There is a sign in front of the church providing some background about Tatums, which is one of a few surviving All-Black Towns in Oklahoma. The sign has some canned text that you'll find on like signs throughout the state, and it reads (slight edits):
The All-Black towns of Oklahoma represent a unique chapter in American history. No where else, neither the Deep South nor the Far West, did so many African American men and women come together to live in and govern their own communities. By 1920, Oklahoma had more than 30 towns considered All-Black.
All-Black towns grew after the Civil War when the former slaves of the Five Civilized Tribes settled together for mutual protection and economic security. When the lands of the tribes were allotted to individuals, most Indian "freedmen" chose land next to other African Americans. This created prosperous farming communities that could support towns.
When the land run of 1889 opened yet more land to non-Indian settlement, African Americans from the Old South rushed to the new territory for free land. Edwin McCabe founded Langston and encouraged African Americans to settle in his All-Black town. He even had a vision for an All-Black state. Although his dream was never realized, many All-Black communities were established on the rich topsoil of the new territory and state.
The All-Black towns of Oklahoma prospered until the 1920s but gradually declined under the pressure of Jim Crow laws that denied African Americans the right to vote, the Great Depression, and population flight from the farm to city after World War II. Today, a few All-Black towns still survive, but all are remembered, a legacy of economic and political freedom.
There are some insets showing photos of Mr. and Mrs. Tatums, a town plat, the local citizenry, the old Tatums School, and a map of Oklahoma, broken down by county, with a key to African American settlements that are still incorporated, as well as those that belong to the ages. Then the text is more appropriate to the town:
Lee Tatums and his wife, Mary, applied for a post office in 1895, beginning the town of Tatums, Indian Territory. Along with a post office, the Tatums sold groceries from one corner of their house to supply the needs of the surrounding community. Tatums was also appointed United States Marshall. Henry Taylor owned the biggest home in the community and had a room for travelers to stay overnight. A church and school were soon established.
A hotel was built in 1899; a blacksmith shop in 1900; a cotton gin and saw mill in 1910; and a motor garage in 1918. Oil wells were drilled in the area in the 1920s contributing to the wealth of Tatums' farmers and landowners. In 1914 a one-story rock building was built as a school and in 1917 a second story was added to the building. The Julius Rosenwald Fund helped build a larger brick school in 1936, and a gymnasium was added in 1949. The building is still standing. Tatums's Bethel Missionary Baptist Church, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, was completed in 1919. A 1927 silent film, Black Gold, released by Norman Studios was filmed in Tatums. Marshall L.B. Tatums played a role. By the late 1930s the population had decreased to 150 and in the 1990 census there were 175 people residing in the town.
This history is a significant part of why this sanctuary was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1995. The Bethel Missionary Baptist Church goes back to a congregation formed in 1894, holding services in a brush arbor before constructed a log church. That building also served as a Masonic Lodge and school until this one was completed in 1919. It is a single story vernacular gable end church with clapboard siding. It is fairly intact, with minor alterations and repairs, although two rooms were eventually converted to rest rooms, the roof shingles were originally shake shingles, and the windows were replaced in 1950. In addition to the church's use as a religious center, its bell was put to use to communicate news to the public, using different tones depending upon the message.
The National Register's Continuation Sheet (see website, below) indicates that the old sanctuary was put out to pasture when the replacement sanctuary was completed in 1969. If it is still used by the Bethel Baptist Church as a fellowship hall, it is in dire need of repairs, including some replacement windows, and hopefully it is in better condition on the inside than out.