On the evening of June 15th, severe storms produced high winds and hail, measuring up to 4 inches in diameter and directly impacting the Korean Presbyterian Church of Lawton, Oklahoma.
The Rev. Jungsuk Seo shares the following account of the aftermath of this storm, the destruction to the church and the congregations’ efforts to recover and care for one another:
On June 15, 2023, the Korean Presbyterian Church of Lawton suffered from sudden hailstorm damage. In the Main Sanctuary, the ceiling windows were broken or cracked, and there was water damage to the floor. In the Small Chapel, all the windows on the North wall were broken, the blinds were torn, and the carpet was full of glass shards. All the vehicles parked in the Church parking lot were damaged, as well as the homes of the Members of the Church. Fortunately, no Church Members were hurt, so for this I was grateful.
Although I was taken aback by the sudden hailstorm, I was grateful to see everyone work together to overcome the difficulties that the Church was faced with. We lost power to the Church during the storm, making things more onerous. But Members of the Church still remained and worked to remove water from the Main Sanctuary floor. And other members worked to barricade the broken windows with wooden boards, very late into the night. All this hard work was done for the safety of the Church. Everyone showed deep concern for the Church, and I was very grateful to see them work so hard together.
After hearing about the condition of the Church, a few worshippers outside of the Church sent small offerings for comfort and encouragement. Currently, we have filed an insurance claim. The adjuster has already inspected the church-building, and we are currently awaiting a response from the insurance company. In addition to the damages to the Church, our Church van was also heavily damaged. We are also waiting to hear from the insurance company for these damages. And for the restoration of the Church, we have requested a grant from Presbyterian Disaster Assistance and the Synod of the Sun.
God seems to love our Church. I know this because I could see and feel the hearts of the Members opening toward the Lord's Church. Even though they suffer from a disaster and there is still so much to rebuild and restore, our Church is not alone. It is more powerful because there are presbyteries, synods, and the denomination standing by our side. After learning about the disaster that beset our church, they were saddened, and sent help, and hoped that the Church would recover well. Thank you so much for that process. I have yet to receive support, but I believe that God will work for this Church.
Also, I believe our Church will become more united through this work, and that we will become a community that is more thankful during hardships, while taking care of each other's pain and difficulties. I hope that the detailed works of God will be evidenced in the images of the Church and its Members, who are in the midst of hardship and difficulty.
Rev. Jungsuk Seo
Pastor, Korean Presbyterian Church of Lawton, OK
Updates: Presbyterian Disaster Assistance has approved a $5,000 Church Damage Grant requested by Indian Nations Presbytery in support of KPC, Lawton. The Synod of the Sun’s Grants & Scholarships Committee also approved a $5,000 grant to support KPC’s recovery.
If you or your congregation would like to send funds to support the church’s continued recovery, please send funds to:
Korean Presbyterian Church of Lawton
920 NW 38th St.
Lawton, OK 73505
Designate funds: Storm Recovery
Before his call to KPC of Lawton, Rev. Seo served in ministry in Louisiana, was ordinated in the Presbytery of Long Island in New York and studied theology in the New York and Boston areas.
The 12 Steps to Church Disaster Preparedness Guide is now available in Korean: https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/ewkfhwkqqmw75kd54j2n7/Korean-12-Steps-to-Church-Disaster-Preparedness.pdf?dl=0&rlkey=4lcbgjhgs32cy0i6z8qptuoxe
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