Christmas Eve Fire Destroys Okla. Church
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Dec. 25-- Members of Cornerstone Free Will Baptist Church found reason to smile after a fire destroyed their church's main building Christmas Eve.
The fire, which may have been sparked by a heater or electrical malfunction, gutted the building at 4928 E. Latimer St. about 10:15 a.m., firefighters said. The sanctuary, a new library and several classrooms inside the building were lost, but members said they were just thankful that no one was hurt.
"The building is a material thing, and material things can be replaced," said Shawn Rogers, who teaches Sunday school classes at the church.
Hours after the fire, members set up folding chairs in the church's adjacent Family Life Center and said they planned to hold Christmas services there as scheduled Sunday.
Laughing and smiling as they worked, they said the ordeal has allowed them to show their resiliency.
"When you're going through adversity is when you figure out what you're made of," Pastor Ben Langley said. "We have some of the best people in the world, and their spirit of resiliency has really encouraged me."
Neighbors and church members began arriving soon after the building caught fire, witnesses said. Members quickly pulled small items from the rubble, and firefighters carried a wooden cross and other items to safety, according to the witnesses.
Langley said he was shocked when he drove up and saw the flames. The feeling changed when he saw the congregation's high spirits.
"You come up and see that fire and there's all kinds of emotion, obviously," he said.
"We've got peace about what's going on. I haven't heard anything negative. Everybody's been so positive."
Langley dismissed the idea that the fire would darken Christmas for the congregation. In fact, he expected an unusually large crowd for the 10:45 a.m. Christmas service because of the attention brought by the fire.
"We're not going to have a depressing Christmas," he said. "This is going to be our best Christmas ever."
Rogers said the church's 250 members had outgrown the structure and leaders may consider moving to a larger property instead of rebuilding. But the fire destroyed many items of sentimental value that cannot be replaced, he said.
"This building has been a cornerstone of this community since the '50s," he said. "A lot of memories in this building."
The library, which occupied a room inside the building, was just finished last month, he added.
Fire Department spokesman Stan May said investigators were still determining the cause of the fire Saturday afternoon, but they have ruled out arson.
They believe it began in the attic or a back corner, he said.
Zack Stoycoff 918-581-8486