Disaster response update:<br> Tornado tears away Spavinaw steeple

A stormy night on Wednesday, April 17, resulted in tornado damage to 33 homes and the United Methodist Church in Spavinaw, Okla., which lost its steeple.

That night, the church sheltered about 30 people in the town northeast of Tulsa. Despite the damage, the church then also served as a staging area for the Red Cross and a feeding station. In her first clergy appointment, Lora Stiles is pastor there and at Salina.

Among the homes impacted, at least eight were destroyed and more than a dozen had major damage, according to initial Red Cross assessment.

You and your church may give funds through the Oklahoma Conference Treasurer’s Office to help the Spavinaw residents impacted by the storm. Designate donations to Spavinaw Tornado Fund.

OTHER RELIEF
The denomination also is directing funding help to people affected by other crises last week, including the industrial explosion in West, Texas. Make a donation online to U.S. Disaster Response through UMCOR, the United Methodist Committee on Relief. Click the button at www.umcor.org (Advance No. 901670). Another UMCOR resource is Text-to-Give, using your smartphone. Text the program code RESPONSE to 80888 to make an immediate $10 donation to that cause.

MORE INFORMATION

Contact the Conference’s Disaster Response ministry, Rnorman@okumc.org, 405-530-2032.