The Church of the First Born
Hidden in small towns and quiet farming communities, far from the spotlight of mainstream religion, lives a faith tradition that has stirred both curiosity and controversy for over a century: the General Assembly and Church of the First Born.
You won’t find slick marketing or membership drives here. This group is known for its simplicity, its secrecy, and its fierce devotion to old-world faith healing practices. Services are unprogrammed — no polished sermons or worship schedules. Anyone baptized in the church may rise to speak, sing, pray, or testify as they feel the Spirit move. There are no choirs or praise bands. Sometimes, not even a piano. Just voices and conviction.
Children sit among the adults. There’s no Sunday school. No formal Bible studies. They believe God’s Word should flow from the Spirit, not from curriculum.
The origins of the Church of the First Born trace back to the mid-1800s, when early figures like John N. Burton, Elias Brewer, and David T. McDonald began preaching a blend of primitive Christian faith and divine healing. Many of these early leaders had once been part of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints but broke away after disputes and accusations of apostasy.
Burton was once listed as a “Seventy” — a traveling missionary — in an LDS newspaper before being cast out. By the 1870s, he and his followers were preaching in places like Otoe County, Nebraska; Chanute, Kansas; and eventually Oklahoma. They called themselves “Followers of Christ,” and their gatherings grew quickly, often meeting in homes or schoolhouses instead of church buildings.
By the 1880s, revivals drew hundreds. After McDonald’s death in 1892, preachers like Marion Reece, Charlie Smith, and the Parisho brothers spread the movement into Idaho, Oregon, and even parts of California.
Though their early baptisms grew out of LDS circles, they’ve long since cut ties with Mormonism and claim no connection to today’s Mormon fundamentalist groups with similar names.
This community is small, private, and close-knit. There are no membership rolls, no official records, no marketing. Leadership comes through elders and deacons, chosen from among the baptized. They care for their sick and poor within their own ranks and are known for being deeply loyal to one another.
They’ve also resisted the outside world. During World War I, elders from Oklahoma even petitioned the U.S. government for official recognition as a pacifist religious body to exempt their members from military service. Their “Articles of Faith” echo early Christian creeds: belief in the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit; repentance, baptism, healing, prophecy, and a strict refusal to bear arms.
Today, the General Assembly and Church of the First Born remains scattered in small congregations across the United States. Many outsiders have never heard of them, yet their legacy quietly lingers in parts of Oklahoma, Idaho, Oregon, and beyond.
They worship simply, serve quietly, and guard their traditions fiercely.
And while their numbers may be small, their story is a striking reminder: not every faith seeks the spotlight. Some are content to survive in the shadows, holding fast to what they believe — even when the rest of the world has long since moved on.