Since 2011, Redeemer Pampa has given the community a different spiritual experience not heavily focused on aesthetics and tradition, but rather teaching the word of God in an environment that feels more like home than church.
Pastor Jeremy Buck and his wife, Karmen are Texas Panhandle born and raised, with Jeremy’s family establishing their roots in Pampa since the very early 1900s.
After graduating high school, Jeremy attended college at Oklahoma Baptist University in Shawnee and from there, he and Karmen would move to Yemen in the Middle East to serve on the mission field.
While Karmen would teach English as a second language to college students, Jeremy would learn Arabic while doing his anthropologic research; merging two different worlds in a harmonious and impressive way.
The Bucks moved back to Pampa in 2006, and in 2011, Jeremy started Redeemer that began with small gatherings in the living room of his own home before moving to The AmericInn Event Center for Sunday service.
After a few months at the Event Center, Jeremy would come across the old Sands Fabric building downtown that was in desperate need of a complete makeover.
“We basically had spent the first several years gutting and remodeling it while we were meeting in it. Like we would meet on Sunday mornings and there would be a scissorlift in the corner or a pile of lumber against the wall. We would have Sunday service and then we would move all the chairs and spend a week tackling a project,” Jeremy laughed.
“It was almost like a physical picture of what we were hoping to do spiritually of taking something old that was maybe no longer being seen as beneficial or had some wear on it and watching the slow process of sanctification of it being restored.”
While most churches are comprised of a single pastor, Redeemer is an elder-led church with multiple pastors, Jeremy and TV Cuellar as two of them.
Paul Rayburn, director of The Well STEM and Literacy Center right next door, also serves as an elder at Redeemer and both establishments work hand-in-hand in support of each other’s missions.
The goal of Redeemer is simple: to allow people to feel comfortable while growing closer to God.
“We take Jesus very seriously and we take scripture very seriously, but we don’t take ourselves very seriously. You’ll see folks in a wide array of dress because we’re not a traditional place. We’re trying to take down any barriers someone might have. One of our core values is we want to be reflective of our community. I just want them to walk in and say I can see myself here,” Jeremy said.
“I think it appeals to a younger crowd and to those who may have unfortunately been hurt by a church or may have had a bad experience somewhere. We had a delivery guy come by and while he was bringing stuff in, he walks through, looks around and says this is a church? I could come here. And he did! And has continued to since.”
“We are simply in a more raw location because we’re just trying to take down any barriers that might keep someone from the Lord.”
Although the setting and environment may be more laid-back and appealing to the young generation, Redeemer doesn’t feel that they have to rely on bells and whistles to get people through the doors.
“We want to pair things down to the very essence of what they need to be. Our desire is not to entertain people-we believe Jesus is alive and we want you to engage and meet with him. When you leave, we want you to hopefully say we met with the living God today, not that was fun. That was entertaining.”
“How you win someone is how you keep someone. So what we brought them here with is what is going to keep them.”
With the rise of spiritual and mental afflictions among folks within the last few years, Redeemer has recently offered counseling as part of their outreach, welcoming those who may find it difficult to open up within a regular church setting.
“We want to foster the sense of that people can talk freely that the fact that they’re in counseling so it normalizes that. We’ve partnered with as many counselors in Pampa as we can.”
Redeemer strives to be a reflection of the community, allowing people to come through the doors as they are and to be able to confidently spread the message of God in their words and actions once they leave.
“We believe every man, woman and child who trusts, treasures and follows in Jesus is meant to reflect his image and attributes to the world. We want to be like this fragrant aroma that when people see it, they’re like I don’t know what that is, but I want that. So we can say it’s not Redeemer-it’s not me. You’re tasting and seeing that the Lord is good.”
“Scripture calls us to remember with intent what the Lord has done and to pass that on to the next generation. Don’t assume it will be passed on, do it with diligence.”
Redeemer Pampa is located downtown at 225 N. Cuyler and has Sunday services at 9:15 AM and 11 AM with Gospel Communities that meet in different homes at various times throughout the week.
For more information, visit their website redeemerpampa.com or hop on their Facebook page where Sunday services are streamed live.
