First Presbyterian Church (Tulsa)
Encyclopedia
The First Presbyterian Church of Tulsa was organized in 1885. It originally met in the store owned by James M. Hall and Harry C. Hall. The first permanent minister, Reverend Charles William Kerr
and his wife arrived in Tulsa in 1900. Kerr remained at this church for over 40 years. Under his leadership, the church became the second largest in its denomination (the Presbyterian Church in the United States of America
). This church is part of the Eastern Oklahoma Presbytery of the United Presbyterian Church in the USA (UPCUSA).
town of Tulsa. James Hall has been credited with organizing First Presbyterian Church (FPC), the first permanent protestant church in Tulsa, which began meeting at the store in 1885. The first ministers at this church were itinerant Presbyterian missionaries, whose salaries were paid by their denomination, the Presbyterian Church of the United States of America (PCUSA). Rev. Robert McGill Loughridge
, preached the first sermon in 1883 on the porch of the Hall store.
In 1901, Reverend Charles William Kerr
, a missionary from Pennsylvania, answered a call to become the first permanent minister. He proved to be a very dynamic personality and instigated a rapid growth of the congregation. The discovery of oil at nearby Red Fork
in 1901 and another at Glenpool
in 1905 had initiated a population boom that would radically transform Tulsa over the next half century. FPC soon outgrew the Hall store and moved to a purpose-built clapboard structure at 4th street and Boston Avenue, completed in 1899.http://www.tulsaokhistory.com/hall/presbyterianchurch.jpg
James Hall had also founded the Union Sunday School, an interdenominational organization, with two other people. Later, he became superintendent of the FPC Sunday school, a position he held for twenty years.
When the infamous Tulsa Race Riot
occurred on June 1, 1921, Rev. Kerr opened the basement of this structure to house refugees, primarily women and children, from the Greenwood district. One book about the riot states that the bodies of four dead black men were left at the church door.
The General Assembly of the PCUSA held its annual meeting at FPC in 1928. In 1932, Reverend Kerr was elected moderator of the General Assembly.
Rev. Kerr retired as Senior Pastor in 1941, and remained as Pastor Emeritus until his death.
The 1910 building was demolished in the early 1950s and replaced by the current C. W. Kerr Building.
In 2010, FPC began constructing a new facility at 7th and Cincinnati Avenue. This expansion will contain a new sanctuary on the south side, offices and classrooms on the north side, and a courtyard shaped like a Celtic cross in the middle. The new complex is said to cost $33 million.
Charles William Kerr
Charles William Kerr was a Moderator of the General Assembly for the Presbyterian Church in the United States, as well as the longtime pastor of the First Presbyterian Church of Tulsa, Oklahoma, the second largest Presbyterian church in the United States...
and his wife arrived in Tulsa in 1900. Kerr remained at this church for over 40 years. Under his leadership, the church became the second largest in its denomination (the Presbyterian Church in the United States of America
Presbyterian Church in the United States of America
The Presbyterian Church in the United States of America was a Presbyterian denomination in the United States. It was organized in 1789 under the leadership of John Witherspoon in the wake of the American Revolution and existed until 1958 when it merged with the United Presbyterian Church of North...
). This church is part of the Eastern Oklahoma Presbytery of the United Presbyterian Church in the USA (UPCUSA).
1880s to 1910
In 1882, two brothers, James M. Hall and Harry C. Hall, established a general store at what is now the intersection of First and Main Streets, near the Frisco railroad tracks in the Indian TerritoryIndian Territory
The Indian Territory, also known as the Indian Territories and the Indian Country, was land set aside within the United States for the settlement of American Indians...
town of Tulsa. James Hall has been credited with organizing First Presbyterian Church (FPC), the first permanent protestant church in Tulsa, which began meeting at the store in 1885. The first ministers at this church were itinerant Presbyterian missionaries, whose salaries were paid by their denomination, the Presbyterian Church of the United States of America (PCUSA). Rev. Robert McGill Loughridge
Robert McGill Loughridge
Robert McGill Loughridge was an American Presbyterian missionary who served among the Creek Indians in Indian Territory. He attended Miami University, Ohio, and graduated in 1837; Loughridge was ordained as a Presbyterian minister in October 1842. In 1843 Loughridge entered Indian Territory and...
, preached the first sermon in 1883 on the porch of the Hall store.
In 1901, Reverend Charles William Kerr
Charles William Kerr
Charles William Kerr was a Moderator of the General Assembly for the Presbyterian Church in the United States, as well as the longtime pastor of the First Presbyterian Church of Tulsa, Oklahoma, the second largest Presbyterian church in the United States...
, a missionary from Pennsylvania, answered a call to become the first permanent minister. He proved to be a very dynamic personality and instigated a rapid growth of the congregation. The discovery of oil at nearby Red Fork
Red Fork, Oklahoma
Red Fork is a community in Southwest Tulsa. It was founded in 1883 as a railhead on the Arkansas River. It is famous for being the location of the first oil well in Tulsa County, the Sue A. Bland. On June 25, 1901, the first oil well in Tulsa County was completed by Drs. J.C.W. Bland and Fred S....
in 1901 and another at Glenpool
Glenpool, Oklahoma
Glenpool is a city in Tulsa County, Oklahoma, United States. It is part of the Tulsa Metropolitan Statistical Area . As of 2010, the population was 10,808. This was an increase of 33.1 % since the 2000 census, which reported total population as 8,123....
in 1905 had initiated a population boom that would radically transform Tulsa over the next half century. FPC soon outgrew the Hall store and moved to a purpose-built clapboard structure at 4th street and Boston Avenue, completed in 1899.http://www.tulsaokhistory.com/hall/presbyterianchurch.jpg
James Hall had also founded the Union Sunday School, an interdenominational organization, with two other people. Later, he became superintendent of the FPC Sunday school, a position he held for twenty years.
1910 to 1926
In 1910, the church moved to a new three-story limestone building at the southeast corner of Seventh Street and Boston Avenue. An impressive building in its day, it had a domed roof and Ionic columns on the porticos.When the infamous Tulsa Race Riot
Tulsa Race Riot
The Tulsa race riot was a large-scale racially motivated conflict, May 31 - June 1st 1921, between the white and black communities of Tulsa, Oklahoma, in which the wealthiest African-American community in the United States, the Greenwood District also known as 'The Negro Wall St' was burned to the...
occurred on June 1, 1921, Rev. Kerr opened the basement of this structure to house refugees, primarily women and children, from the Greenwood district. One book about the riot states that the bodies of four dead black men were left at the church door.
1926 to Present
The third permanent building was completed in 1926, adjacent to the 1910 structure. This building is shown in the 2007 photo above. Mrs. Kerr dubbed it the "high kirk" of Tulsa.The General Assembly of the PCUSA held its annual meeting at FPC in 1928. In 1932, Reverend Kerr was elected moderator of the General Assembly.
Rev. Kerr retired as Senior Pastor in 1941, and remained as Pastor Emeritus until his death.
The 1910 building was demolished in the early 1950s and replaced by the current C. W. Kerr Building.
In 2010, FPC began constructing a new facility at 7th and Cincinnati Avenue. This expansion will contain a new sanctuary on the south side, offices and classrooms on the north side, and a courtyard shaped like a Celtic cross in the middle. The new complex is said to cost $33 million.
Notable ministers
- Charles William KerrCharles William KerrCharles William Kerr was a Moderator of the General Assembly for the Presbyterian Church in the United States, as well as the longtime pastor of the First Presbyterian Church of Tulsa, Oklahoma, the second largest Presbyterian church in the United States...
1900 - 1941 - Edmund F. Miller, D. D.
- Bryant M. Kirkland, D. D.
- William Wiseman 1963 - 1984
- James D. Miller, Ph. D. 1992–present