Our

             History

The strongest focus of Christ Church has always been upon reaching new people for Christ.  The church has a deep passion for hospitality, caring for new people, and reaching out in various ways to help others be led to Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior.  They are a church of the laity committed to follow their Mission Statement.

Christ United Methodist Church was started in 1954, meeting the first Sunday in October.  Katherine Lechnar, a former missionary in the Episcopal Church, donated the land where the church is built. The initial organizer for the beginning of the church was Tulsa oilman Bill Broadhurst, who was chairman of the District Missions Board at that time.  The first pastor of the church was Wilson Schultz.  He served for one and one-half years in the beginning of the congregation. 

Following Wilson Schultz was George Graham and his wife, Dorothy.  Together, they helped the church grow from a small handful of people to a thriving and growing United Methodist Church at 35^th and Harvard.  As the Ranch Acres area developed and Tulsa expanded toward 41^st and Yale, Christ UMC grew as a place for young couples and families.  The initial buildings of the church were built.  The tower that still stands in the center of the building was also built. 

After serving four years, Pastor George Graham was appointed by the United Methodist Bishop to serve another church, and his successor was Rev. Charles Wells.  He served four years and helped the church make the important decision to build a new sanctuary. 

Bill Hanton, the architect for the new sanctuary, designed the additions from the general influence of Frank Lloyd Wright.  The angles and design of the building made it both an unusual and very functional sanctuary.  The designer and creator of the beautiful stained glass windows, depicting the Old and New Testaments, was Cecil Casebier of ORCO from San Antonio.  Under Charles Wells’ leadership, the sanctuary was completed. 

During the completion of the sanctuary in the 60s, the city of Tulsa was moving rapidly towards the south and east.  Many people were moving to the new suburbs and the new churches in those suburbs, and the church began to experience decline.  Pastor Winfred McBride came as the new pastor in 1966.  The church continued to experience some decline as the suburban growth increased at a rapid pace. 

In 1969, Dr. Robert Pierson came to be senior pastor of Christ United Methodist Church.  He had served as a pastor in four other churches in Oklahoma, including an associate pastor at First United Methodist Church in Tulsa.  in that first year, Dr. Pierson led the congregation to research and re-understand their faith, with a focus upon a re-studying the gospels of Jesus Christ.  In the midst of that study, Dr. Pierson had a strong sense of God’s guidance that the congregation should read Charles Sheldon’s book, In His Steps.  The novel, written in 1896, describes the life of a small Kansas church that decided to ask in every decision, “What would Jesus do?” 

The members of Christ United Methodist Church read the book, and by Christmas 1969 the majority of members had signed a covenant that from then on the church would make no decisions without asking first, “What would Jesus do?”  The individual members of the church would do the same, making no decision without asking, “Is this what Jesus would do?” 

As the years followed, the church began to grow.  Leaders of the church called their new theology The Christyle—that is, following the style of living that Jesus had taught.  They affirmed that meant following in the steps of Jesus.  To know what Jesus would do, they turned to the Great Commandment—"loving God and loving your neighbor as yourself."  This model of loving God, others, and self became a three-fold direction for the church, focusing upon ministry to individuals, helping others, and loving God.  It was out of this the congregation was reborn and re-enthused.  It began to grow.

Developments in the life of the church in the 1960s and 70s included the initiation of a Divorce Adjustment Ministry, ministering to over 10,000 people in Tulsa; the building of a strong singles program, one of the largest in America; the continued focus upon ministry with children and youth; and the redevelopment of a strong Sunday School program throughout the congregation. 

In the 1980s, as the church grew, a Family Life Center was built and the sanctuary was expanded to seat 800 people.  The missional ministry of the church included a focus on South America, particularly doing mission work in Bolivia. 

In the 1990s, much happened to Christ Church.  Bob and Delia Pierson sensed a renewal of God’s call to do the work of the church in building a congregation not just for the neighborhood but for the whole metropolitan area.  Attendance grew as the congregation developed contemporary worship, as well as traditional worship.  Worship services were held not only on Sunday morning, but Sunday night, Wednesday night, Thursday night, and Saturday night.  New worship styles were developed.  Christ Church organized Widow/Widower Workshops, Tuesday Morning Miracle Workers, Habitat for Humanity groups, Cancer Support groups, and a Child Development Center. 

During this same period of time, Christ Church developed a strong commitment to Russia with teams from Christ Church going to start new churches in Russia four to six times a year.  New churches started in Russia included congregations in Lytkarina, Dolgoprudney, Voronezh, and more.  Today, there are more than 15 churches in Russia direct results of mission work of teams from Christ Church in Tulsa.

Christ Church continues to reach out to the community by providing space for Boy Scouts, foster parents, Angel Food Ministry, Kairos, Walk to Emmaus, and Prison Ministry.

During the life of Christ Church, many ministries have developed.  The congregation is proud of its strong music ministry and diverse worship services each week.  The church has developed a strong youth program with its new youth center and a marvelous children’s program with excellent children’s facilities on weekdays, Sunday mornings and evenings, and Wednesday evenings.  Christ Church also has a strong adult Sunday School program, including adult classes for all age groups that meet in two different sessions on Sunday morning. 

The ministry of the church has meant not only strong involvement in missions around the world, but also in local ministries such as prison ministry, feeding the homeless, and tutoring programs.  The care ministry program of the church is well known throughout the nation as a program to reach and care for persons.

Christ Church has been an example for midtown churches across America as a church that has continued to grow.  The church has offered training programs entitled, “Innovations in Ministry” or “Next Step” to share their knowledge about church growth with other churches. 

In 2006, Dr. Robert Pierson entered retirement, and Christ United Methodist Church welcomed Rev. Robert Feist as its sixth senior pastor.  Rev. Feist came to CUMC after thirteen years as the founding pastor of St. Andrews United Methodist Church in Oklahoma City, and brings a commitment to continuing the tradition of growth, innovation, and service to God that is the heart of Christ United Methodist Church.