WEATHERFORD—On Nov.1, 2022, Pastor Skylar Spradlin of Weatherford, Trinity was working inside the church alongside Worship Pastor Larry Jones. It was just another ordinary day for the two, until Spradlin saw a flicker of fire in the ceiling above the sanctuary.
“We were working, and I’m glad because if Jones hadn’t been there, I would not have known anything had happened from my office until it was dangerous,” Spradlin said.
Spradlin grabbed a fire extinguisher, but by the time he returned to the sanctuary the fire had already spread. Jones and Spradlin exited the building and called 911. Firefighters tried to contain the blaze, but it had already spread too far, and the building was a total loss.
Despite the daunting challenges and uncertainty ahead of Weatherford, Trinity, Spradlin knew God would be with them.
“By God’s grace, faith kicked in,” he said. “There was a sense of, ‘okay, everything’s going to be okay. God is in control. God has got this.’”
Spradlin said that the moments after were a mixture of comfort from God and practical thinking of how they were going to proceed. The next day after the fire, Oklahoma Baptists Executive Director-Treasurer, Todd Fisher, presented Weatherford, Trinity with a $5,000 check from Oklahoma Baptist Disaster Relief to help defray costs associated with the fire. Additionally, a retiring pastor offered Spradlin his entire pastoral library since Spradlin’s was lost in the fire.
“While the fire was of monumental importance to our emotional, physical and spiritual outlook, it is not what has left the biggest impact—at least not on this pastor,” Spradlin said in an open letter of gratitude. “Instead, it has been the kindness of God’s people poured over us in the days since that has made the deepest mark.”
Through various donors and insurance claims, Weatherford, Trinity was able to secure more than $3 million for the rebuilding project. Some who made donations included past students and congregation members who have gone into the mission field and wanted to thank Weatherford, Trinity for the impact the church had in their life.
On Sunday, July 19, the new Weatherford, Trinity church building held its first service. Constructed on the same plot of land as the old building, the new building has a modern design both inside and out. The furnishing within was acquired from donors as well as salvaging pieces from the old building. Three items to note are framed Bible pages with burnt edges.
Weatherford, Trinity does public reading of scripture from a Bible that they keep on the pulpit. When the fire spread to the sanctuary, the pulpit and Bible were some of the only items to survive. Both were damaged by the fire, but the pages within the Bible were still legible. At the first service in the new building, the scripture read was from one of those pages.
“It’s just a testament that, in a lot of ways, God’s Word endures,” Spradlin said. “He’s seen us through to where we are today.”
With the completion of the new building, Spradlin doesn’t see an end to a project, but the beginning of a new chapter for Trinity. Inspired by the generous donations that made the construction possible, Spradlin is hoping to create a fund to assist churches in need. He hopes to reach the Weatherford community and beyond.
“The purpose isn’t just to have a nice building, but to do the work of Christ,” he said. “We’ve been given this building; it’s paid for by God because He still has a purpose for us. I think that has helped us see that this isn’t the end. It’s the beginning of a new season.”
For churches who are going through similar circumstances, whether it be fire or storm damage, Spradlin encourages them to remain faithful to the Lord. Lots of churches throughout history didn’t have a building to meet at, yet they remained faithful.
“Don’t sit around and think, ‘We’re going to do great things when we have a building,” Spradlin said. “You can do those great things now. Focus on continuing to be faithful.”
The church building doesn’t constitute the Church. The Church is the congregation of people around the world who gather to worship and honor Christ through their actions.
