Two Oklahoma churches are dealing with damage to their air-conditioning and heating equipment after thieves struck, leaving congregations in Wetumka and Oklahoma City scrambling to cover thousands of dollars in damage. At Great Baptist Church in Wetumka, someone stole an entire HVAC unit outright. At Greater Mount Carmel Baptist Church near Northeast 36th and Kelley Avenue in Oklahoma City, thieves broke one of the main copper pipes in the fenced area around the unit and made off with the copper from its main air-conditioning system.
According to KFOR, Great Baptist Church paid about $10,000 for both of its HVAC units, and the one that was stolen weighs around five tons. Gina Powell, a leader of the Wetumka church, says the congregation cannot afford to replace the stolen unit. Powell told the station the church accepts anyone who needs help, describing Great Baptist as a community hub that has served Wetumka for 100 years. The church has also dealt with busted windows, per the same report.
In Oklahoma City, Deacon Norris White of Greater Mount Carmel Baptist Church says the theft of the copper pipe was disappointing and disrespectful, noting the church has been part of its community for a very long time. White says he cannot afford the cost of replacing the equipment. The station notes the congregation has also experienced busted windows, break-ins, and people using drugs outside its windows, and now faces at least $5,000 in repair costs.
Services Will Go On, Minus the Air Conditioning
Greater Mount Carmel Baptist Church says it intends to hold worship despite the loss of climate control. Deacon White is attempting to have a worship service this Sunday regardless of the missing equipment, and the church plans to set out water off to the side and run fans from the hallway to keep things bearable. White says he asked the thieves to knock on the church door instead of stealing next time, according to the same account.
The report also mentions a fish fry planned for next week. Both churches have filed police reports and are seeking help from the Oklahoma community and their local communities as they try to replace the stolen equipment.
How to Help
Deacon White at Greater Mount Carmel Baptist Church can be reached at [email protected] for anyone able to assist with repairs. In Wetumka, Gina Powell can be reached at [email protected] for donations or to help the church obtain a replacement HVAC unit.
Part of a Wider Copper Theft Surge
The thefts fit into a much larger pattern playing out across Oklahoma this year. Oklahoma ranked sixth in the nation for copper thefts, with roughly 300 reported incidents recorded during 2026, according to ScrapMonster. A joint operation by the Oklahoma City Police Department and the Oklahoma Department of Agriculture, Food and Forestry recovered roughly 2,400 pounds of stolen copper wire from recycling centers in the Oklahoma City metro area, plus another 300 pounds in Tulsa, the outlet reported.
Rising scrap values are widely seen as a driver of the surge. Hoodline reported that copper reached approximately $6.53 per pound in July. Nationally, the U.S. Department of Energy estimates copper theft inflicts roughly $1 billion in direct and indirect financial damage annually on businesses and utility systems, and insurance claim data compiled by the National Insurance Crime Bureau shows that roughly 96 to 97 percent of all metal-theft insurance claims filed nationwide involve stolen copper.
Oklahoma law addresses this kind of theft. Under state statute, the covered materials include copper wire, cable, or tubing, according to ScrapMonster's summary of Oklahoma's Scrap Metal Dealers Act. The summary also describes recordkeeping and seller-identification requirements for scrap dealers. The law's requirements are part of the broader discussion surrounding copper theft.
The broader discussion also includes local responses to copper theft. The thefts described here can leave property owners facing thousands of dollars in replacement costs. According to the U.S. Department of Energy, copper theft can disrupt electric infrastructure by removing components from the system. A reported copper-wire theft also occurred at the Y-12 National Security Complex in Oak Ridge, Tennessee.
The Oklahoma churches described here had outdoor HVAC units targeted. Hoodline previously reported on a copper theft wave that hit more than 30 buildings in St. Louis, Missouri, where thieves destroyed rooftop HVAC units at four churches, causing over $150,000 in damage at one congregation alone.
