People on Sundays
Julie Keesee holds Jeremiah Payne as they worship at Word Church All Nations during services at a hotel in Oklahoma City on Sunday, April 19, 2009. Photo by John Clanton, The Oklahoman
Outside a drab hotel in northwest Oklahoma City, hangs a yellow sign advertising a church. A laminated, paper sign is velcroed to their designated room on the second floor when church is in session. But Adam Payne, a member of the church who also leads the Thursday night group, reminds me, “It’s not about the building. It’s about the people you’re supposed to be with and what God has for you.”
A few Sundays ago, only 10 people gathered at the hotel room, but the services are beamed worldwide through podcasts and the group’s internet site. According to Payne, there are 50-75 people who rotate in and out of services, some attend other, bigger churches in addition to the smaller group. Before church begins, food is set out on a table in the kitchenette, coffee is brewed and members of the church sing happy birthday to one of the children. “It’s like a home church,” says Payne. “We all participate. You don’t always get that experience in a larger setting.”
Word Church All Nations meets at a hotel in Oklahoma City Photo by John Clanton, The Oklahoman
-John Clanton
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