From Lakeside to a Beautiful Church

OKLAHOMA CITY – It was 2020 and a group of brethren had just decided to start a new church group in Oklahoma City when COVID-19 began to take its toll. Despite this, a group of church members forged ahead and gathered for worship services by the lakeside of Lake Hefner.

Every Sabbath, under a tree on the east side of the lake, the group came together to worship God and pray while seeking for a more permanent location to gather. By the end of the pandemic, another church opened its doors to them by renting out the kitchen of its building. As the months passed, the group grew larger and found their current meeting place increasingly uncomfortable. They celebrated their transition from a group to a company at the end of their second year.

Under the leadership of Rodolfo Prieto, the members worked by faith to obtain the funds to buy their own church. After much searching, they found a beautiful building that met their needs in terms of size and location. However, the cost was too high for their financial means.

Vigils and fasts were held, asking for God’s help, and the members committed to a project to raise funds. After a few months of negotiation, they agreed on a price, and the conference administration offered to help them secure a loan to purchase the church building.

On April 20, they celebrated a double event: the grand opening of the new church building and their transition from company to church, thanks to their growth in membership, stewardship and leadership.

We rejoice in the Lord and celebrate that in these four years, this group has gone from meeting under a tree to owning one of the most beautiful Hispanic churches in Oklahoma City.

The commitment now is to serve the Hispanic community and reach as many people in the neighborhood as possible with the Gospel of salvation. We hope that the next move will be to gather on the shore of the sea of glass in the New Jerusalem.

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By Luis Prieto

Hispanic Coordinator

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