"[3] The teepee-shaped design was intended to be imaginative on a frugal budget, using surplus pipe and corrugated aluminum from oil fields, volunteer labor to weld the pipes and build the church, and local supplies like rock from quarries in nearby Calumet, Oklahoma.

[4] The peak, which is about 80 feet high, is an open metal belfry containing no bell and 12 triangular windows that always leaked when it rained.

The exterior support structure features 12 exposed tapered trusses made of welded steel drill-stem pipes and painted russet color and secured by a compression ring.

The Hopewell Heritage Foundation was formed in 2005 to raise $1.25 million to restore the church, plus money to pay for maintenance.

[8] As of 2015[update], the roof, windows, and doors had been fixed, but structural work was needed on the inside, to support the upstairs floor.