A power pole is toppled by a heavy accumulation of ice at Warner

.

Breakfast is served, top right, by Louene Scarsdale, Earl Williams, and Rev. Connell Ghormley at Tahlequah. Right, children enjoy bunking in the Pryor fellowship hall. Muskogee-First volunteers prepare to clear damaged trees and fencing, lower photo.

Churches offer help, hospitality

United Methodists warmed to ministry after a winter storm iced much of the state in mid-January.

They cranked up generators and opened church buildings to shelter people. They delivered hot food and bottled water. They prayed for utility crews and emergency workers. They put saws and muscle to work clearing splintered trees.

They served in ways well beyond regular church activities, since many of those were cancelled statewide due to the extreme weather. Residents of McAlester and Muskogee Districts especially suffered from extended power outages.

"We heard the sound of generators in every direction when we stepped outside our house," reported McAlester District Superintendent Sandy Wylie.

Muskogee District Superintendent Linda Harker said, "It was heart-warming to see United Methodists do what we do best: Giving and sharing in the name of Christ."

These stories are responses to an e-mail inquiry by the Conference Department of Communications.

• On Jan. 27, a group of 27 volunteers from Antlers-First UMC formed a caravan of a dozen trucks and traveled to McAlester, to help with tree and debris removal, Pastor Robert Duran reported. The group divided into teams and cleared 10 yards by day’s end.

  "The people we helped—some elderly; one sight-impaired woman; a family with the father in Iraq; a couple, both man and woman recovering from major surgeries—couldn’t afford commercial services," Duran said.
   

• Utility power failed Jan. 13 at Fort Gibson. Church members were prepared to "rough it" for a night, they assured Pastor Scott Rodgers and Neal Boatright in phone contacts. They remained resolved a second night at home without power.

  As outages continued into the week, a total of six families in the area found shelter at the church.

  Each family claimed a Sunday school room as its "homestead," even decorating the door, Rodgers said.

  "They brought food from their refrigerators that was going to spoil at home, and they all cooked for each other," Rodgers said. "We got meals from the Red Cross Wednesday afternoon through Friday."
   

• Wagoner UMC served as a Red Cross shelter for six days, reported Pastor Randy Mitchell.

  The church housed 15 to 18 people each night, but its primary service was in food and water distribution. Members prepared between 30 and 40 meals in the church kitchen.

  One ministry highlight occurred when they fed an additional 40 people who were residents of a local retirement center, Mitchell said. When power was restored and residents were allowed to return to the center, the church stepped in and delivered hot meals for their first night home.
   

• Coweta-First opened its Family Life Center to shelter residents.

  "We hosted 20 people (and a couple of dogs). Our church purchased air mattresses and provided food. We worked in conjunction with the local fire, police, and emergency management personnel," said Pastor Allen Carson.

  Families and individuals turned classrooms into sleeping quarters. Some stayed six nights.

  One area resident, in his 80s, had been living in a house without utilities since before Christmas. An emergency team transported him to the church, where he bathed, ate and was extended medical help, Carson said.
   

• Tulsa-Southern Hills held worship on Jan. 14, "but it was no ordinary worship," said Pastor Jeff Jaynes. The previous day, he had cleared half of one parking spot and a narrow path to the front door "after hours of work and a broken snow shovel."

  Jaynes said, "That Sunday morning, I played traffic cop and pointed worshippers to the clear spot where, once they unloaded, I acted as valet and parked their cars. Another member joined me in this valet effort until all cars were parked.

  "Our small gathering worshipped in the church’s parlor to conserve heat and money. It was a Sunday I know I won’t soon forget."
   

• Tulsa-Trinity also held worship Jan. 14. Pastor Karen Clewell said, "We had several folks walk from the neighborhood who said their churches had closed but they still wanted to worship. Folks were so grateful to have a place to worship. We fed most of them after the service.

  "I know this isn’t a big deal for some, but for our little church it was a blessing—so much so, that we’re going to begin a new ministry outreach in the Brookside area of Tulsa."
   

• Ignoring a cold drizzle, a group from Muskogee-First began removing trees and debris at the homes of people they knew to be in distress. The next day, the volunteers regrouped to clear broken limbs and remove trees from church property, then moved on to clear debris outside several other homes.
   

• Ministry at McAlester-Grand Avenue included housing about two-dozen people with special needs, Wylie reported. The church is now housing various volunteer crews involved in debris removal in the area.
   

• Lindsay Pastor Dan Frisby reported that church designated a "Holy Cow" Sunday, with a special offering to help congregations in the Panhandle, inundated with snow. Two generators were donated to Keyes and Boise City churches.
   

• Pastor Ed Light said, "I was amazed at what the weather brought to our worship at Grace in Oklahoma City. One of the few churches open in our area, we had 75 (on Jan. 14). Among those were visitors.

  "Some who felt steady on the ice volunteered to serve as parking valets. People left their cars under the entry cover, and others would park the cars for them. After the service, a group had organized to scrape windows, clearing the freshly fallen ice and sleet. Others shoveled walks and spread ice melt.

  "It was emergent leadership and ministry, hospitality that comes from the heart."
   

• The Free Clinic and Pharmacy remained open Jan. 13 and 20 at OKC-Epworth, although fewer volunteers were available to serve. Pastor Sherron Hughes-Tremper said, "On the first Saturday, even the doctors helped us count pills for the patients. There were about six of us; usually our clinic is run with about 30 volunteers."
   

• OKC-Wesley held worship Jan. 12. "We had 12 in attendance for a ‘sermonette’ in the library," wrote Andrea Strawn, administrative assistant. Bishop Bennie Warner is newly appointed there as interim pastor.
   

• A family needing food called the Foyil church when public school remained closed after three days. Two children in the home regularly ate breakfast and lunch at school. One child had been hospitalized in Tulsa the previous week, and family finances were depleted.

  Due to the parsonage’s location, Pastor Cindy Robertson could access Highway 66, where snowplows had cleared a lane in each direction. She purchased five day’s worth of groceries for the family to pick up at the church.

  Also, a senior at Foyil High School stayed with the parsonage family for three days after icy roads prevented him from returning home after work.
   

• As an official Red Cross shelter, Tahlequah-First housed about 70 people at the height of the need, Pastor Allen Schneider said. People requiring special medical care, including patients with respirators, were cared for on an upper floor of the church’s Activity Building. Private space was provided to clients from a center for victims of abuse.

  Church members served three meals a day for more than a week. Meals, snacks, and unlimited coffee were furnished through donations from Tahlequah-First, area businesses and other churches.
   

• Electricity was off Jan. 14 at Pryor-First, so worshippers "gathered around the gas stove in the church kitchen and sang songs, read Scripture, and shared what we were thankful for," said Pastor Rob Harris. "Just as we were dismissing, the Red Cross called and asked if we would host a shelter. 

  "Our reply was: Of course!"

  One member powered up a generator for the fellowship hall. The Red Cross delivered cots and blankets. A total of 128 people officially checked in to the shelter, which was open four nights.

  "Our members came to serve in whatever capacity they were needed. We turned in 506 volunteer hours to the Red Cross," Harris said. 
   

• "For the first time anyone can remember, church services were canceled at Bethel two weeks in a row because of weather and/or power issues," wrote Pastor Joel Betow.

  "As Bethel is primarily an older congregation, much of the ministry work centered on looking after the Oklahomans in the congregation. About half the congregation lives in neighboring Siloam Springs, Ark., which didn’t lose power. 

  "Folks checked on each other, delivered firewood, supplied portable lighting, removed debris, and ensured those most vulnerable to the cold had food and a source of heat. Several of those with power extended offers to house those without electricity."
   

• Gerald Powley, pastor at Warner, described the intermittent electrical and water service. "On Jan. 21, the water came on at 6 a.m. I rushed to get a shower and headed to church," he said.

  "About 30 minutes before the service, the power went off again. I called people; many wanted to come to church even if there was no power or heat. We had a service of prayer, and many testified how they were blessed by God even through the midst of disaster."
   

• Montie and Galeda Jones serve congregations in Cement and Cyril, where members called one another and residents in the wider community to check their status.

  Montie Jones wrote, "Both congregations were called by membership coordinators on Saturday, the 13th and the 20th, and told: Don’t come to church! Both congregations consist of primarily senior citizens. Not ‘having church’ was a profound act of caring on the part of those two congregations."