Sunny Lane United Methodist Church sits along South Sunnylane Road in Del City, Oklahoma, just southeast of Oklahoma City and minutes from Tinker Air Force Base. The congregation has shaped and been shaped by Del City for more than seven decades, serving military families, teachers, single parents, and neighbors of every background. The church is known for blending traditional and contemporary music, an open Communion table, and a steady stream of practical ministries that feed, tutor, clothe, and walk alongside people in the surrounding community.
From a Brush Arbor in 1889 to Del City in 1950
Sunny Lane's story does not begin in Del City at all. Within days of the 1889 Land Run, Methodist pioneers gathered under a brush arbor to worship on what would become Oklahoma soil. By June of that year they had built a simple one-room frame church on a grassy knoll near present-day SE 29th and Sunnylane Road. Through a fire in 1913, a windstorm in 1924, and a tornado in 1945, those early Methodists rebuilt again and again on the same ground.
Two decades after Del City was founded by George Epperly in 1950, area Methodists met with District Superintendent Robert J. Smith and agreed that a new congregation was needed. On May 21, 1950, thirty people met at Del City Elementary School, sang "Holy, Holy, Holy," and chose the name Sunny Lane Methodist Church in honor of Oklahoma's original Methodist pioneers. Thirty-six members were welcomed the first Sunday. Services were held in the school cafeteria for about eighteen months, and the fellowship hall became the first worship space on the present property. The sanctuary was added in the early 1960s and the education wing in the 1990s.
When the devastating May 3, 1999 tornado tore through Del City and surrounding neighborhoods, Sunny Lane became a community hub for disaster response, opening its doors to neighbors who had lost everything and coordinating relief, shelter, food, and hope in the aftermath.
Sunday Mornings: Two Services, One Open Table
Sunny Lane runs two Sunday services that share an open Communion table but feel quite different. At 9:00 AM in the Upper Room, a live band leads a Casual Contemporary service with newer Christian music and old hymns reimagined in fresh arrangements. Communion is celebrated every Sunday at this service. The atmosphere is intentionally relaxed: coffee is available on the way in, Hawaiian shirts are common in summer, and guests are welcome to arrive as they are.
At 11:00 AM in the Sanctuary, the Classic Worship service features hymns with organ, piano, orchestra, and choir, woven together with a few contemporary songs. Communion is observed on the first Sunday of each month and is open to anyone who wishes to participate. The 11:00 service tends to draw more families with children.
Both services last about an hour and blend music, prayer, scripture reading, communal prayers, and a message that ties faith to everyday life. Visitors are not asked to stand up, introduce themselves, or do anything that makes them uncomfortable. There are no assigned seats, and sitting in the back or the balcony is perfectly fine. Dress ranges from jeans and T-shirts to dresses and button-ups, and there is no dress code.
At 10:00 AM, Sunday School meets for all ages. Adult classes include MerryWeds in the Fellowship Hall, the Homebuilders Class in the Homebuilders Room, and the Young Adult Class in the Chapel. Children and Youth meet upstairs in the Youth Room.
F4 Wednesdays: Food, Fun, Family, Fellowship
During the school year, Wednesday evenings at Sunny Lane revolve around a program the church simply calls F4: Food, Fun, Family, and Fellowship. At 6:00 PM, the community gathers in the Fellowship Hall for a shared meal. A suggested donation of $6 per person helps offset food costs. The menu rotates weekly and includes enchiladas, pizza, roast pork with vegetables, and authentic Filipino fried rice and egg rolls. No one needs to cook dinner or eat alone.
After dinner, two parallel gatherings meet at 7:00 PM. In the Fellowship Hall, the pastor leads a Bible study open to anyone wanting to explore scripture, ask hard questions, or simply grow in community. Topics vary by season. In the Sanctuary, the choir and orchestra rehearse the music for upcoming Sundays. No audition is required for either group, only a willingness to make a joyful noise.
Whiz Kids: Reading Partners for Townsend Elementary
Whiz Kids is Sunny Lane's flagship tutoring ministry, and it has shaped generations of Del City children. Each week during the school year, volunteers meet one-on-one with students from Townsend Elementary. A church van picks the kids up after school, and they arrive around 3:50 to a snack prepared by the church's kitchen crew. The afternoon includes a club time with a story and activity, followed by one-on-one tutoring with a teacher liaison on hand to coach volunteers and share resources. Children head home by 5:40. Throughout the year the program takes field trips to the library and the Science Museum and celebrates with a Christmas party and an end-of-year party with the kids' families. Tutors arrive around 3:30 to set up, and no teaching background is required.
Food, Clothing, and Disaster Response
Sunny Lane's outreach ministries are woven into the rhythm of the week. Every Thursday, the church's food pantry opens to anyone who lives in Del City, distributing pre-sorted bags of shelf-stable groceries to help neighbors bridge a hard stretch. A Good Samaritan Fund supplements this work by providing utility assistance to people facing urgent need; donations for the fund are collected on the first Sunday of each month.
Our Neighbor's Closet is a thrift shop on the church property offering clothing and home goods at affordable prices. Open on Thursdays and Saturdays, the shop is staffed by volunteers who sort donations and serve as cashiers, and every purchase supports the congregation's work in the community.
Volunteers in Mission (VIM) is a lay-led team that organizes the church's Undie Sunday and Sock-it-to-Me Sunday drives, distributing underwear and socks to counselors' offices at local schools. VIM also coordinates donation drives for Skyline Urban Ministries and hosts meals after worship on Sundays to fund this outreach. The Whiz Kids tutoring program, the food pantry, and Sunny Lane's role in the 1999 tornado response grew out of the same conviction: that the church is most itself when it shows up for neighbors in practical ways.
The church also partners closely with Del City schools. Each fall the congregation hosts a school supply drive for teachers at Del City High School. The music director is deeply involved in the band programs at both Del City High School and Del City Middle School, and the church feeds the marching band before Friday night football games during football season.
The Del City Creative Arts Institute
The Del City Creative Arts Institute, usually called DCCAI, grew out of a simple conviction inside Sunny Lane: that every child deserves access to the arts, regardless of family budget. What started as a dream within the church has become a thriving program offering affordable, high-quality music and arts education to Mid-Del students. Lessons cover instruments, voice, visual art, graphic design, and woodworking, and the program emphasizes that creativity builds character, confidence, and community.
DCCAI runs on volunteer labor. Musicians, vocalists, artists, graphic designers, and woodworkers share their professional and personal skills. Others help in the kitchen, monitor halls, serve as parent liaisons, and handle check-in and check-out for students.
The Pastoral Team
Rev. Adam Young has served as Senior Pastor since July 2022, when he and his family relocated from the Dallas area. Adam holds a Master of Divinity from Perkins School of Theology and is pursuing a doctorate through Saint Paul School of Theology. He and his wife Mallory, an actuary who also plays flute and piano and sings in the choir, have four sons, and Adam coaches his boys' baseball teams in his free time.
Taylor Roland serves as Director of Music and Youth, and ViaFaith McCullough serves as Director of Children's Ministry. Donna Alexander is the church treasurer, Barbara Zapf is the financial secretary, and Jo Ellen Reed serves as church administrator. The staff describes itself as fun-loving, justice-oriented, and committed to making a real difference in Del City.
Imitating Christ, Cultivating Transformation, Embracing All
Sunny Lane's life together is organized around three commitments, called the church's vision statement. Imitating Christ means trying to live with the compassion, courage, and authenticity Jesus modeled. Cultivating Transformation means working to make Del City a better place for everyone through outreach, school partnerships, and ministries with children, youth, and adults. Embracing All means recognizing the sacred worth of every person, upholding diverse cultures, and inspiring intergenerational ministry - in practical ways, not just words.
Sunny Lane has been a participant in the What if Love? movement started by the United Methodist Church of Oklahoma, a season focused on questions like "What if love grounded our identity?" "What if love embraced all?" and "What if love wins?" In a community that is economically, racially, generationally, and politically diverse, that work is ongoing and intentional.
First Visit Details
Guest parking is reserved across from the main entrance on the south side of the building along 20th Street. Greeters are at the doors on Sunday mornings to answer questions and help with directions. The Upper Room is upstairs; the elevator is by the Fellowship Hall door, and the main stairs sit next to the Sanctuary.
The church office is open Monday through Thursday from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM. Sunday services are livestreamed on YouTube and Facebook for those who prefer to worship from home. Giving is accepted in the offering plate, by mail, or through a secure online platform.