Recognition Given for 40 Years of Volunteering

Forty years of building churches, parsonages and fellowship halls came to an end this past July for the Oklahoma- Indiana Work teams.

A celebration of this historic event was held July 29th at the Northeast Regional Center at Preston, Oklahoma. Members of the project that worked at Christ U.M.C. and the Northeast Center were present for the occasion, including the team leaders from the last three projects.

"We had about 50 OIMC clergy and lay members who signed up to attend, but we had well over 100 persons from OIMC in attendance, " said Rev. David Wilson, Conference Supertendent. Churches that were the beneficiary of the Indiana work teams were invited to attend the celebration Wilson said only a handfull of those churches that received the Indiana teams did not attend the event.

"We thought this celebration would be appropriate considering the time and effort that this group has given to OIMC for the past 40 years," Wilson said. "Indiana has made its mark across OIMC because of their efforts to help OIMC churches with this ministry."

The group was presented with hand-made baskets by Northern District Superintendent Rev. Margaret Battiest and was also presented with a print depicting the first Cherokee pastor in Indian Territory along with a plaque.

"The group has gotten smaller and older, but we wanted to do one last project," said Mary Price, team leader who has been coming since 1992.

The 2007 project consisted of installing sidewalks, a driveway and guttering for Christ UMC at Claremore, in addiiton to constructing a picnic pavilion at the Northeast Center at Preston. In 2006, the group completed the construction of the parsonage at Christ UMC.

The Indiana-Oklahoma Work project began in 1968 with the construction of an education building at Sullivan Chapel in Topeka, Kansas. The group raised money in Indiana to purchase the materials for each of the projects.

For most of the 40 years the project team has been coming to Oklahoma, the group averaged about 60 to 80 people. That number of people enabled them to build an entire church, fellowship hall or parsonage in two weeks. Among them were electricians, plumbers and other skilled workers.

The evening ended as the group formed a circle for the traditional Creek Indian farewell handshake. Churches who have benefitted from these work teams include: Sullivan Chapel; Stilwell Mission; Ponca Mission; Pettit Chapel, Jay Tsa-La- Gi; William-Anderson; Thlopthlocco; Albert Horse; Murray Memorial; Sulphur Springs; Billy Hooton; Kaney Chapel; Yeager Mission; Yasho; Talihina Mission; Seminole Hitchitee; Pickett Chapel; Nagawee; Bokchito; Big Cussettah; Seeley Chapel; Salt Creek, Mutteloke; Mt. Scott Comanche; Broken Arrow; Grant Chapel; Christ UMC; Northeast District Center, women's building, Long MYF chapel, fellowship hall and shelter; Southwest District Center, women's building.