Local Church News
Music and sports brackets join up to create a new take on fundraising
4/17/2024
BY REV. ADAM YOUNG Over the last two months, Sunny Lane United Methodist Church has been raising “fun” to hire a part-time Director of Children’s Ministry. The goal was to raise $20,000 to pay for ...
Revitalization of Faith: The Journey of First UMC of Tishomingo
4/17/2024
BY REV. SHARON COCHRAN In the small town of Tishomingo, Oklahoma, a beacon of hope and inclusivity shines through the First United Methodist Church (UMC). Following a period of disaffiliation that ...
Caddo UMC Celebrates 150 Years
1/31/2024
BY JENNIFFER HENDRICKS Caddo, Oklahoma, is located in north central Bryan County. It was named for the nearby Caddo Hills, site of an 1808 battle between the Caddo and Choctaw. The area was formally ...
Kingdom of God Appears in Aline-Cleo Gymnasium During Aline vs Waynoka Basketball Game
1/31/2024
BY CARMEN STAFFORD That’s right friends! It really happened. What a blessing it was to participate in that joyous occasion! I don’t know much at all about sports writing, but I know a lot about ...
Eden Chapel pastor serves as Boy Scout chaplain to complete interreligous training
1/24/2024
At the meeting of the Clergy Orders and Fellowship on Tuesday, January 9, 2024, Bishop Jimmy Nunn, on behalf of the Council of Bishops, honored Rev. Katie Paul with a certificate of completion from ...
Members impact their community with their creativity and compassion
1/24/2024
The evening circle of United Women in Faith at Altus Grace UMC formed in January 2023. From this ecumenical group of working and retired ladies came the idea of a mission to assist others in our ...
Late choir director inspired new leaders to crack the code of inter-generational collaboration
1/10/2024
BY JOAN CUNDIFF HUBBARD In 1987, our choir director Jane Armstrong showed up at Perkins First UMC like Mary Poppins with multiple black suitcases and a smile on her face. She had purchased some ...
Oklahoma City church finds a way to serve unhoused and underserved neighbors, rain or shine, with outreach foundation
1/3/2024
There’s a distinct emotion that you can only access when you’re engaged in loving service to people who are invisible to most of society. Maybe it’s a certain species of joy. Perhaps it’s a fraternity...
Just in time for Christmas
12/13/2023
BY REV. CHUCK HORTON Early morning on the Monday after Thanksgiving, three organ experts from Church Organ Solutions in McKinney, Texas arrived at First United Methodist Church in Weatherford, ...
Two Oklahoma UMCs awarded grants for Testimony HQ initiative
12/13/2023
DALLAS (SMU) – The Lilly Endowment-funded initiative at Perkins School of Theology, “Testimony HQ,” has selected 11 congregations for the third and final cohort of developing thriving congregations ...
Churches team up to abolish medical debt for Western Oklahomans
11/9/2023
Five million dollars of medical debt has been abolished for the western half of the state of Oklahoma, including Oklahoma County. And it all began with paying off the church mortgage. In January of ...
Czech out these kolaches!
11/9/2023
by Ginger Strong Yukon is the Czech Capital of Oklahoma. It has been celebrating Czech heritage for many years. The community’s tradition is to have the Czech Festival on the first Saturday of ...
Multiple denominations come together to launch newest Green Country church
11/9/2023
by Megan Pippin On the morning of October 8, 2023, the sun was shining, and members of Grace United Methodist Church were ready to open their doors for their Grand Launch event. Grace UMC is led by ...
Quilts tell 130 years of Ponca City UMC stories
11/9/2023
By Marlys Cervantes First United Methodist Church members began their observance of 130 years of service to the Ponca City community by hosting a “Stitches Through Time” quilt show honoring works from...
A tale of two cities: two churches celebrate big anniversaries
10/5/2023
Oklahoma City Quayle United Methodist Church, located in northeast Oklahoma City, celebrated 133 years of ministry. The theme for the month-long celebration in September was “Homecoming: Welcome one ...
Two churches share more than a pastor
10/5/2023
Trinity and Spencer Memorial UMCs are two different churches, but they do have some very important things in common. For starters, they’re both faithful United Methodist churches located in Muskogee. ...
Village UMC members provide oft-forgotten but necessary supplies to students
10/5/2023
Village UMC became a community partner to PeriodOKC in March of this year. Last year, the church donated over $2,000 to the organization. This year, the congregation has deepened its relationship with...
Stained glass restoration exposes mystery
9/7/2023
Some mysteries are written to be solved. Edmond First United Methodist has its own mystery. During a season of renewal, its members are on the case. A committee has been formed. Some unofficial groups...
Dates set for Western Oklahoma United Methodist Rendezvous and Revival
8/9/2023
Several pastors and churches in western Oklahoma are joining their efforts to have an event they are calling The Western Oklahoma United Methodist Rendezvous and Revival. All people in western ...
McFarlin UMC in Norman becomes UM historic site number 574
8/9/2023
One of the jewels of Oklahoma church architecture, McFarlin UMC in Norman, has recently been named a United Methodist historic site. The soaring church building, built in 1923 and 1924, by Holmboe ...
Circuit Runners at the OKC Marathon
6/8/2023
On April 30, a team of five runners represented the Lawton Circuit Runners at the Oklahoma City Memorial Marathon in the marathon relay event. Each runner ran a different leg of the 26.2 mile course. ...
Doing good in Kingfisher
5/4/2023
Kingfisher UMC found a new opportunity to reach out to neighbors in novel ways. In May, they put their love of community into action. Through their “Do All the Good You Can” campaign, the congregation...
Easter story service project connects communities
5/4/2023
The Wacky Wednesday program at Checotah First United Methodist Church embarked on a unique service project this spring. On April 5, a group of 19 students and seven adult volunteers visited the ...
Tornado topples two UMC steeples, leaves churches intact
5/4/2023
An EF2 tornado blazed through Shawnee on April 19, killing three and damaging numerous properties. Two properties affected were United Methodist churches - Shawnee Wesley and Shawnee St. Paul’s. The ...
Verdigris UMC Celebrates 100 Years
5/4/2023
Members and friends of Verdigris UMC gathered April 22-23 to celebrate the church’s 100th anniversary. Saturday’s events included a community cookout and a historical showcase highlighting special ...
Making use of church facilities propels community forward
4/5/2023
Members of Barnard Memorial United Methodist Church in Holdenville looked at their huge building, which is only used a few hours on Sundays and a few more on Wednesdays, and began to wonder how they ...
Two conference programs converge for innovative worship experience
4/5/2023
Kate Miller This Lenten season, Verdigris United Methodist Church decided to try something new. Church leadership could see a desire in the young people of their community to find their own space ...
Radical Hospitality in Action
3/8/2023
Oklahoma church hosts another congregation When Liberty Church, an independent congregation in Weatherford, found itself temporarily without a home, Weatherford First United Methodist Church saw a ...
Blended Group Brings Joy to Uvalde
2/7/2023
by Rev. April McPherson Fifteen volunteers from Boston Avenue UMC and Muskogee St. Paul led a midwinter Vacation Bible School January 11-16, in Uvalde, TX. The VIM trip was a brainchild of Shelia ...
A Baby Shower for Mary
1/11/2023
By Becky Aguilar Can you imagine being a young mother-to-be with an unexpected child on the way? Your fiancé is willing to step up and take responsibility for you and the child, whom he did not ...
Christmas on Sunday
12/6/2022
Throughout all time, churches have grappled with how to handle worship when Christmas morning falls on a Sunday. Many families have established traditions and those include visiting far-flung family ...
Finding belonging in new places
12/6/2022
When Roger Parker was part of the transition team for churches wishing to disaffiliate with the UMC, he and the other members of the team realized that most of those congregations had a number of ...
What Comes Around
12/6/2022
Sometimes when things come back around, they have just the right timing. That’s what happened when Rev. Doyle Sharp, pastor at Marlow First United Methodist Church, received a quilt that had been ...
Ministry in a Minute
11/10/2022
Saying Goodbye
11/10/2022
Church Closing Leaves Big Legacy By Rev. Derrek Belase The church I grew up in is closing, and I am responsible for selling it. To be honest, I never thought I would write those words. I am a fourth...
Resources help rural and small churches tell their story
9/14/2022
Rural Life Sunday calls the church to celebrate the rural heritage of The United Methodist Church. In light of celebrating this heritage, the Rural and Small Membership Church Commission has compiled ...
Workshop to focus on rural and small membership ministry
8/17/2022
The Oklahoma Annual Conference will host a rural and smaller membership focused workshop to address how to use the togetherness, experience, and resources a congregation has in order to achieve more ...
Lazarus Community grows from ministry pitch to ministry plant
7/13/2022
By Alanna Ireland A church in Northwest Oklahoma City is finding new life with Christians wanting to live out their faith in their daily lives alongside those recovering from homelessness. The Lazarus...
New ministries focus on alternate funding
7/13/2022
Tulsa-University has established two ministries that focus on alternate methods of funding the mission of the church. Co-pastors Rev. Matt Patrick and Rev. Matt Austin became passionate about ...
Applications open for second Testimony HQ cohort
6/8/2022
Applications opened May 1 for congregations interested in joining the second cohort of Perkins School of Theology’s Testimony HQ grant-funded initiative. Ten churches will be selected for the second ...
El Reno-Wesley celebrates Historic Site Designation
5/10/2022
Amy Neathery, El Reno-Wesley Press Release On Sunday April 24, Wesley United Methodist Church El Reno, Oklahoma celebrated and dedicated its designation as a Historic Site with significance to the ...
Tulsa-Faith recognized for contributions to non-profit
2/7/2022
Tulsa-Faith received an award from CarePortal, a national non-profit that benefits hurting children and their families, for making the most contributions toward the program in Oklahoma. The church ...
Church donates excess offerings to partner congregation
1/10/2022
Like many local churches, the United Methodist church in Lindsay had struggles with church attendance because of the ongoing pandemic. Despite the challenges, the church also had one of its most ...
Church cancels Sunday worship to support members in cross-country relay
10/12/2021
When Rev. Travis Ewton learned that two of his lay members would be participating in the Great American Relay on a Sunday morning, he sent out a message to his congregation: church is cancelled; come ...
New ministry in Tulsa welcomes all to The Table
10/12/2021
One week before the start of Annual Conference, roughly a dozen friends and fellow clergy joined together to celebrate a new multicultural church plant in Tulsa. One day after the end of Annual ...
Lawton pastor honored with South Korean merit award
8/9/2021
Lawton-New Light pastor Rev. Kiyoung Jeong is one of five people chosen to receive the 2021 National Order of Merit Award from South Korea. A representative from the Houston Consulate will travel to ...
Second cohort completes the Academy for Innovative Ministry
5/24/2021
Four ministry leaders in the Oklahoma Conference presented their visions of ministry during the final session of the second Academy for Innovative Ministry. The academy once again invited select ...
Altus Man Draws Pets to Raise Funds for Blessing Boxes
2/8/2021
An Altus man is using his artistic talents to raise money for Blessing Boxes that provide free non-perishable food, hygiene and seasonal items for anyone needing them in Altus. Larry Davis, a retired ...
Church takes steps to be a fully online community
2/8/2021
When the pandemic hit, Dewey UMC was quick to suspend in-person worship. When they came back, they started a drive-in worship service with an FM radio signal and strict safety protocols. But Rev. Jinx...
OKUMC establishes 2021 policy for counting online worship
2/8/2021
The Oklahoma Conference has established a new policy for counting online attendance. The new policy is intended to standardize counting procedures across various platforms and create uniformity in ...