130-year-old Oklahoma church burns down
'When you walked inside, it was different. It was full of love,' said Deacon Terry Hunter.
Hunter serves at Rainy Mountain Kiowa Indian Baptist Church, founded in 1893.
The church burned down after the winds from March 14 blew down a powerline which sparked a fire.
'The line just kept hitting the church. It burned it down,' said Hunter.
The church is now a heap of ash with a metal baptismal at the end of it. That and a decades-old church bell are some of the last things standing after the fire.
Pastor, disaster relief organization tour Logan County wildfire damage
'The bell we've had for a while. It was here with the first church, which was a red brick building,' said Hunter.
Hunter said the church has burned before and it had to be rebuilt in the 1940s after a lightning strike set it ablaze.
'Once again, we are going to have to rebuild,' said Hunter.
The church is not only for services but it's for the Kiowa community. Hunter said that for years people have come from all around. Generations of family members have gone to this church.
'I still have people from all around the nation asking how they can help,' said Hunter.
In the rubble, burned pages from the Bible are found along with charred hymnals.
They had service just two days after the building burned down and it was held on the property just next door.
'That's kind of the message we had as a congregation, that we're moving forward,' said Hunter. 'That we will have a new beginning.'
Saturday is when he said the tribe would come and help flatten the property so that it could eventually be rebuilt.
But it's going to cost a lot of money and labor. Hunter said they have a GoFundMe set up and that anything they get will go towards a new church.
The GoFundMe reads, ' people have 'grown up' at Rainy Mountain. While the church is a spiritual home for many Kiowa Christians, it is also a gathering place for Kiowas from all denominations, spiritual teachings, and many who hold traditional ties to the land and Kiowa ways of life. While its history and impact cannot be summarized in such few words– it was (is) one of the true heartbeats of the Kiowa people. From birthdays to Kiowa hymn singings, to the iconic Christmas, Easter, and Halloween celebrations, and of course the annual Indian Taco Sale, we know that though our hearts are aching, Creator, Daw-Kee (our God) will make a way for us to rebuild as a congregation and Kiowa people once again.'
'It's a church that's filled with tradition and culture. That's why it means so much to so many around here,' said Hunter.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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