St. Luke's Methodist Church sits in the heart of downtown Oklahoma City, just a few blocks from the State Capitol, and traces its roots to the very first days of settlement in the city. On Sunday, April 28, 1889, six days after the famous Land Run, a group of Methodists gathered around a white flag at Third and Broadway and sang "What a Friend We Have in Jesus." A Methodist minister named Rev. James Murray opened his Bible to Psalm 20:5 - "In the name of our God, we will set up our banners" - and a new church was born. Within a month the congregation numbered fifty. By 1904 it had a red brick building and the name St. Luke's Methodist Episcopal Church, South; by 1948 the membership had grown to nearly five thousand, and the congregation eventually settled at its current home at 222 NW 15th Street.
Today St. Luke's is one church in three locations: the historic Downtown Campus, a second campus in Edmond at 900 N. Sooner Road, and an Online Campus that streams every service to anyone with a connection. The mission that has shaped the congregation from the beginning - "Share God's Love and Bring Hope to the World" - now expresses itself through two Sunday worship styles, a long-running television broadcast, a Wednesday night program that draws hundreds each week, two large food ministries, a theatre company, a children's center, and a slate of global mission partnerships.
The Downtown Campus and the Sanctuary of 1956
The current Downtown Campus sits between NW 14th and 15th Streets and Robinson and Harvey Avenues, and its sanctuary is one of the architectural landmarks of mid-century Oklahoma City. Ground was broken for the Educational Building on March 10, 1949, with the first services held in what would later become office and classroom space on June 18, 1950. The Education Building was dedicated completely debt-free in January 1954, and the congregation immediately voted to raise another million dollars to build the sanctuary of its dreams. Ground was broken for the sanctuary on May 1, 1955, and it was opened for worship on March 3, 1956. The Christian Life Center was added in 1990, and a 2011 renovation of the CLC created additional seating for contemporary worship and space for church and outside groups to meet.
Directly east of the Downtown Sanctuary, along Robinson Avenue, sits the Columbarium and Memorial Garden. Niches holding one or two urns are available for a tax-deductible donation, and visitors are welcome to tour the space after worship on any Sunday.
The Edmond Campus on North Sooner Road
St. Luke's began expanding beyond its downtown location in 2013 to share God's love in other parts of the Oklahoma City metro. After a launch at Sequoyah Middle School on March 30, 2014, the Edmond Campus held its grand opening in its own building on October 16, 2015, at 900 N. Sooner Road in Edmond. The Edmond Campus operates as a full expression of the church, with its own children's ministry, youth ministry, chancel choir, small groups, and a serving line at Wednesday Night Alive. Rev. Josh Attaway, who first attended St. Luke's as an infant four days after he was born, leads the Edmond Campus as its Campus Pastor.
Two Worship Styles at Every Campus
St. Luke's offers two worship styles at each campus. The Traditional services follow a traditional order of worship with hymns, and the LifeLight Contemporary services feature a praise band and contemporary worship music. All services include a message of hope.
At the Downtown Campus, the schedule is:
- 8:15 a.m. Traditional Worship in the Sanctuary, featuring hymns and a message preached live from the pulpit.
- 9:30 a.m. LifeLight Contemporary in the Christian Life Center, with a praise band and live preaching.
- 10:50 a.m. Traditional Worship in the Sanctuary, a traditional order of worship with hymns, choirs, and live preaching.
At the Edmond Campus, the schedule is:
- 9:00 a.m. LifeLight Contemporary in the Worship Center, with contemporary worship music and a message shared via video from the Downtown Campus.
- 11:00 a.m. Traditional Worship in the Worship Center, with a traditional order of worship, hymns, and a message shared via video from the Downtown Campus.
Childcare and nursery are available at every service on both campuses. St. Luke's welcomes everyone just as they are; the congregation includes people who dress up and people who dress very casually, and newcomers are encouraged to come the way they feel most comfortable. First-time visitors are invited to arrive ten to fifteen minutes before worship to park and find a seat.
On Television Every Week for More Than Twenty-Five Years
St. Luke's launched a television ministry in 1993 to reach beyond its walls, and for more than twenty-five years has broadcast the sermon on KOCO Channel 5 on Sunday mornings. The current broadcast airs from 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. and is a full hour of worship including the sermon (one week delay), special music, scripture, and additional inspirational content. Sunday bulletins for the televised broadcast are available to download. St. Luke's also offers apps for Apple TV and Roku so worship can be streamed to any television.
The Online Campus
The Online Campus began streaming the 10:50 Traditional Service in 2015 and expanded rapidly in 2020 when the pandemic shifted everything online. Today all four St. Luke's Sunday services are streamed live on dedicated online.church platforms, and the Online Campus is pastored by Rev. Linda Harker. The Online Campus maintains its own bulletin links, a chat feature, and audio-only options for those joining from a phone or with limited bandwidth. Links to each service, along with step-by-step guides for computers, tablets, smartphones, and large-format screens, are available on the church's Watch Live page.
Wednesday Night Alive
Wednesday Night Alive (WNA) is the midweek program that gathers the whole church twice a year, in the spring and the fall. The fall 2026 session runs September 9 through October 28 at the Downtown Campus and September 9 through October 21 at the Edmond Campus, with the Edmond Campus hosting a Fall Festival on October 28.
Each Wednesday begins with dinner served from 5:00 to 6:15 p.m. at both campuses. The Downtown meal is served in the Christian Life Center; the Edmond meal is served in the Worship Center. Dinner costs $5 for adults and is free for children eighteen and under, with a children's meal available each night. The menus rotate weekly and include items such as honey garlic chicken, gyro and chicken shawarma, pork tamales and chicken fajitas, and Swedish meatballs with noodles.
Classes for children, youth, and adults meet from 6:30 to 8:00 p.m. on Wednesdays. The Downtown Campus main session meets in the Sanctuary and is livestreamed. The fall 2026 Downtown series, led by Dr. Bob Long and Rev. Wendy Lambert, is "What's Love Got To Do With It: How Jesus teaches about His love through His parables." The Edmond Campus main session is "Voices That Still Speak: The Prophets Then and Now," led by Rev. Josh Attaway. Dozens of additional elective classes meet before and after the main sessions at both campuses, covering subjects as varied as the Apostles' Creed, Genesis, the Screwtape Letters, LEGO® Serious Play® and Scripture, mahjong, gentle chair yoga, boundaries, the I Am statements of Jesus, hymn singing, and the book of Revelation.
Children's Ministry from Newborns to Fifth Grade
Children's Ministry is built around the idea that a foundation in faith begins early. At the Downtown Campus, nursery care is offered for children from six weeks old through four years during all three Sunday services, and Sunday School is offered for Pre-K through fifth grade during every service. Early Childhood classrooms are on the first floor on the southwest side of the building in Room 116, and Sunday School for older children meets outside Room 210 on the second floor. Children can earn Bible Bucks for attending Sunday School, bringing a friend, or bringing a Bible; the Bible Bucks Store is open almost every Sunday during Sunday School hours.
Edmond Campus Sunday School is offered during the 9 a.m. and 11 a.m. services for children from six weeks old through fifth grade.
Annual events for children include Wednesday Night Alive classes during the spring and fall, an Easter Egg Hunt on the Saturday before Easter, Vacation Bible School in June, Camp Credo in July, presentation of 3rd Grade Bibles in September, a Fall Festival in October, and a Christmas Program in December.
St. Luke's Children's Center
The Children's Center is an arm of the church that provides weekday early-childhood care and education. It is led by Executive Director Gabrielle Moon and is located on the Downtown Campus. The Children's Center has long been a place where St. Luke's ministry extends into the lives of young families across Oklahoma City.
Thrive Youth Ministry
Thrive is the umbrella name for St. Luke's 6th through 12th grade ministry. Youth gather on Sunday mornings, on Wednesdays through THRIVE Youth Bible Study and youth choirs, and on Sundays and Wednesdays for outings, service projects, and small groups. Summer brings camps and mission experiences. St. Luke's sends groups to Dayspring (incoming 9th grade through graduated seniors) at New Life Ranch Frontier Cove, to YF Tulsa (incoming 7th grade through graduated seniors) for a week of home repair and service, and to Disciple Camp (incoming 6th through 9th grade) at Sky Ranch Cave Springs. Special weekends include Discovery Weekend in January, Spring Break Mission Trips, Youth Launch in May, Confirmation Class from August through October, and a Fall Retreat in November. Amy Givens leads the Downtown youth ministry and Schuyler Henderson leads the Edmond youth ministry. Scholarships are available so cost is never a barrier.
Young Adult Ministries: Willow and The Table
St. Luke's has two distinct young adult communities. Willow Ministries serves post-high school students ages 18 to 25 who want to keep moving forward in faith as students of Christ. The Table serves adults in their 20s and 30s, including couples and singles, and meets on the first and third Saturday mornings of each month in the Mansion Library at the Downtown Campus at 10:30 a.m. for coffee, a light breakfast, and Bible study. Ashley Carr Soter and George Soter serve as co-directors of these young adult ministries and also oversee the Arts at St. Luke's programs.
Adult Discipleship and Small Groups
St. Luke's runs an unusually deep network of small groups and adult classes. The Downtown Campus hosts more than nine Sunday morning adult Sunday School classes for ages ranging from their 20s to their 80s, including Wesley (Ages 50+), Faithworks (all ages, mostly 40+), Among Friends (25-40), Believers (all ages), Circles (50+), Unity (50+, Zoom only), Upper Room (60+), Genesis (50+), and Afterglow (40+). Midweek Downtown groups include a Monday morning Senior Bible Study, a Tuesday Spirit Sisters Bible Study for women, a Thursday noon Women of Faith Bible Study (with lunch for $5), and a Thursday 7 a.m. Men's Faith Group.
The Edmond Campus offers Sunday morning classes for Journey (all adults), Horizons (empty nesters, singles, and couples), New Life (adults with young families, with childcare provided), Close Ties (50+), and The Vine (parents of youth students). Midweek Edmond groups include a Monday 7 a.m. Men's Community Group, a monthly Women Entrepreneurs Group, Women on Wednesdays over Zoom, Mom Core on Thursday mornings with free childcare, and Under Construction - Building Men of God on Friday mornings.
Special interest and affinity groups include the 4th Quarter Men's Ministry, Building Better Moms, Open Hearts (an LGBTQ community group that meets the first Sunday of each month), United Women in Faith (formerly United Methodist Women), Ladies Night Out, the InKnit knitting group, Grief Ministry, the Caregivers Support Group, the Faith Partners Addiction Ministry, and a Columbarium ministry.
Music, Choir, and the Poteet Theatre
Music is central to life at St. Luke's. Robert Fasol serves as Organist and Choirmaster and leads the St. Luke's Choir, which rehearses on Wednesdays from 6:30 to 8:00 p.m. and sings at the 10:50 a.m. Traditional service every Sunday. Dr. Candace Fish directs the Edmond Campus Chancel Choir and the Edmond Children's Choir. Savannah White Lewis directs LifeLight Worship at the Edmond Campus, and Mervin Tay serves as LifeLight Music Director and Composer. Children's Choir meets on Wednesdays after school, and a Youth Choir meets for grades 6 through 12.
St. Luke's is also home to the Poteet Theatre, an arts ministry housed on the Downtown Campus. The Poteet Theatre produces a regular season of plays and musicals and offers a year-round Poteet Academy for young performers. Volunteers receive complimentary tickets to the productions they help with. The Poteet Theatre is named for Rev. Dave Poteet, the church's Pastor of Congregational Care.
El Sistema Oklahoma is another musical outreach of the church. It is an after-school program serving more than 200 underserved public school children in the heart of Oklahoma City, engaging them in ensemble-based music so they can grow as responsible citizens. St. Luke's provides space, leadership, and volunteers for the program. Kim Wilson serves as Executive Director.
Threefold Bookstore
Threefold is the church's bookstore, located on the Downtown Campus. It stocks Bibles, study books, and resources for the many classes and studies offered through the congregation, including the current Spirit Sisters study and many Wednesday Night Alive electives.
Meals on Wheels Oklahoma City
St. Luke's has been delivering meals to homebound seniors for more than forty years through the Mobile Meals program. In 2019 the church took on the responsibility of coordinating Meals on Wheels for all of Oklahoma County. Now operating as Meals on Wheels Oklahoma City, the program provides more than 10,000 meals each month to seniors, with deliveries six days a week. St. Luke's also supports a monthly Pet Food to Seniors program that delivers pet food on the third Saturday of each month, and a Blizzard Box program at Christmas that delivers boxes of shelf-stable food to Meals on Wheels clients before winter storms. Chris Lambert serves as Director of Meals on Wheels Oklahoma City, with Morgan Jones as Associate Director.
Community Market OKC
The Community Market food distribution was launched in 2020 in response to sharply increased food insecurity during the pandemic. Each Friday volunteers help package and distribute fresh produce, protein, and other food items to more than 250 families and individuals. The program works in partnership with the Regional Food Bank of Oklahoma and other food resource centers. All youth volunteers under 18 must be accompanied by an adult, and the program has volunteer slots for produce packing and for distribution drivers. The Hope Bus, a recent addition funded by a generous gift, will be used to support those impacted by natural disasters with meals and supplies.
Local and Global Missions
St. Luke's supports more than fifty local and global ministries. Locally, the church partners with Neighborhood Services Organization, City Rescue Mission, Criminal Justice and Mercy Ministries, Cleats For Kids, Coolidge Elementary School, El Sistema Oklahoma, Fields & Futures, HOPE Center of Edmond, Homeless Alliance, Infant Crisis Services, Lydia Patterson Institute, Palomar, People Caring For People, Project 66 Food & Resource Center, Rebuilding Together OKC, Regional Food Bank of Oklahoma, ReMerge, Restore OKC, SISU Youth Services, Skyline Urban Ministries, UMCOR Disaster Relief, Upward Transitions, Will Rogers Elementary School, Wings Special Needs Community, World Central Kitchen, World Neighbors, and the YWCA. Volunteers serve through Reading Buddies at Coolidge Elementary and Wildcat Buddies at Will Rogers Elementary, and through the Back to School Bash that distributes backpacks filled with supplies to Oklahoma City Public Schools students.
Globally, St. Luke's has longstanding partnerships in Ulyanovsk and Siberia in Russia (since 1992), in Flowers Bay on Roatan, Honduras (since 2014), in Kisumu and Kaimosi, Kenya, and with Methodist churches in Alaska. Mission teams travel to help with construction, dental clinics, VBS, and church partnerships. Travel to Russia is not currently allowed, but the relationship continues in prayer and correspondence.
Pastoral Care and Prayer Ministry
The Pastoral Care Ministry extends the love of Christ to those whose celebrations, sadness, and transitions shape their lives. Programs include an Intercessory Prayer Team that prays daily for the church family, a Congregational Care Team of trained laity who reach out at times of health crisis, births, deaths, and milestones, a Caregivers Support Group for those caring for loved ones with chronic or terminal illness, and a Good Grief group for anyone in the community experiencing any form of loss. The Faith Partners Addiction Ministry offers confidential guidance and referrals for individuals and families touched by alcoholism, drug dependency, gambling, food, sex, relationships, and pornography. The Pastoral Care Ministry also supports military families and offers funeral and wedding coordination. Prayer requests can be submitted online or by calling (405) 232-1371.
What St. Luke's Believes
St. Luke's summarizes its faith in three words: Share, Grow, and Serve. The congregation seeks new ways to share God's message in ways that encourage and provide hope through stories based on scripture. Faith is understood not as a set of religious beliefs but as trust in God's unconditional love for us as God's children, deepened through group classes and a daily devotional practice. Through gratitude for Jesus, the church believes it is called to follow in his footsteps by serving in the church, the community, and throughout the globe. The pastoral staff is ordained in the United Methodist tradition, and the church's teaching reflects the Methodist heritage of John Wesley, with emphasis on the practices of prayer, study, worship, and service.
Daily Devotionals and the Three Simple Rules
A daily devotional email is offered to anyone who signs up, and the recent teaching has walked the congregation through John Wesley's Three Simple Rules: do no harm, do good, and stay in love with God. The rhythm of prayer is encouraged three times a day - morning, midday, and evening - as a way to stay grounded in what matters most.
Giving and the Foundation
Members and friends support St. Luke's through tithes and offerings, online at the church's giving portal, by texting SLM to 73256, or by setting up bank drafts and credit card gifts. Members are invited to make an annual financial commitment so the church can budget for ministry and mission. Designated giving is welcomed for El Sistema Oklahoma, the Food Ministry, Music, Missions, and other causes. The St. Luke's Foundation administers more than $30,000 in college scholarships each academic year for students attending Oklahoma City University or who have participated in St. Luke's youth or school partnership programs. The Foundation also administers an Addiction Ministry Scholarship of between $500 and $2,500 for individuals in recovery who are enrolled at an accredited college, university, or vocational school.
Getting Involved and Membership
Becoming a member of St. Luke's starts with attending a newcomers class or with a conversation with the Connections Pastor, Rev. Linda Harker. Visitors can register their attendance online to stay in communication with the church. The Hospitality team, led by Marsha Long and staffed by Logan Fish and Madison Woods at the Edmond Campus, greets visitors at the door, follows up by email, and helps newcomers find a Sunday School class or small group. The Tisha Tate Garcia-led text line connects members with the church through their phones. For members and guests who would like a hand getting set up to watch online services, the church's support line is available to help with Roku, Chromecast, Smart TV, and Apple TV.
More than a century after the white flag was staked at Third and Broadway, St. Luke's continues to set up its banners in the heart of Oklahoma City, now extending across two campuses, an online campus, a television broadcast, food programs that feed thousands, a theatre that fills a downtown stage, and mission partnerships that reach across continents.