According to the Sayre Evening Times a mortgage against the First Baptist church of Sayre was burned with appropriate ceremonies at a watch meeting held at that church December 31, 1920.
The ceremony of burning the mortgage took place at 11 0âclock p.m. At that hour the pastor and the trustees formed a semi-circle with the president of the board of trustees holding a silver salver on which the mortgage was placed. Then a match was applied by the president of the Ladies Aid Society. The pastor was the Rev. H. M. Shepson, the president of the society was Mrs. John White and the president of the board of trustees was Fred J. Taylor and the other members of the board were C. C. West, W. S. Barnes, Lacey Whipple, C. L. Burlingham, and E. C. Johnston. When the mortgage was reduced to ashes the service of prayer and consecration commenced and lasted until the midnight hour and the beginning of the new year 1921.