COVID-19 has claimed another United Methodist, an Oklahoma City pastor whose life and service intersected with a wider tragedy.
The Rev. Nick Harris, 81, former longtime pastor of First United Methodist Church of Oklahoma City, died Nov. 23 from COVID-19, reported The Oklahoman on Dec. 3.
Nick Harris
Rev. Nick Harris preaches at Ariel Chapel in Ponca City, Okla. (Photo Courtesy of Ariel Chapel's Facebook Page)
I interviewed Rev. Harris three days after the bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City. I will never forget his description of how the force of the April 19, 1995 bombing shifted the roof of First UMC’s sanctuary, and how he and his staff escaped injury.
On a subsequent visit one year after the bombing, Rev. Harris pointed out a corner of First Church’s parking lot, where a small prayer space had been installed in honor of Oklahoma City Muslims who contributed to disaster relief and recovery despite being initially targeted as bombing suspects. The space eventually became Heartland Chapel, dedicated to all faiths as a symbol of reconciliation for all of Oklahoma City.
Rev. Harris became well known at home and beyond for the grace and dignity with which he led First UMC’s congregation through the bombing aftermath and the rebuilding of its campus. He was credited with reviving downtown First Church when he became its pastor in 1982, and the church’s presence in downtown Oklahoma City served as a spiritual anchor. The church had already established weekday ministries, such as a lunch-hour Bible study for downtown workers, when the bombing occurred.
While supervising the complexities of his congregation’s displacement and the rebuilding of First UMC, Rev. Harrris also was one of the driving forces behind the development of the memorial to bombing victims erected across the street from First UMC. He retired in 2003 and moved to Ponca City, Okla., where he and his wife Chris founded a nondenominational ministry, Ariel Chapel, where he served as pastor until his death.
The Oklahoman quoted Mrs. Harris saying that both she and her husband contracted COVID-19, but that the virus took a greater toll on him and he had to be hospitalized. She was quoted that Rev. Harris declined to be placed on a respirator and was moved to the comfort care unit of Mercy Hospital in Ponca City, “so several family members were able to be with him before he died,” reported Carla Hinton.
Rev. Harris’ story tells of only one of the thousands of valuable lives lost to the rampaging coronavirus. As of Dec. 3, Johns Hopkins University's Coronavirus Resource Center reports some 275,000 deaths and nearly 14 million infected people in the United States.
Please don’t discount how lethal this disease can be. Please take all reasonable precautions to keep from becoming infected and infecting others. Until there are reliable vaccines, minimizing the spread is the only way we will keep one another alive.
May Rev. Nick Harris, and the thousands of other COVID-19 victims dying each day, rest in peace.
Black Church and Two Pandemics
The surge in coronavirus cases has temporarily overshadowed America’s struggle to overcome racism, but Black church leaders in the North Texas Annual Conference haven’t forgotten the second plague of 2020. According to the conference website:
“Clergy and laity across the North Texas Conference are invited to attend ‘The Importance of the Black Church During Two Pandemics: Racism and Coronavirus,’ a free event that will take place virtually from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 9.” Register here.
Dismantling racism continues to be a priority for entire The United Methodist Church. Dozens of local congregations and annual conferences like North Texas have established anti-racism efforts in recent months. For some spiritual support for the campaign against the evil of racial hatred, check out popular composer Mark Miller’s new song, “We Resist.”
Media Mentions as of Dec. 3, 2020
Oklahoma governor declares day of prayer as virus surges – The Associated Press
The spiritual value of quarantine – Ministry Matters
For churchgoers during the COVID-19 pandemic, a deadly lesson from the 1918 flu – CNN
How a Supreme Court bent on protecting religion could harm it – Religion News Service
2020’s most-read Bible verse: ‘Do not fear’ – Christianity Today *
*Paid subscription required.
Cynthia B. Astle serves as Editor of United Methodist Insight, which she founded in 2011.