Bell tower damage puts Beggs church and food pantry at risk

A nearly century-old church in Beggs is raising money to keep its doors open after church leaders say heavy rain caused serious damage. It’s also the town’s only food pantry and community closet.

The Beggs First United Methodist Church first opened in 1931. Church leaders say they should be looking ahead to their centennial anniversary, but instead, they’re worried about making it to that milestone at all.

Pastor Michael Enright says years of wear and tear on the bell tower’s roof have opened cracks, and this spring’s heavy rains sent water pouring inside.

"We're at risk for losing that if we continue to get water down there," he said.

Now, parts of the floor under the tower are starting to sag, something engineers say could collapse entirely in just a year or two.

"The water is coming in there. It's getting into the basement, where we have our community needs closet. Some of the clothing has gotten wet and it had, has to be discarded. We do have issues with mildew; our food pantry is in the basement as well," said Enright.

Enright says the fix will cost $130,000 — a lot for a small congregation of 30 members.

The church’s food pantry serves about 35 families a month. And if they can’t keep the doors open, those services would be lost.

"The first month that we were open, someone asked if we would take food donations… and it just grew from there," said Director Angie Large.

She says they opened the pantry last year, and they now work with the Food Bank of Eastern Oklahoma to get food at little or no cost.

The pantry also provides clothes and emergency help to families in need. But all of that could be in jeopardy. Pastor Enright says the church is struggling to raise enough money to keep the doors open and the pantry running.

"You're not only helping preserve a historic building that's been here for almost 100 years that means a lot to the community. You're going to be helping feed people in the community and just be part of bringing everybody together," said Large.

You can donate to the church's GoFundMe here.