Glenn C. Oldaker had come to Christ many years before under the ministry of evangelist Gipsy Smith, Jr., during a tent meeting held in Culpeper in 1915. He attended Moody Bible Institute, then traveled as an evangelist with his wife, Ruth, who sang with him and taught children’s Bible stories. After his wife’s death, “Brother Oldaker”, as Glenn was known, founded the Christian Bookshop, and later helped to begin the Culpeper Christian School under the leadership of Peter Goodfield.
For some time prior to the first meeting of Culpeper Christian Fellowship, two other men, John Musselman and Mason Hutcheson, had been praying that the Lord would raise up a non-denominational, Bible-teaching church for Culpeper. In early February, 1978, Mason stated to these men that “the Holy Spirit had convicted his heart that now was the Lord’s timing for a local fellowship to come together”
Soon afterwards, the Bookshop hosted a series of special meetings where those who were present were exhorted to join together and form a local church. One week later, Oldaker, Musselman, Hutcheson and Goodfield met for prayer, at which time it was unanimously felt that it was the Lord’s will that a regular Sunday meeting be formed at the Christian Meeting House on East Street, beginning with March 5. It was further agreed that they would allow the Holy Spirit to direct them. No constitution or formal organization would take place until the Holy Spirit convicted them of the proper direction to take.
On Sunday, March 5, 1978, a new fellowship named Culpeper Christian Assembly met for worship in a converted phone company building known as the Meeting Houseon East Street in Culpeper. The preaching responsibilities were shared in rotation among four men.
The diversity of Church backgrounds in the leadership early set the tone for CCA to be a nonsectarian assembly which recognized the wider body of Christ, welcoming all who knew and loved the Lord Jesus Christ. A number of families from the Mason Hutcheson’s SonHouseministry also began coming to CCA at that time. It was a unique mix of old and new in an evangelical church.
What began with 16 families the first year and a budget of less than $16,000, had by the 90’s become 60 families and a budget of over $100,000. During the intervening years, we purchased land, and commissioned design teams to plan for a future facility, as the Lord willed.
Over the intervening twenty years we continued to grow as a church family, relying on God to supply both our physical and spiritual needs. During this time we gradually raised funds for our building project, and we were finally able to break ground in April 2007.
We were uprooted from our location on East Street due to the East Coast Earthquake in August 2011. While we were waiting for our new building to be finished, the Lord provided alternate meeting locations for us at Open Door Baptist and the Culpeper Christian School.
After a year ‘living in tents,’ we finally recieved an occupancy permit for our new building in September 2012, and we changed our congregation name to Culpeper Christian Fellowship. We continue to be a non-denominational, elder led fellowship based on principles established in the New Testament.
We are striving to be a church of grace that accepts people as they are where they are. Whether you are just curious about Christianity or a committed believer, you are welcome among us.