Tucked along East Fifth Street in Tulsa's Kendall Whittier neighborhood, University United Methodist Church is known in the area as much for its decades-old food pantry and neighborhood outreach as for the sound of its pipe organ on Sunday mornings. The congregation describes itself as a socially inclusive church with engaging worship rooted in historic Christian orthodoxy and practice, and it frames its work around the Methodist founder John Wesley's charge: "The whole world is my parish."
Sunday Mornings: Generations in the Sanctuary
Worship on Sunday begins at 11:00 a.m. in the Sanctuary and follows a traditional pattern, complete with a vocal choir, handbells and a pipe organ. The service runs about an hour and includes Eucharist, with all welcome at the table.
What sets the morning apart is the way children are part of it. Kids process in with the choir at the start, sit with the adults through the early part of worship, and then leave after a children's moment with their Sunday School teacher for an age-appropriate lesson. The congregation believes worship is practiced best when it is intergenerational, and that rhythm is built right into the order of the morning.
Before the service, adults have two Sunday School options to choose from:
- The Mustard Seed Class, meeting at 9:30 a.m. in the second-floor Parlor, currently working through Peter Enns' book The Sin of Certainty.
- The New Visions Group, meeting at 9:45 a.m. in the Heritage Room on the first floor, studying William H. Willimon's This We Believe.
A livestream of the 11:00 a.m. service is available on the church's Facebook page for those who cannot attend in person.
Music at the Center
Music is more than decoration at UUMC. Director of Music Ministries Steve Fischer, who joined the team in May of 2024, leads a vocal choir and a handbell choir that contribute regularly to Sunday morning worship and other church activities. Fischer studied organ at the Cleveland Institute of Music and the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music and has performed at venues ranging from Saint Patrick's Cathedral in New York to the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington, D.C., to Saint Peter's Basilica in Rome. He spent nearly two decades in Tulsa before moving to UUMC, serving as organist and worship music director at Yale Avenue Presbyterian Church, an adjunct teacher at Tulsa Community College, and a staff singer at Trinity Episcopal Church. The pipe organ in the Sanctuary is, in the congregation's own words, a treat for anyone who has never heard one in person.
Wiggle Church on Thursday Evenings
Thursday is family night at UUMC. Beginning at 5:30 p.m. in the Great Hall, Wiggle Church is a playful, interactive worship experience designed for babies through elementary-aged children and the grown-ups who love them. The evening unfolds in four parts: playtime at 5:30, a free family dinner at 6:00, an interactive worship gathering with singing, dancing, Bible stories and laughter at 6:30, and the night wrapping up at 7:00. The atmosphere is deliberately relaxed, with wiggles, giggles and exploration all encouraged, and parents get a built-in way to connect with other adults raising young children.
Ministry in the Kendall Whittier Neighborhood
The church sits in the Kendall Whittier neighborhood, and that location shapes much of its outreach. The Kendall Whittier Food Pantry, housed in the church building, has provided food assistance to neighbors in need for decades. The congregation has also begun volunteer work at Kendall Whittier Elementary School just down the street, finding new ways to support students and families in the area. Holiday and seasonal events regularly extend that welcome into the wider neighborhood as well.
Two Businesses That Fund the Mission
What is perhaps most distinctive about University United Methodist is its alternate income model. The church owns and operates two businesses whose profits go directly back into the mission and ministries of UUMC:
- Double Flag Coffee is a full-service coffee company with a 20-foot mobile trailer that travels around the region to serve premium coffee at weddings, events and gatherings.
- Propel Business & Event Center is a commercial office and event-space rental operation, with spaces throughout the church building leased to a community of local business owners and non-profits.
Income from both ventures supports the congregation's ministries and its outreach in the neighborhood.
Midweek Communion and Wednesday Prayer
The church keeps two shorter weekly rhythms beyond Sunday morning. On Tuesdays at 12:15 p.m., a brief Midweek Communion service offers a way to step out of a busy week and come to the Lord's table. On Wednesdays at 6:30 p.m., the Prayer Meeting gathers for prayer and is livestreamed on Facebook for those joining from home.
Children, Youth and the UUMC Preschool
Children participate fully in the life of the church: Sunday mornings include processing in with the choir, a children's moment, and Sunday School. Wiggle Church on Thursdays serves families with young children. The youth ministry welcomes teenagers into a welcoming group, with retreats, camp and encouragement to participate in the rest of the church's ministries as they move toward adulthood. The UUMC Preschool, directed by Karen Cody since 2012, has long been part of how the church connects with young families in the neighborhood.
Pastor and Staff
The church is pastored by the Rev. Matt Patrick, who grew up in Claremore, Oklahoma, holds a Bachelor of Religion from Oklahoma City University (2015) and a Master of Divinity from St. Paul School of Theology (2018). He serves a dual appointment: part of his work is as pastor of UUMC, and part is with the Northeast Office of Strategic Initiatives (NESI), where he provides strategic consulting and counseling to other United Methodist Churches in the region and assists the District Superintendent.
Getting Involved
Those looking to connect deeper with the church's life can sign up to serve in a variety of capacities - from choirs to children's ministry to outreach - or contribute financially through the church's online giving. Visitors with questions about what to expect on a first Sunday will find a dedicated Worship FAQ page covering service times, what the service is like, and how long it runs. The full events calendar is available online, and the Sunday 11:00 a.m. service can be joined from anywhere via the church's Facebook page.