KINGSTON—On Sun., July 21, an Oklahoma Baptist church in the Lake Texoma area met for the first time in their new building. What made this worship service especially unique is the fact that the congregation’s prior church building had been leveled more than two years earlier by a devastating EF-2 tornado.
Kingston, Texoma Southern’s family life center after the tornado hit.
On the evening of March 21, 2022, Kingston, Texoma Southern and the adjacent parsonage took a direct and devastating hit from a tornado. While the property was a total loss, the church continued to meet and has persevered.
As of August, the church has a brand-new property in which to worship, meet and serve. Texoma Southern Pastor Jeff Renard, who followed retired pastor Keith Rogers who was serving at the time of the tornado, has led the congregation.
He said, “Our first worship service in the new building was special. This was the 43rd anniversary with my wife and myself. It was exactly two years and four months from the date of the tornado. During that first service we had three baptisms, the Handbells played a special piece of music, and we celebrated the Lord’s Supper as the Body of Christ. There were 90 members and visitors joining us that Sunday.”
Renard said, “From my arrival on the first Sunday of March ’23, the attitude has been that a tornado cannot keep the church from gathering. Texoma Southern has not missed a single worship service since the tornado, and the Buncombe Creek/Enis communities have continued to reach out by providing places for Sunday School, Youth Group and worship services.”
Kingston, Texoma Southern’s new church building
Johnston-Marshall Association Director of Missions Gary Dempsey, helped encourage the congregation at the time of the tornado, and he is thankful for how the church has endured.
“Texoma Southern’s first Sunday in their new building was a tremendous blessing,” Dempsey said. “They had to bring in extra chairs for the service. They started with three baptisms. And their handbell choir played for worship for the first time since the tornado.”
By God’s grace, Dempsey believes great days are ahead for the church. “This first Sunday in the new building was a great day, full of joy and gratitude to the Lord. The future looks bright,” he said.
At the time of the tornado, Oklahoma Baptist Disaster Relief provided assis- tance and offered help to others impacted in the Kingston/Madill area.
Renard said the church will hold a “Dedication Celebration” on Sept. 21, with special activities for the children, personal tours of the new building and a ribbon cutting ceremony at 10 a.m.
Although the prior building was a total loss at the time of the tornado, a lone wall had been left standing after the tornado that had a sign on it that read, “Jesus is Lord.” The people gathered in the new worship service on Aug. 4 can also attest to that statement. When tragedy strikes, Jesus is still Lord.
