Who We Are:  

          Callao Christian Church is an independent, New Testament church, established in 1889. We are affiliated with the independent Christian Churches and Churches of Christ descended from the Restoration Movement, which was started to encourage believers and churches everywhere to unite on the truth of Scripture and nothing else. Our desire is to live as Christians as the Bible instructs and exemplifies, following the commands and patterns as given by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit in Scripture.

We have no creed but Christ, no book but the Bible, and no name but Christian. While we are Christians only, we do not believe we are the only Christians.

We are genuinely a friendly bunch and maintain a peaceful environment conducive to growing relationships and serving the Lord. Music is instrumental and mixed in its presentation – both traditional (congregational singing hymns with piano) and contemporary.

This document is not designed to be a test of fellowship. It solely exists so that anyone considering joining this local body of Christ knows what we presently preach, teach, and attempt to live out, to the best of our knowledge and ability.

Our Unique Qualities:

We are the founding church of the Kiamichi Preaching & Teaching Clubs of America (kiamichichristianmission.org).

Our preacher boy clubs were established in 2014 and continues to disciple many young men, starting at age 8, into lives of service for the Lord and some into vocational ministry.

Teacher girls has been established this year to disciple young women into lives of service and for those who desire, vocational ministry. It also starts at age 8. We give credit to the Kiamichi for helping make this happen.

Our Youth Deeper Study is for those teenagers who desire to know more about the Word of God than what can be provided in a typical youth group setting.

Our Seniors Bible Study and weekly carry-in lunch has a friendly, conversational Bible study that is unique in its ability to go down fun rabbit holes. 😊

 What to Expect:

All of our services are open to the public. You do NOT have to be a member to attend any of the above. There are options for all ages at any time. Biblical standards of modesty for both sexes are expected but no level of formality is. The average dress could be described as “business casual” but for each individual it ranges from pants/t-shirt to suits and dresses at Sunday Worship.

How Callao Christian Church is Organized:

Callao Christian Church is completely independent: we do not belong to any denomination or answer to any other religious authority. We consider ourselves part of the universal body of Christ worldwide, with Christ Himself as the sole head of His church (Ephesians 1:22-23). We are Christians only, but not the only Christians. God alone is the judge, and the Bible is our sole rule of faith and practice. Finally, while we are independent, we are not isolated. We collaborate with other local churches for various reasons and causes.

Our current campus was built originally in 1939, with additions in 1955, 1993, and 2013. We are presently in planning to build on again in late 2024. Our long-term vision is also to plant a church west of Callao. We are a 501(3)c registered non-profit organization.

Callao Christian Church is led by an eldership. The eldership consists of qualified men according to the qualifications given in 1 Timothy 3:1-7 and Titus 1:5-9. Once ordained into office, the elders are the sole overseers (Acts 20:28; Philippians 1:1; 1 Timothy 3:1-2; Titus 1:7), shepherds (Acts 20:28; 1 Peter 5:1-2), and pastors (Ephesians 4:11) of the congregation, and serve the Scriptural functions thereof. Other synonyms for elder in Scripture are presbyter and bishop. The elders also serve as the sole missions board.

Our current elders are Virgil Harris, Jim Willis, Rick Gann, and Scott Coleman.

Callao Christian Church also has qualified men as deacons (1 Timothy 3:8-10, 12). These are qualified by 1 Timothy 3:8-10, 12. They are servant-leaders who make sure the business, grounds, and other necessary functions of the church are met.

Our current elders are Mickey Shipp, Bob Gress, Brian Coleman, Justin Compton, Nick Kearns, Chad Thurnau, and Jeffrey Willis.

Callao Christian Church also has a staff consisting of minister(s) and director(s) of various ministries. Ministers are qualified men (2 Timothy 2:2-25) to do the work of an evangelist (2 Timothy 4:5) as described more fully in the books of 1 & 2 Timothy and Titus.

Our current lead minister is Josh Stucki (youth minister from 2011-2013, lead minister 2014-present). Our current associate minister is Jake Levett (started 2023). Our current youth minister is Zach Harris (started 2024). None of our elders or staff wear titles; you are encouraged to address them by their first name.

Our current director of young women and nursery is Jaycee Christensen (started 2024). Our current church secretary is Madi Harris (started 2023). We are blessed to have these talented ladies on board with their unique skill sets serving our congregation.

Church discipline is laid out according to Christ’s commands (Matthew 18:18-20). The sole purpose of church discipline is to restore the backsliding believer. Every patient effort is made to do so. Though rare, it has been practiced when necessary.

 Our Beliefs (only required of teachers and leaders):

We do not hold to any creed but Christ and no book but the Bible. We use Bible names for Bible things. We do not keep an official membership roll as church membership Biblically consists of all immersed believers in Christ who serve with their local congregation. The below statements are not binding upon visitors or members who do not teach. Only those who have been appointed to teach others or hold a leadership position within Callao Christian Church are required to agree before teaching or leading in an official capacity.

The God of Scripture is triune – the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit – all who are God and are each their own individual divine person. In Scripture, this is sometimes called the “Godhead”, depending on translation.

God created the heavens and the earth (Genesis 1:1). He did so in six literal days and rested on the seventh. God created man in His own image (Genesis 1:27), male and female. All human lives have inherent value and deserve to be treated with dignity. Animals, as part of God’s creation and intended human diet (Genesis 9:3; 1 Corinthians 10:25), are still never to be mistreated.

The Bible is without error in its original manuscripts and is our sole rule of faith and practice. We use the NASB 1995 as our preferred English translation, but many members use NKJV and others. We recognize no English translation as perfect and will refer to others as appropriate.

The body of Christ is universal, worldwide, and headed by only Him. Its members are immersed believers who serve their local congregations for God’s glory. Each faithful church is part of this worldwide body of Christ, and only the Lord adds to His church, not man (Acts 2:47).

The Bible gives us God’s eternal definitions of marriage (Matthew 19:4-5) and gender (Genesis 1:27).

The sole price paid for the salvation of man was Christ crucified (Hebrews 7:27, 9:12, 10:10). He resurrected on the third day to live forevermore as our High Priest and King, the sole Head of His church.

The plan of salvation is voluntarily and only for those who have reached the age of accountability (James 4:17) to make that decision for themselves. The plan of salvation begins for each person with believing (faith) in the Word preached (Romans 10:17), repenting of sin (Acts 2:38), confessing Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the Living God (Matthew 16:16), be immersed in water for the forgiveness of sins and the gift of the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:38), and being faithful until death (Revelation 2:10). None of these things earn us salvation; rather, by following God’s plan, He graciously gives salvation to us. This same pattern of hearing, believing, repenting, confessing, being baptized, and living faithfully can be seen repeatedly (8 times) in the Bible book of Acts.

The primary mission of the Christian and the church is to make disciples (Matthew 28:19) and teach them to obey everything Christ has commanded us (Matthew 28:20). This can be summed up in two words: evangelism and discipleship. Everything we do at Callao Christian Church attempts to serve one or both of those ends, while we constantly encourage and lift each other up along the way.

Christ’s literal and physical return is coming at an unknown date and time. It will happen suddenly. We are charged to always be ready for His return. All people will stand before God in judgment (Hebrews 9:27). The saved will inherit eternal life with God and all those in Christ. The condemned will be eternally separated from God in hell.

Callao Christian Church generally adheres to amillennial eschatology (end times) but it is not a major focus of Sunday morning services or the various Bible studies offered. The most important thing to understand about the end times is that Jesus is coming back, and we need to be ready!