Davis Chapel United Methodist Church near Coweta, Oklahoma (destroyed in 1994 by arsonists), has been awarded a grant of $40,000 from the National Council of Churches to aid in its rebuilding efforts. The Grants Committee of the Church Rebuilding Project of the National Council made the announcement last December (1997) and will enable the church to purchase the needed materials for the church.
Davis Chapel is on the list to receive work teams beginning this summer to rebuild the church across the highway from the former site.
The church members are currently meeting in a small fellowship hall behind the place where the old church once stood. One of the oldest churches in Coweta, the church fell prey to arsonists in October, 1994. The church was totally destroyed, and upon the visit of the state fire marshall, it was declared to have been arson.
Since the fire, the members have faithfully kept the church open with the hope that the church would be rebuilt. The church also received approximately $39,000 in insurance money, which will also aid in the rebuilding.
Their current pastor, the Rev. Bernadine Dowdy, said the members of the church are excited and looking forward to the construction of the new facility, which will be larger than the previous one.
In the last several years, Davis has grown from a membership of eight to a current membership of 25. Their share of local pastor's support has increased as well as their giving to general church and Oklahoma Indian Missionary Conference (OIMC) apportionments.
The Oklahoma Annual Conference has taken on the project of assigning work teams to rebuild Davis Chapel. Each year, in consultation with OIMC, the Volunteers-In-Mission program of that conference works with several OIMC churches to renovate and rebuild sanctuaries, fellowship halls and parsonages.
One of the first teams will arrive in June to being work on the project. The materials alone are expected to cost approximately $110,000. In addition to the insurance money and the money from the National Council, church members have been busy raising additional funds.
The new facility will have a sanctuary, several classrooms and extended parking. The new church will be built on land given to the church by one of the church members. The new facility is projected to take several months to complete, with the majority of the work consisting of volunteer labor.
Davis Chapel has a long history in the Coweta area. The church derived its name from the Rev. Hilly Davis, a full-blood Creek minister. In 1905, Rev. Davis opened the doors of his home and held church services during the winter months. Summer services were held under a brush arbor he built. Services were later held in a log cabin on the homestead east of the present site.
The Rev. Davis donated two acres of his allotted land for the purpose of building a church. In 1910, he built the church and a camp house at the present location at his own expense. Rev. Davis preached for 26 years. All of his sermons, songs and prayers were in Creek. After his death, the work of the church was carried on by Mrs. Davis and her daughter and son-in-law.
Today the work of Davis Chapel is carried on by the descendants of former members who are now deceased.
From ADVOCATE
Oklahoma Indian Missionary Conference
February 1998
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