SHAWNEE—For more than six decades, Raley Chapel has stood as the heart of Oklahoma Baptist University—a landmark of faith, education and community. Since its dedication in 1961, generations of students have gathered on Bison Hill beneath its spire to worship, pray and discern God’s call on their lives.

From weekly chapel services to Super Summer camps and campus revivals, Raley Chapel has hosted countless moments of transformation. Just weeks before the April 2023 tornado, students and guests filled Potter Auditorium during Focus Week, where dozens committed to follow Christ. The revival that began there rippled across Bison Hill, strengthening a community soon to be tested.

On April 19, 2023, an EF2 tornado tore through the OBU campus, leaving behind the most severe destruction in the university’s 113-year history. The storm’s 135-mph winds peeled back the roof of Raley Chapel, shattered its tower windows and scattered debris through the auditorium. Water soaked the floors and walls, destroying every seat and fixture. Restoration crews were forced to remove the interior entirely before repairs could begin.

While the physical damage was devastating, the emotional loss cut even deeper. For alumni, pastors and missionaries who trace their callings to that sacred space, Raley Chapel represents far more than brick and mortar—it is a symbol of spiritual awakening and purpose.

“Raley Chapel has been the worksite for life change for more than sixty years,” said OBU President Heath A. Thomas. “It’s where countless students have heard God’s call to ministry, missions and service. We believe God still desires that Raley Chapel remain a place where students can encounter Him and be shaped for His purpose.”

Thomas added, “On the steps of Welcome Week, our incoming freshmen become Bison, and then at graduation, we send them out to fulfill the Master Plan purpose God has for their life that OBU has equipped them for. Raley is where their journey begins and where we commission them to live all of life, all
for Jesus.”
In June 2025, Alton Fannin, senior pastor of First Baptist Church of Ardmore, met with Thomas to discuss “his heart for Raley Chapel.” Thomas shared that the tornado had severely damaged the building.
What Fannin heard that day is something he wants others to understand.

“His desire is not only to restore Raley to usability but to move it to an up-to-date facility that can serve students for decades to come,” Fannin said. “He honestly shared that the insurance money alone could never accomplish this. He laid out a hope and prayer that the churches of Oklahoma Baptists would pick up this ball and run with it. I immediately said that FBC of Ardmore would be a part of that effort and that we would try to be a pace-setting church that others could follow.”

Fannin said the effort reflects the church’s strong support for OBU and its mission. Many members and staff are OBU alumni, and Fannin had nearly a decade of service on the university’s board. Since August, the church and its congregation have given close
to $230,000.

“It is my conviction that OBU is OUR, ‘Oklahoma Baptists’ University,” Fannin said. “Paul writes to Timothy in I Timothy 5:8, ‘But if anyone does not provide for his own, and especially for those of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.’ ‘Our own’ is a good concept for the things we do together as Oklahoma Baptists. They are ours collectively. That means we rejoice together in successes and share together in needs.”

He emphasized that Raley Chapel is “the spiritual heartbeat of OBU” and vital to ministries such as Super Summer, which has been affected by its closure.

“Raley Chapel must not just be rebuilt,” Fannin said. “It must be restored and renewed to serve students for the next 50 years.”

Donations toward the Raley Chapel restoration can be made through the Shape the Future campaign,
okbu.edu/giving/shape-the-future.