History of First Christian Church, Tulsa

 

On April 5th, 1902, J.W. Marshall held a meeting at his farmhouse at 2nd and Denver in an interest to start a Christian Church in Tulsa. There were several members present: the Wickizer, Williamson, Marr, McCorkle, Dunning, Turner, Roberts and Holiday families. Each family hosted services at their homes and Rev. W.L. Darland provided the first sermon, leading the services for the first year or so of the church's history. Interestingly, the founding families provided several of the congregations early ministers. G.A. Roberts, Shelby Wallace Marr, R.E. McCorkle, M.S. Dunning and David A. Wickizer all led services during the first two years. During this time the land for the first building was purchased at 2nd and Boulder, the site of the present Federal Courthouse. The first building was simple, a red brick one-story with a basement that seated about 250 people.

The church quickly outgrew the first building, and a larger "statement" building was planned. It seated about 1,000, which in 1910 would hold approximately 1/12th of the city's population. This building served the congregation well until 1917 when the number of members reached 1400. The decision was made for the second time in under ten years that the congregation had outgrown its facility.

So in January of 1917, the lot at the corner of 9th and Boulder was purchased for $9,700 and the first building was sold. Until the new church was built, services were held in the old Tulsa County Courthouse and Sunday Schools met in the Y.M.C.A. whiled board meetings were held in the Stanley-McCune Funeral Chapel at 9th and Boulder.

The new building was dedicated on February 1, 1920 and articles in the Tulsa World and Tulsa Tribune ran front page articles of the church's history in the city and great detail about the church's new design. They both go into great detail about the marble tiling in the foyer, plaster and chandeliers in the sanctuary and oak furniture on the chancel for a building that cost over $200,000 and was designed by VanSlyke and Woodruff from Fort Worth, Texas. At that time, it was the most expensive building erected in Tulsa. Reverend Meade Dutt led the congregation through the courthouse years into the new building. By 1922, he was ready to move on, and the pulpit was filled by Dr. I.N. McCash. He served until June 1, 1923, the beginning of Dr. Claude Hill's twenty-five year ministry at FCC, Tulsa.

Dr. Hill believed in fast church growth through Sunday Schools and on his first Sunday, fifty people joined. A thorough evangelism program coupled with quality church programming; including one of the most successful Sunday School programs in the nation grew the church to over 4,274 members by Easter Sunday 1925.

In the mid-1920's, the congregation purchased two lots with 100 feet of frontage on Boulder to the south of the sanctuary building. The lots had houses on them that were used as meeting places for various classes, while other classes met in the sanctuary, the fellowship hall below the sanctuary, in the choir room and in partitioned sections of various other classrooms. An educational facility was needed, so in 1929, plans were put together proposing an exact replica of the sanctuary building minus the dome. Instead of the dome, there was a planned rooftop classroom or a gymnasium. However, the stock market crashed the next week and the building was put on hold. A March 1934 article in the Tulsa World said that "Far from being "depressed", the First Christian congregation is happy that a constantly increasing membership and sacrificial giving on the part of all have enabled the church not only to hold its own but to make distinct headway against barriers which have blocked the way of many institutions and organizations."

The elaborate building was eventually scaled down and a simpler version was finally dedicated in 1940. The new building provided each elementary school grade and the junior and high school students with their own spaces. Also planned was a recreation room. The dream of 1929 became a $250,000 reality on the June 23, 1940 dedication.

The excitement of construction led Dr. Hill to finish the top floor of the education building to create a recreational space. Fred Harris, the education director made a proposal of using the space for ping pong tables, shuffle board courts, table games, billiard tables, two bowling alleys and equipment for a concession stand, so the building could be used the other 6 days of the week. "We will prove the worth of a Christian educational program combined with a Christian recreational program. It's a good thing," said Jayne Willcockson. The rec hall was completed November 1, 1945.

In the 1940's, Dr. Hill was recognized by World Call as one of the ten best preachers in the United States out of a list of over 8,500 ministers. He later served as President (now called Moderator) of the International Convention of Christian Churches (now called the General Assembly). Church membership was maintained at about 3,600 throughout the 1940's and into the 1950's during the ministry of the next minister, Hallie G. Gatz in 1948.

The 50th anniversary of FCC was celebrated Sunday April 6, 1952. Two members of the church on that date had been among the 18 persons first gathered at the J.W. Marshall home on April 5, 1902: Mila Marshall (Mrs. Dave) Clements and Mr. Robert B. Williamson — both were still active members as of the 50th anniversary of the church.

In 1958, FCC purchased the Boulder Building at 10th and Boulder, south of the church and the Watts-Payne Building at 9th and Main streets, just east of the church. The Watts-Payne building with its adjacent lot would be used for parking. The Boulder Building would be razed and a chapel built on the site. The Memorial Chapel was dedicated on November 27, 1960 by Dr. Hallie Gantz. Dr. Gantz left FCC to become the fourth President of Phillips University in Enid.

The seventies saw the creation of the handbell choirs, the Archives collection, the 75th Diamond Jubilee Anniversary (celebrated Tuesday, April 5, 1977) and renovation of areas for handicapped.

Dr. Roy Griggs began his service to FCC September 2, 1979. In the late seventies and early eighties four downtown churches (First Christian, First Methodist, First Presbyterian and First Baptist) formed a consortium and telecast their eleven o'clock worship services. Dr. Griggs says, "It was our good luck that FCC's three months occurred at the beginning of our tenure as the new senior minister. It was a good opportunity to be introduced to the community and northeast Oklahoma." The church continued to be well respected and in July of 1981, FCC received a letter from the National Evangelism Association saying we received recognition for doubling our evangelism record from the previous year. Our 113 additions moved us from 70th to 20th place in the denomination among the 4300 churches in the country.

In 1981 the Long Range Planning Committee began a $750,000 project to make repairs to the roof, balcony and key areas of the church as well as creating a new east facade and porte-cochere and upgrading air conditioning and heating. The project was completed in 1984. The Wheeling Avenue Church voted to accept our invitation to merge officially on January 22, 1984 with their beautiful facilities to be used for community outreach ministries. In February of 1986, the church became involved with the Day Care for The Homeless in downtown Tulsa.

The Child Development Center was the most extensive and ambitious undertaking in the history of FCC, which opened September 1987. The Infant Center was dedicated on December 27, 1992. In addition to a solid academic program, the CDC was designed to offer several on-site extracurricular activities including tap, ballet, Spanish, computers, Tae Kwon Do, Tumble Bus or Music Fundamentals. The CDC is recognized as one of Tulsa's top leading facilities that provides high quality care to many families.

FCC with the cooperation from the Oklahoma Arts Commission was used in the Hollywood production of "UHF" in 1988. The same year, the national yearbook of Disciples churches, listed FCC as number one in the country for giving for churches over 1,000 members.

July of 1990 reported that FCC rated 7th out of 3,460 churches in attendance and 5th in giving to Basic Mission Finance from 1989. The next year, Tulsa hosted the General Assembly of the Christian Church (October 25-30, 1991) at the Tulsa Convention Center. The congregation was selected by the National Council of Churches to be the Protestant congregation for the 1992 ABC Television Christmas Eve Service. In September of 1993, FCC insured future parking needs by acquiring the one-half city block from 9th to 10th Streets on Main Street. The same month, we adopted our first million-dollar budget.

In 1993 and 1994, our congregation established a relationship with a Russian Baptist church in Zelenograd as a result of a trip that Neill Grimes and several others made to this unusual city outside Moscow. The relationship lasted several years and included two visits by the Russian pastor to our congregation.

In 1995 the church launched the contemporary worship service, the ministry of care and the small group movement. The congregation also hosted a national event, the Ainslee Lecture, sponsored by the Council on Christian Unity of the Christian Church. In 1997 a new $197,500 playground was created and moved to the north end of the parking lot. After 18.5 years, Dr. Griggs announced his retirement and had his final Sunday as Senior Minister November 24, 1997. Both Dr. Gribbs and Dr. Hill were honored as Minister Emeritus.

On April 2, 2000, the Southeast Entrance to the sanctuary was dedicated and the renovated Archives Center was dedicated. In 2002, the church celebrated its 100th anniversary with the publication of "How Firm a Foundation: The First One Hundred Years," of which this short article was condensed.

Our Pastors

Early Days
Before the 1st building 1902-1903:
W.L. Darland - founding minister
G.H. Roberts - circuit riding minister
S.W. Marr, Randolph Cook, Bro. Cash - ministers

The First Building 1903-1910
Dedicated by D.A. Wickizer
W.L. Darland - 1st minister
S.W. Marr, R.E. McCorkle, Randolph Cook, M.S. Dunning, D.A. Wickizer

The Second Buliding 1910 - 1917
Dedicated by George Snively
D.A. Wickizer - 1st minister to 1911
John G. McGavran 1912
George P. Taubman 1913-1915
John W. Darby 1915-1917

Interim (Court House & YWCA)
I.N. McCash (interim minister)
Meade E. Dutt - 1918 - 1922

The Third Building 1920 - present
Dedicated by George Snively
Meade E. Dutt - 1st minister - 1922
Claude E. Hill - June 1923-June 1948
Hallie G Gantz - July 1948 - Jan 1961
Sloan Gentry - May 1961-Jan 1965
Frank Edmund See - May 1965 - Jan 1975
Eugene W. Brice - Aug 1975-Feb 1979
Roy L Griggs - Sept 1979-Dec 1997
Glenn Evans - July 1998-
Kipp Wolfe - Aug 2007 -present

Ministers of Wheeling Avenue
Christian Church
The First Building 1920-1923
Stephen J. England

The Second Building 1923-1940
F.F. Walters 1923
Earl Mitchell - 1924-1929
Emmett Davison - 1929-1932
Harry O. Carr - May 1932-early 1941

The Third Building 1941-1984
Harry O. Carr - May 1932-early 1941
Dyre Campbell - Fall 1941-1950
Harold Abraham - 1950-1958
Hugh Holland - 1958-1971
John Downs
Randall Sawyer
Jerry Galbreath
Lloyd Christiensen
Harry England

Interim Minister
Luke Bolin - to merger