On October 26, 2005, the Missouri Baptist Historical Commission honored First Baptist Church of Oak Grove as recipient of the first annual Bethel Heritage Church Planting Award.

Established in 1853 as the United Baptist Church of Oak Grove, the members (who quickly changed their name to Oak Grove Baptist Church, and in the mid 1900’s changed again to First Baptist Church of Oak Grove) always had a spirit of missions. In February 1996, the Missions committee of the church asked the church to commit to helping start at least three new works in three years. This challenge was taken up the next month when FBC – Oak Grove began a partnership in Belarus, and had soon partnered with a church in Wyoming. In August 1998, after almost two years of praying, planning and groundwork, members of FBC – Oak Grove were called to plant a church in Grain Valley. In total, 7 congregations, in places like Belarus, Wyoming, Colorado, Washington state, 2 churches locally, and one in suburban St. Louis have received church planting support from FBC – Oak Grove in the past 10 years.

A unique outreach that many throughout the country saw or heard about in 1997 was the cross-country Prayer Walk spearheaded by Clarence Lance, a fairly new member of the church, and Randy Messer, the pastor. The church voted to allow Randy to take the time off from church activities to take the Prayer Walk, starting on August 3 in Santa Monica, California and ending on October 4 at the Promise Keepers Rally in Washington, D.C. Members of the church team and many strangers along the way prayed as they carried the seven-foot cross (with a wheel attached to the bottom), and shared Christ in campgrounds each night. They prayed for whatever God laid on their hearts, including their country, their church, and people in the houses and cars they passed along the way. Members of the church who stayed home took their turns praying for safety of the team and renewal of our nation.

In the 152 years since the congregation first gathered in 1853, FBC – Oak Grove has spread God’s Kingdom, and has blessed countless lives of those who have come in contact with them.