Christ Presbyterian Church In Tulsa Reopens After Fire Damaged Sanctuary

A Tulsa church is back open after a fire destroyed its sanctuary in 2021.

That fire tore through the sanctuary in Christ Presbyterian Church a little more than a year ago but on Sunday, church members were excited and thankful to worship in a new space.

Pastor Jeremy Fair says it was an electrical fire that caused the damage to the building. It forced the congregation to worship in other spaces like the parking lot and eventually a smaller area of the church that was repaired.

"We were out of this building for about six weeks while they were doing some cleaning and demolition work and it was great weather, so we met out in the parking lot for I think about a month, month in a half. Then we were able to come back here but we had to meet in the fellowship hall where you enter," Fair said.

Fair says the church had plans to remodel the entire building a couple of years before the fire. Church leaders decided to go forward with a complete remodel of the building.

"It’s not just this sanctuary space that was primarily damaged but our education space on the east hallway, the kids wing over here, and the restrooms in the fellowship hall. So, it’s really a complete building remodel," Fair said.

Matt Whitman, a member of the chuch, said it was nice to see how everyone came together during that time.

"There's a lot of people in the community that volunteered their spaces and their places and it was just an amazing thing to see, but we're thrilled to be back here," Whitman said.

It's been about a year and a half since the church has been able to function normally.

"Our people have been incredibly kind and patient and patient and gracious they’ve understood that we would like to have the full use of our facilities, but it just hasn’t been possible, so they’ve been very accommodating," Fair said.

Folks were welcomed inside the new sanctuary today during a ceremony before the start of service.

Fair says he hopes the renovations will help the church serve the community for generations to come.