The Broken Heart Ministries Church located at 1029 South 12th Street in the Dixie Hill district in Ponca City has been through various phases of remodel since the summer of 2020. The church is one of six churches in Ponca City on the National Registry of Historical Places. The stone church building was started in 1940’s by church members and Pastor Dr. S.E. Kimbrough.

Pastor Floyd Coburn pastored at this church from 1994-1996. The church closed in 1997 due to a reduced number of members. Pastor Coburn purchased the church in 2001, at which time it was called Martin Temple C.M.E. He changed the name to Broken Heart Ministries. Coburn’s grandfather, Alfred Coburn, preached at the C.M.E Church, and the Coburn family has a lot of history with there.

Pastor Roderick Lewis began coordinating the clean-up and restoration the summer of 2020. The flooring, wall, and roof was a major problem from the beginning. The local community was excited to be involved and looked forward to seeing the building in use again. The plan is for the church to serve as a location to help those who struggle with addiction through the Celebrate Recovery Program.

Throughout the steps of cleanup there was help from the local Grace Episcopal Church of Ponca City, Rikki’s Market held a Community Outreach Fundraiser to help with funding for the roof, along with additional efforts from other church volunteers in the area.

The church structure was coming along. Wright Masonry repaired the north wall. However, due to all the rain this past spring they’ve had a setback. The roof gable collapsed which caused the repaired wall to fall inside the church structure.

This summer, clean-up commenced again to make the location safe to work and start again. The community is still excited and encouraged. They are requesting donations for materials and skilled volunteers such as carpenters, electricians, plumbers, and masonry workers. Pastor Lewis is sending a letter to local churches to request help. They are requesting prayers to fulfill God’s plan and reach as many as they can with the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Broken Heart Ministries set up a GoFundMe account for donations at gofund.me/bf47d490. As well as Cash App, you can also mail any donations. Make checks/ money orders out to: Broken Heart Ministries, 11024 Bel Air Place Oklahoma City, Oklahoma 73120. Pastor Roderick Lewis may be reached at 405-306-8957.