to bring the world's music into the
church. We maintain high standards in the selection of our
choir and special music, and our 40 voice choir and 20 piece
orchestra practice and perform weekly. Many of our people are
taking instrumental or voice lessons, and we give them ample
opportunity to use their talents for the Lord. Each year we
have several musicals or cantatas that are presented here at
Wyldewood and elsewhere. We reject "gospel rock" and consider
much of the modern trend of contemporary gospel music to be not
pleasing to God.
Our Missions Ministry
The strong right arm of Wyldewood Baptist Church is our missions program.
We love and respect missionaries, and we do our best to encourage and help
them. We have at least one missionary speak every month, and we host many
others who are "passing through." Our annual missions conference is in the
fall, and we vote to support new missionaries every January. As of 2003, our
church supports 57 different missionaries representing 17 different organizations.
We support only Baptists, and our total missions giving last year was $240,000.
We have taken on 20 new families in the last 5 years, and our missions giving this
year is running at an all time high. We usually are booked more than a year in advance,
so we are forced to turn down most requests for meetings.
In addition to financially supporting missionaries who are on the foreign field, we are heavily involved in two other vital support ministries: taking people to the field to assist missionaries; and getting gospel literature and Bibles to missionaries and churches around the world. This is accomplished through our aviation ministry and our three Bible publishing and distribution ministries. Wings As Eagles, Bearing Precious Seed, Couriers for Christ, and Scandinavians For Christ all find their headquarters here at Wyldewood. Many Baptist churches in America and Canada send money every month to support these efforts, and we have representatives who traverse the countryside challenging churches to help us in these ministries. With the sacrifice, cooperation, and dedication of many others, we are able to provide literature and support to hundreds of missionaries around the globe. To God be the glory! If you would like to read a brief policy statement about how our various ministries are related to the local church, click here.
To see a list of the missionaries supported by Wyldewood Baptist Church click here.
Our Sunday School Ministry
Our Sunday School has a two-fold purpose: First and foremost we
enroll students and present the Gospel to each one, challenging
them to repent of their sins and to receive Jesus Christ as
their personal Saviour. Secondly, our Sunday School serves as
our primary Bible teaching ministry. From the youngest child in
the nurseries to the various adult classes, we teach them
practical lessons from the Scriptures which they can apply to
their daily lives.
In our Sunday school we use a graded classroom structure. Each teacher's lesson and classroom setting creates a positive learning environment where students receive quality Bible training. Aided by our low teacher-to-student ratio, students receive personalized instruction and have the freedom to ask questions. This in turn creates a strong teacher to student bond, allowing us to build personal relationships with each student. Genuine Christian care is demonstrated, and this vital foundation and mutual trust becomes important as we deal with the children and their parents about their spiritual needs.
Joe and Chariti Fox joined the Wyldewood staff just 10 days after their wedding on June 5, 2004. After graduating from high school at Pensacola Christian Academy in Florida, Joe received his BA in Evangelism at Northland Baptist Bible College in Dunbar, Wisconsin. At Northland Joe met Chariti Hamilton who graduated with honors in the Piano Pedagogy major. Currently Joe serves as the Youth Pastor at Wyldewood Baptist church while pursuing his M. Div. at Northland. Chariti currently teaches 17 students in classical piano in the Oshkosh and Appleton areas and ministers as one of the pianist for the church.
Wyldewood Baptist Church has a full complement of youth programs for every age group. On Sundays we have Newborn and Toddler nurseries as well as Beginner Church, Intermediate Church, and Junior Church during the morning service. These special "church services" are led by capable staff and geared for children from birth to twelve years old.. On Wednesday evenings we have King's Kids Club, which is a youth and music program for children ages five through twelve. On Friday night is our Soldiers program for Junior and Junior High children, an active and fun-packed evening geared toward evangelism and outreach.
Every month the teenagers have a Friday morning prayer breakfast. At least one Saturday each month they have a major activity, and one Sunday evening after church each month they go to one of the teenager's homes and have an afterglow. Several major events like white-water rafting, hayrides, and youth camp round out the activity calendar. We believe that young people can serve the Lord, and most of our teens are also actively involved serving the Lord in the bus, youth, and junior church ministries.
Our Christian School Ministry
Wyldewood Christian School is an integral part of our overall church
ministry. It was established in 1975 for the benefit of those parents
who desire full-time Christian training for their children. We offer
training for children enrolled in kindergarten through high school,
utilizing the School of Tomorrow curriculum. Our entire curriculum
is Bible-based, with Scriptural principles woven into quality
academics to provide a Christ-centered program. Our school is a
member of the Wisconsin Association of Christian Schools and the
host of the state wide Wisconsin A.C.E. Student Convention.
In addition to the academics, our students enjoy classes in music, art, Bible and physical education. There are opportunities for children in elementary and high school to develop skills in a wide range of fields through our school plays, athletic program, and participation in speech, music, and fine arts competition.
God has blessed us with a great staff of dedicated Christian teachers. Rev. Richard Clayton is our school principal. To view a page giving more details about our school ministry click here. If you would like to request a school handbook or the latest tuition and fee schedule, you may call Rev. Clayton at the church at (920) 235-5400.
Our Bible Institute
Wyldewood Baptist Bible Institute is a local church Bible
institute with a goal of training and equipping soldiers for
future service in the Lord's harvest fields. We started our
institute because we believe the local church is God's best
training center. Church members and others often desire further
Bible and ministry training but do not feel led to move away and
attend a full time Bible college. Enrollment is open to anyone
who has graduated from high school, and there is a modest fee
for each course. We offer one, two, and three year certificate
programs. Courses are all taught by qualified men of God who
have experience and training in the ministry. The King James
Bible is taught as the infallible word of God. Classes are held
three evenings a week, and students are encouraged to enroll in
as many classes as they can. All students are expected to serve
in one of our local church ministries while they are enrolled in
our institute. Our institute maintains a high standard of
academics and professionalism while accenting the spirit of the
law instead of the letter! Soulwinning is emphasized, along
with sound Biblical teaching and practical theology. For
further information from the WBBI handbook on policies, fees,
transfer credits, or course descriptions, click here.
Our Bus Ministry
The purpose of the bus ministry here at Wyldewood is to reach
our local community with the Gospel by providing them with
transportation to attend our church services. We minister to
the entire family through regular bus visitation and follow up
visits from the Sunday School teachers.
We utilize the time on the bus to teach Scripture lessons and songs and to prepare the riders' hearts for the message of the pastor. The return route time is equally valuable, providing an opportunity to encourage each rider to bring a friend the next week. The bus ministry works in conjunction with our youth program, Sunday school, and Christian school.
One of the biggest blessings of the bus ministry is when we see families reached with the gospel of Christ and the entire family begins to drive themselves to church! This ministry also provides an excellent opportunity for mechanics, bus drivers, adults and teen helpers to use their talents for the Lord. Many of our most faithful workers today got their start in the bus ministry here at Wyldewood.
Our Tape Ministry
All Sunday services, musicals, special events, and guest
speakers are tape recorded here at Wyldewood. Tape request
envelopes are available in the office and in each pew, and
anyone can request a copy of the services for a minimal fee
utilizing these envelopes. We maintain a full library of past
tapes, and some of our special services have been video taped as
well. Each week several copies of various tapes are requested.
We mail some to out of town friends, like former members,
college students, or those stationed somewhere in the military.
Special requests such as large quantities, all-music tapes,
series of messages, etc. are all filled as well. This service
ministry is a special blessing to all, and we thank the Lord for
those who donate their services in our sound room and tape
ministry. Please contact us if there is any way we can help you
with our tapes. For more information on our
"Church Service Audio Tapes"
click here.
Our Radio Ministry
Our services are broadcast every Sunday morning on WVCY radio, 690 AM here in Oshkosh.
These are abbreviated versions of a prior Sunday morning service here at Wyldewood Baptist
Church. Sermons are also available on "on line"
from our Sermons page. Each sermon
is available for three consecutive weeks.
One of the main purposes of Wyldewood Baptist Church is to strengthen families spiritually, and having a fully developed ladies ministry is an integral part of that commitment. We believe that every lady, in order to be pleasing to the Lord, has a responsibility to her home as well as to Christian service. Through our ministry we teach ladies how to balance those responsibilities, meeting the needs of their families and serving the Lord with their talents. The ladies at Wyldewood Baptist Church are taught to be Godly wives and mothers. They are also encouraged to be soulwinners and active church members.
Our ladies are intimately involved in every facet of Christian service, and their contribution to the work of the Lord is deeply appreciated. They provide capable leadership in many areas, including ladies ministries, youth, music, nurseries, Sunday school, soulwinning, discipleship, benevolence, and others. Opportunities for Christian service abound in every aspect of our ministry, and we treasure the work of our ladies.
Our "The King's Daughters" Ladies Seminar
One of the biggest events on our calendar every year is this exciting one-day seminar for ladies and girls! It is always held on the third Friday and Saturday in September. Our church prepares all year long to host this meeting, and approximately 600 ladies from a four-state area come to be challenged for the Lord! Many ladies come for the special Friday night sessions and stay in local hotels so they can relax and prepare for a big day on Saturday. "The King's Daughter" theme is taken from Psalm 45, and each year the speakers teach on a variety of subjects pertinent to ladies and girls, encouraging them to become more like the daughters of our heavenly King.
Three "tracks" are run concurrently: one for the ladies; one for teen girls; and one for "Cameos," the girls who are 8-12 years old. During the seminar the ladies are treated to good music, some skits, book, tape, and gift tables, and excellent teachers. Each year we have seen God use this seminar to strengthen ladies in their marriages, child-rearing, soulwinning, and Christian service. Many pastors encourage their ladies to come back year after year.
"Virtuous Women" and "Teen Girls" classes
We have two very important ministries designed just for teaching teen girls and women.
The first is our Wednesday night Teen Girls' class. One Wednesday evening each month (while the younger children are in the "Kings Kids" youth program,) we divide into three classes. Pastor King teaches on leadership to the teen boys and men while the teen girls and ladies go to their own classes. In the Teen Girls' class the young ladies are taught from the Bible how to be appropriate in conduct, how to respond to authority, how to honor their parents, how to dress properly, and how to serve the Lord faithfully. They are encouraged to trust God to use their parents to guide them in life-changing decisions such as marriage, education, and careers. They are taught to keep the Lord first in their lives, how to get along with other girls, and how to minister to children.
The second special class is the Virtuous Womens' class (meeting the same Wednesday night as the teen girls). Godly ladies (who are over 40) teach the young women to love their husbands, to love their children, to be keepers at home, chaste, obedient to their own husbands, etc. (See Titus 2!) In addition, many special speakers are invited to this class to challenge the ladies. These include missionaries' wives, pastors' wives, and other Godly ministry leaders. We emphasize the home and the church as being vitally important in these classes. Each lady is encouraged to maintain a personal walk with the Lord and to be a good example to her children and others. They are also challenged to be servants and soulwinners. This has been one of the most profitable ministries of our church! Our ladies enjoy prayer together, overnight outings, Christmas parties, missionary kindnesses, secret pals, meals for shut-ins, showers and surprises. They work together wonderfully for the Lord's glory on big events and meals for special occasions.
Adopted: Dec. 19, 1961
| Our weekly service times are as follows: | |
| Sunday School | 9:30am |
| Sunday Morning Worship | 10:45am |
| Sunday Evening | 6:00pm |
| Tuesday Morning Ladies Soulwinning | 9:00am |
| Tuesday Churchwide Visitation | 6:30pm |
| Wednesday Evening Prayer and Bible Study | 7:00pm |
| Saturday Morning Visitation | 9:30am |
| Every year we have several major events that highlight our calendar. | |
| January | |
| Annual Meeting | 3rd Wednesday evening of the year |
| February | |
| We host a pastor's fellowship | Second Monday and Tuesday |
| Sweetheart Banquet | Around the 14th |
| Wyldewood Classic Basketball Tourney | Third Friday and Saturday |
| March | |
| Alan Ives Family here for music | Second and third weeks |
| Wyldewood Christian School musical | Second or Third Sunday |
| Wisconsin ACE Convention | Third week |
| April | |
| Easter Breakfast | Easter |
| Sunday School attendance program | All month |
| May | |
| Mother-Daughter Luncheon | First Saturday |
| Mother's Day celebration | Second Sunday |
| Wyldewood Christian School Graduation | Last week |
| June | |
| Neighborhood Bible Time | First full week |
| ACE Nationals | First two weeks |
| Father-Son outing | Second or third weekend |
| Father's Day | Third Sunday |
| Bearing Precious Seed Mexico Trip | Usually last half of month |
| July | |
| Blue and White Sunday | Second Sunday |
| Aviation Conference | Last week-First week of August |
| August | |
| Aviation Conference | First week |
| Family and Teen Camp | First week |
| Family and Junior Camp | Second week |
| Kentucky Hillbilly cookout | Second or third Sunday |
| Wyldewood Christian School begins | Third Week |
| September | |
| Pastor's Cup Golf Outing | First or second Saturday |
| King's Daughters Ladies Meeting | Third Saturday |
| October | |
| Mission Conference | Second or third week |
| Ladies Overnight | Third Friday and Saturday |
| November | |
| Wyldewood Christian School - Play | Third Sunday |
| Deer Hunting and Thanksgiving | Last two weeks |
| December | |
| Baby Dedication | First Sunday Night |
| Sunday School Christmas program | Second Sunday Morning |
| Christmas Musical | Third Sunday Night |
| Staff Christmas party | Third or fourth Friday and Saturday |
| Watchnight service | December 31 |
The King's Daughters