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{{Infobox Newspaper
| name               = The Baptist Messenger
| logo               = Baptist Messenger logo.png
| image              = 
| caption            = 
| type               = Monthly [[magazine]]
| format             = [[Magazine]]
| owners             = 
| publisher          = [[Baptist General Convention of Oklahoma]]
| editor             = Brian Hobbs
| managing editor    = Chris Doyle
| assoceditor        = Chris Doyle
| maneditor          = 
| neseditor          = 
| managingeditordesign = 
| opeditor           = 
| sportseditor       = 
| photoeditor        = 
| staff              = 
| foundation         = 1912
| political          = 
| language           = English
| headquarters       = 3800 North May, [[Oklahoma City, Oklahoma]], 73112 [[United States|USA]]
| circulation        = 39,158
| oclc               = 
| website            = [http://baptistmessenger.com/ baptistmessenger.com]
| ceased publication = 
| sister publications = 
}}

The '''''Baptist Messenger''''' is the flagship newsjournal of Oklahoma Baptists, published continuously since 1912. The Messenger is distributed to approximately 40,000 households and has been called the third largest newspaper in [[Oklahoma]] in terms of print circulation.<ref name="messenger">[http://baptistmessenger.com/about/ "About"] at [http://baptistmessenger.com/ Baptist Messenger] (accessed February 25, 2010).</ref>

Clarence P. Stealey moved to Oklahoma from West Virginia in 1909 to start the publication.<ref name="messenger"/> The first edition of the newspaper coincided with the first annual meeting of the Oklahoma Southern Baptist Convention on May 12, 1912.<ref name="messenger"/> The Baptist convention purchased the paper from Stealey for $5,000 in 1919.<ref name="messenger"/>

The publication is currently staffed by editor, Brian Hobbs, and managing editor Chris Doyle. The Baptist Messenger also produces a mobile App, news website and a podcast program.

==History==
The first issue of the ''Baptist Messenger'' was published on May 15, 1912.<ref name="okh">Everett, Dianna, "[http://digital.library.okstate.edu/encyclopedia/entries/B/BA014.html Baptist Messenger] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100718173156/http://digital.library.okstate.edu/encyclopedia/entries/B/BA014.html |date=July 18, 2010 }}," ''[http://digital.library.okstate.edu/encyclopedia/ Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100531193517/http://digital.library.okstate.edu/encyclopedia/ |date=May 31, 2010 }}'' (accessed May 6, 2010).</ref> The publication was owned and edited by Clarence P. Stealey, a minister from Washington, D.C.<ref name="okh"/> In 1919, the Baptist Convention of Oklahoma purchased the paper, which had a circulation of 5,000 at the time.<ref name="okh"/>

Stealey was removed as editor in the late 1920s after taking some controversial editorial positions in the antievolution movement.<ref name="okh"/> He was succeeded by Eugene C. Routh, who tripled the readership by the time he left in 1943.<ref name="okh"/>

==References==
<references/>
{{Authority control}}
[[Category:Baptist newspapers in the United States]]
[[Category:Newspapers published in Oklahoma City]]
[[Category:1912 establishments in Oklahoma]]
[[Category:Newspapers established in 1912]]
{{Oklahoma-newspaper-stub}}