Timothy Baptist hosts hundreds for fireworks, food

Jul. 5—Timothy Baptist Church's parking lot proved to be the perfect place for Casey Mills and her family to enjoy food and fireworks during the church's Independence Day celebration Monday night.

"It's just the right temperature here for the kids and everyone out here to enjoy themselves," Mills said.

Heavy rain earlier Monday afternoon, nearly prompted the church to cancel the celebration — their first after a four-year absence.

Timothy Baptist Pastor Kelly Payne said the event drew a large crowd.

"I was not sure with the rain," he said. "But, man, the weather's great and people just flocked out. The line has not stopped since we started serving, and we still have plenty of food."

Church volunteers kept serving hot dogs, hamburgers, macaroni and cheese, chips and water until shortly before the fireworks went off a little before 10 p.m.

Danny Parson helped grill hamburgers and hot dogs on a smoker while hundreds of visitors waited to be served.

"I believe we had 2,000 burgers and 1,500 hot dogs, and we're probably about halfway through them," he said. "And we still have a long way to go here."

Parson said he had helped with the celebration since it started. The Independence celebration had been a major attraction for the western Muskogee church for 13 years until it was canceled in 2019.

"We're glad to be back," Parson said. "We want to serve the community. We want to share Christ's love with them. We want to allow people to have a good time and come out and have fellowship."

Free snow cones were handed out at one booth. Another offered free face painting.

Another booth offered free prayer.

"Generally, I have gone out to several people and asked if they needed prayer," said Wendell Milne. "A crowd this size, there's a lot of sickness that goes around, people are in the hospital. But mostly, we just ask if we can pray a blessing over them. That's what I've done quite a bit today is ask if they want a prayer of blessing.

Reversing Radio provided music into the night leading up to the church's fireworks display.

Before the church fireworks, several visitors oohed and marveled at fireworks being shot from a nearby house across Okmulgee Avenue from the church.

Mills said her daughters had different reasons to come to the celebration.

"This is her first year to actually enjoy them," Mills said about 1-year-old Abygail Ramirez.

"And she just wanted to come for the food," Mills said about Serinity Mills, 4.

However, when the large fireworks went off behind the large Timothy sanctuary, Serinity stopped eating her hot dog to watch. She said she liked the ones that "go boom real big."