Exterior of St. James Episcopal Church, Wagoner

Painted wood frame building with corner front door with belfry above. The church was built in 1894 and moved twice. It is now located at 303 E. Church Street and still in use as of 2023.
Date: unknown
Creator: unknown
System: The Gateway to Oklahoma History

Reverend Augustus C. Roker

Reverend Augustus C. Roker served in the Episcopal Missionary District of Oklahoma from 1910 - 1932. He was the longest serving Black Episcopal priest in the Missionary District. Dean Roker moved to Oklahoma due to Bishop Brooke's desire to create a Black Episcopal mission in Muskogee. The mission, St. Philip's, had no land or building but Roker was not deterred. He rented the Masonic Hall and after two years, rented Bailey’s Hall until enough money was saved to buy land. Reverend Roker believed in recruiting men for confirmation as a means of establishing a committed, growing congregation. He also believed a neighborhood kindergarten school would recruit families to the church. In the evenings, the Reverend visited homes and churches recruiting other Black families to St. Philip’s. Dean Roker was ordained by Bishop Thurston on June 16,1915. Reverend Roker was a priest at St. Philip’s for sixteen years, even through difficult times. His success was partly determined by his policy of recruiting Muskogee's upper-class families to the church. St. Philip’s would not have become such a growing, stable Episcopal Church in the late teens and early twenties without the foundation of Reverend Roker’s dedication and hard work. Another Black Episcopal mission …
Date: unknown
Creator: unknown
System: The Gateway to Oklahoma History