Gifted building for Scott Dawson Evangelistic Association damaged by tornado

A building donated to Alabama evangelist Scott Dawson in August received damage from an F1 tornado early on Dec. 10.

Dawson told BP in September that plans for the six-story building included a “trade school” for youth pastors as part of responding to a nationwide shortage of those in that ministry area. 

The building is worth more than $10 million, according to a release from the Scott Dawson Evangelistic Association, and is thought to have sustained damage “north of seven figures” including more than 80 windows blown out. SDEA staff had been in the building a little more than two weeks.

The tornado’s scope of damage was relatively limited to the surrounding area, but significant for the ministry.

“[It] dropped down about 30 yards behind our property and directly hit the building,” Dawson told BP. “[There are] buildings on both sides of us that only had damage from flying debris.

“It went up Lakeshore Drive and skirted Samford University. Several homes were damaged by falling trees,” he said.

SDEA staff will work in temporary offices until a structural engineer surveys the building later this week, Dawson said.

Oklahoma pastor Deevers wins state senate seat in special election

Dusty Deevers, pastor of Grace Reformed Baptist Church in Elgin, received 55.48 percent of the vote for the District 32 seat in the Oklahoma state senate Dec. 12.

Running as a Republican, Deevers defeated Democrat Larry Bush by 613 votes. 

“Praise God for what he has done!” Deevers wrote on X, formerly Twitter. “I could not be more thankful to my family, my supporters and my amazing team of hardworking volunteers.

“Our team took a no-compromise stance against the greatest evils of our day and for the freedom and liberty of the people. We defeated some big-money, establishment interests on a shoestring budget. It truly is of God that we won.”

Deevers, who has been at Grace Reformed since 2016, campaigned heavily on a conservative Christian platform that advocated for issues such as the abolition of abortion and pornography while standing for others like parental rights.

District 32’s previous senator, John Michael Montgomery, announced his resignation from the seat in the summer to become president of the Lawton Chamber of Commerce.

Deevers will serve the remainder of Montgomery’s term, which runs through November 2026. He is scheduled to be sworn in on Dec. 20.