A church in Muskogee, Oklahoma suffered a devastating fire in June 2019 and the pastor is ready to get back to meeting in the sanctuary after meeting in his home for 2 years.
Pastor Chester Thomas, the pastor of The Rose of Sharon in Muskogee Ok.was awaken in the middle of the night to the devastating news that his church was on fire. without hesitation, the pastor visited the sanctuary only to find that it had been damaged and needs repairs.
Pastor Thomas started a Go Fund Me fundraiser on December 15, 2019, to collect the necessary money that it will take to get worshippers back into the sanctuary. He provided a statement, that he posted to the fundraiser page.
"Hello, my name is Chester Thomas. I'm The Paster of The Rose Of Sharon Church. Muskogee, Ok. 74403," Pastor Thomas wrote. "In June 2019 Our Church had a fire and we have such a small origination of about 12 devoted Christians and a few walk ins and homeless and lost and hungry that we help but now we have Church at our house. It's a big house but some people rather be in a church with pews to sit on and worship. I NEED HELP. our church group mostly consists of people who are elderly and on SSI. Funds barely pay the electric bills. All money received will rebuild our CHURCH. So we can HELP the hungry and lost as we did before the fire. I owned this church for about 28 years now. I really would prefer to have it rebuilt. Since the fire the firemen had to bust in the roof and soak it down now we have mold and mildew. Carpet needs replaced and walls and roofs and floors. God bless all who can help. Nothing is too big or too small. All donations are 501 c3 ..tax-deductible. Thank all of you."
Pastor Thomas was a rebellious teen and remained rebellious through his young adult years. However, he realized later that God was calling him to be a pastor. After years of running, the pastor finally submitted to God's will and started his studies.
"A man can't run from God," Thomas said in an exclusive interview with The Sentry Bugle. "And the devil can't stand in the way of God's will either. When he calls you, eventually you will have to answer."
"The bills still have to be paid," Thomas said. Many of his members are on SSI and can only afford to pay small amounts in tithes. Thomas highlighted that he would like to get enough money saved to where he won't have to rely on tithes to pay the bills.
that said, If you would like to assist the pastor in getting his church refurbished, you can do so by donating any amount to the church's Go Fund Me page.
"Nothing is too big or too small. All donations are 501 c3 ..tax-deductible," the pastor added in conclusion."We are still growing strong with The Lord Jesus Christ. Please join in with us. God bless all."
