A Tornado’s Devastation, God’s Provision, and a Church’s Resilience in Oklahoma

In just 30 seconds late one Monday afternoon, a powerful tornado tore through our Oklahoma church, completely destroying the buildings and parsonage, even though storm warnings had been canceled. In an instant, our entire church campus disappeared. We still wonder where all the metal folding chairs ended up.

While the physical destruction was immense, we were blessed that no lives were lost. Thanks to the quick action of our leaders, we didn’t miss a single service, finding alternate locations for worship.

The trials didn’t end there. Shortly after the tornado, our pastor announced his retirement, and we were forced to hire an independent adjuster to deal with complex insurance challenges. But God’s plan was unfolding. Decades before, a young man who had once visited our church—not even a member—remembered us and offered his help. His expertise? Business architecture.

With his guidance, and through a partnership with Principle Design, a trusted Oklahoma-based architecture firm, we moved forward. Exactly one year after the tornado, we broke ground for our new church building, now under construction with completion scheduled for early 2024.

Through this entire journey, our church community has stayed strong, supported by the local Oklahoma community. We’ve learned that the true church is not just a building—it’s the people who gather to worship, praise, and trust in God.

To see more of the projects we’ve had the privilege of working on, visit our projects page, where you can explore other stories of resilience, design, and community building.