Methodist church will dedicate giant bell in Edmond - Edmond, OK - News Article Locations on Waymarking.com

This beautiful bell was recovered from St. Luke's in OKC, and dedicated at the St. Luke's in Edmond.

Article text:

St. Luke's United Methodist Church will celebrate the fifth anniversary of it's suburban satellite in grand style on Sunday.

St. Luke’s Edmond will unveil a giant bell during a ceremony set for 10:30 a.m. Sunday at the church, 900 N Sooner Road.

A bronze bell that is 13,420 pounds, six feet tall and seven feet in diameter will be dedicated as the iconic centerpiece of the satellite campus near Interstate 35 and Danforth Road. The church's leaders said they have been told the bell is the fifth-largest bell in North America.

The Rev. Bob Long, St. Luke's senior pastor, said the bell is a unique way to tie the satellite to St. Luke's historic church in downtown Oklahoma City.

In the 1950s, The Verdin Company in Cincinnati installed the carillon bells at St. Luke's downtown church, 222 NW 15.

In 2017, Long and other pastoral leaders from the church discovered the giant bell while they were checking on the renovation of St. Luke’s downtown carillon bells. The Oklahoma group saw it in the corner of the bell foundry where it had been sitting for 20 years following a 1990s project that was suspended.

"It was identical to the bells we have in the downtown carillon. The same filigree, the same designs and it was made by the same company in Holland that made our bells, years ago," Long said.

Tim Verdin, a sixth-generation factory manager, told the St. Luke's leaders that they were meant to own the bell.

"Even to me, the similarity is hard to deny, and I see bells all the time," Verdin said.

Long agreed.

"When we started the Edmond campus, we wanted it to be an extension of the St. Luke’s ministry that was first started downtown 130 years ago," he said. "We felt this bell would be a great way to carry that feeling up to Edmond."

The true value of the bell was $500,000. However, because of the church's long relationship with The Verdin Company, St. Luke’s was able to purchase it for $150,000. The bell was paid for by church members who had their names or loved ones’ names permanently inscribed on the outside. To put the bell’s size in perspective, its 6.7-ton weight is nearly as heavy as the combined weight of St. Luke’s 42 downtown carillon bells.
The newly installed bell will help St. Luke's Edmond commemorate worship services and special occasions such as weddings, funerals, graduations and baptisms.

Type of publication: Internet Only When was the article reported?: 03/30/2019 Publication: Daily Oklahoman Article Url: [Web Link] Is Registration Required?: no How widespread was the article reported?: local News Category: Society/People

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