Prayer Legacies

Mark Batterson wrote, “Every prayer you pray is part of your legacy. Those prayers don’t die when we do. They outlive us, outlast us. There is no expiration date on prayer.” 

During a phone conversation with Alan & Doris Repko last month, I thought of Batterson's words. 

Alan and Doris were founding members of Christian Chapel along with our Founding Pastor, Jonathan & Janice Wakefield. In 1973, Alan was working as a professor at Oral Roberts University. He and Doris began praying for a new church to be started on the south side of Tulsa near the campus. Through a mutual friend, the Repkos were introduced to the Wakefields, and Christian Chapel was started in February 1974. 

As I talked with Alan & Doris, they told several familiar stories of our founding - stories of extreme faith, supernatural provision, and God’s clear direction. They also told new stories. 

One was about a woman they called the unsung hero of Christian Chapel. According to the Repkos Christian Chapel would not have made it without her faithfulness. She wasn’t a member of the pastoral staff. She was not a wealthy benefactor. She wasn’t a gifted worship leader or a children’s ministry volunteer. She was a former missionary who believed in the power of prayer. 

Her name was Claudia Wakefield. She was Pastor Wakefield’s mother. Claudia prayed for Christian Chapel when we were just an exciting God-given dream. She prayed for us when we launched with four people in an apartment building. She prayed for us as we moved to eight locations in our first five years. She prayed for us to rely on the Holy Spirit, to glorify Jesus, and to be a healthy community of believers. 

Fifty years later, Claudia's prayers are still being answered. Every person who says yes to Jesus at Christian Chapel, every meaningful ministry moment in Chapel Kids or Chapel Youth, every dollar given away through Kingdom Builders, and every relationship that is formed in a HomeGroup, is in some way, another answer to her prayers. Her prayers have outlived her, and her prayers have blessed thousands of people whom she was never privileged to meet. 

My prayer for each of us is that we will ask God to help us pray big, bold prayers that will bear fruit long after we are gone.

Chris Dow

Lead Pastor

Stephen Kuert was born to missionary parents serving in Nairobi, Kenya. As he grew up he discovered a calling to be part of God’s work in East Africa. Stephen’s wife, Bailey, was born in Tulsa, Oklahoma. At seven years old, she had a school assignment to choose any country in the world to study and she chose Kenya. As a result, she became passionate about Kenya. When Bailey gave her life to the Lord at sixteen, she felt a calling to missions. That early passion for Kenya fueled her desire to serve in East Africa. Stephen and Bailey met while Stephen preached at a missions training event at Oral Roberts University where Bailey was helping with the students. Their mutual love for Jesus, missions, and Kenya created connections and the rest is history.

In 2017, the Kuerts launched, Involved International. The Great Commission was the inspiration behind the name. They see Jesus’ command to make disciples as an invitation to be involved in the lives of others. 

Over the last seven years, Involved International has planted 245 churches. The majority of those churches have been planted in the countries of Burundi, Kenya and the Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo. Involved International has also built 35 elementary schools in these countries as well. The schools are located on church properties and they serve as a bridge into the local communities.  

The Kuerts have developed effective partnerships with numerous indigenous church movements primarily in the Assemblies of God in each nation they serve. They are praying for more opportunities to expand in the days to come.

They have seen an incredible harvest in Burundi. This portion of their ministry is near to the heart of Christian Chapel as we have worked with the Kuerts to provide funding for over 60 church construction projects in Burundi. Pastor Chris Dow has traveled to Burundi twice now, in 2022 and he will be there this month as well. During Pastor Chris’ time in Burundi with the Kuerts, he has visited with national church leaders, ministered in churches, and followed up on projects that we as a church have funded. 

Stephen says this about the church planting process, “What is happening in Burundi right now is remarkable. Pastors are releasing people with a call to plant from within their congregation to start the one-year church planting process. This includes church planting training, internships, evaluations, seminars, and planting new churches. This year, our largest class, 47 people have graduated from our church planting school and they will soon be released to plant churches all over Burundi”. 

Stephen and Bailey send their gratitude to our church family for standing with Involved International to make healthy church planting in Burundi a reality.