TULSA -- A historic church closed doors to merge with another in south Tulsa, and now members of a church that burned down are filling the empty building.
It doesn't look very bad on the outside, but with a bird's-eye view the Memorial Drive Church of Christ is a mess.
"For them to lose the entire space inside their building, I mean you couldn’t use any of it," said Reverend Evan Taylor, Associate Minister at Forest Park Christian Church.
The church went up in flames in July. Reverend Taylor has an idea what they're going through after a tornado ripped through East Side Christian Church about four years.
"The amount of love and support that came for the neighborhood and the other churches in town was just amazing," said Reverend Taylor.
He decided to pay it forward. East Side Christian Church closed doors at the historic building near 15th and Harvard in the spring because of a decline in attendance paired with high payments. They merged with a church in south Tulsa.
"Our building’s empty, it’s for sale, and I thought, might as well get some use out of it while we’re still waiting on a buyer," said Reverend Taylor.
Memorial Drive Church of Christ members happily took their offer. In a statement to Two Works For You, Minister Tim Rush says they are extremely grateful for being offered a place to land before the smoke even cleared.
"Their group is just amazing, humble, just so nice, and caring, so appreciative of this offer," said Reverend Taylor.
The church with a large sign reads 'a place to start life over' and the members are doing just that at East Side Christ Church.
"We’re just trying to be a good neighbor and do what Jesus would have done and be a Good Samaritan and say hey, come on over," said Reverend Evan Taylor.
Members will hold services in the East Side Christian Church on a month to month basis, but will have to revisit a plan if a buyer makes an offer on the building.
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