All Souls Unitarian Church (Tulsa, Oklahoma)
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All Souls Unitarian Church is a
Unitarian Universalist Unitarian or Unitarianism may refer to: Christian and Christian-derived theologies A Unitarian is a follower of, or a member of an organisation that follows, any of several theologies referred to as Unitarianism: * Unitarianism (1565–present) ...
(UU) church in
Tulsa, Oklahoma Tulsa ( ) is the List of municipalities in Oklahoma, second-most-populous city in the U.S. state, state of Oklahoma, after Oklahoma City, and the List of United States cities by population, 48th-most-populous city in the United States. The po ...
. It is one of the largest UU congregations in the world. All Souls Unitarian Church was founded in 1921 by two leading Tulsans from families with Unitarian roots:Marlin Lavanha
"Tulsa, A Divinely Inspired City"
in Davis D. Joyce and
Fred R. Harris Fred Roy Harris (November 13, 1930 – November 23, 2024) was an American politician from Oklahoma who served from 1957 to 1964 as a member of the Oklahoma Senate and from 1964 to 1973 as a member of the United States Senate. Harris was electe ...
, eds., ''Alternative Oklahoma: contrarian views of the Sooner State'' (
University of Oklahoma Press The University of Oklahoma Press (OU Press) is the publishing arm of the University of Oklahoma. Founded in 1929 by the fifth president of the University of Oklahoma, William Bennett Bizzell, it was the first university press to be established ...
, 2007), , pp. 211–219.
Richard Lloyd Jones, the publisher of the ''
Tulsa Tribune The ''Tulsa Tribune'' was an afternoon daily newspaper published in Tulsa, Oklahoma from 1919 to 1992. Owned and run by three generations of the Jones family, the ''Tribune'' closed in 1992 after the termination of its joint operating agreement ...
'' daily newspaper, whose father, Rev. Jenkin Lloyd Jones, had served as secretary of the Western Unitarian Conference and founded All Souls Church in
Chicago Chicago is the List of municipalities in Illinois, most populous city in the U.S. state of Illinois and in the Midwestern United States. With a population of 2,746,388, as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the List of Unite ...
; and William Rea (W. R.) Holway, an engineer who was instrumental in the development of Tulsa's water resources.Glen Roberson
"Grand River Dam Authority"
at ''Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History & Culture'' (retrieved July 17, 2009)


History


Early years

The church began when Richard Lloyd Jones ran an advertisement in the ''Tribune'' seeking people interested in starting a "liberal church". The group, originally calling itself All Souls Liberal Church, met at Tulsa's City Hall, Jones's house, Temple Israel, and the Majestic movie theater before erecting their own building at 14th and Boulder in 1930 and 1931.Harvard University
"The Pluralism Project: All Souls Unitarian Church"
2008. Retrieved October 30, 2012.
In 1957, the church moved to its current home at 2952 South Peoria, adjacent to the historic Maple Ridge district. This building was designed by Tulsa architect
John Duncan Forsyth John Duncan Forsyth (1886 or 1887–1963) was a Scottish-American architect who became prominent in Oklahoma. Based in Tulsa and working in a variety of styles, he was connected with a number of significant buildings around the state. Biogra ...
, who also designed the E. W. Marland Mansion in Ponca City,
Southern Hills Country Club Southern Hills Country Club is a private golf and country club in Tulsa, Oklahoma. History The club was established in 1935 from land donated by multimillionaire oilman Waite Phillips (Frank Phillips, Waite's brother, was the namesake and fou ...
, and
Pensacola Dam The Pensacola Dam, also known as the Grand River Dam, is a multiple-arch buttress dam located between the towns of Disney and Langley on the Grand River in Mayes County, Oklahoma. The dam is operated by the Grand River Dam Authority and cr ...
at
Grand Lake o' the Cherokees Grand Lake o' the Cherokees is situated in Northeast Oklahoma in the foothills of the Ozark Mountain Range. It is often simply called Grand Lake. It is administered by the Grand River Dam Authority. History The ''Encyclopedia of Oklahoma Hist ...
, the last of which also involved All Souls co-founder W. R. Holway as chief engineer.


Ministry of John Wolf

In 1960, John Wolf (1925–2017) became senior minister. He became prominent as a liberal activist in Tulsa's predominantly conservative politics, and his church grew to become the largest Unitarian congregation in the world. Early in his ministry at All Souls, Wolf began building bridges with other religious leaders in Tulsa. The Tulsa Council of Churches (TCC) had previously excluded groups whose beliefs did not coincide with those held by the majority of its members. Those ineligible to join included Roman Catholics, Jews, Unitarians and Muslims. In 1965, inspired by Dr.
Martin Luther King Martin Luther King Jr. (born Michael King Jr.; January 15, 1929 – April 4, 1968) was an American Baptist minister, civil rights activist and political philosopher who was a leader of the civil rights movement from 1955 until his a ...
's call for leaders of all churches to join him in his Freedom March at Selma, Alabama, Wolf called for an ecumenical (and integrated) service to be hosted by All Souls. Such an event had never before happened in Tulsa. Many church leaders participated. Soon afterward, the TCC opened its membership to those religious faiths that it had previously declared as ineligible. Some of Wolf's notable causes included his efforts to reform the funeral industry; his leadership of protests against the administration of the
Tulsa Public Schools Tulsa Public Schools is an independent school district serving the Tulsa, Oklahoma area in Northeastern Oklahoma. As of 2022, it is the largest school district in Oklahoma, surpassing Oklahoma City Public Schools for the first time since 201 ...
; a controversial sermon entitled "Tulsa is a Hick Town" that was credited with leading to the construction of the Tulsa Performing Arts Center; his consistent
pro-choice Abortion-rights movements, also self-styled as pro-choice movements, are movements that advocate for legal access to induced abortion services, including elective abortion. They seek to represent and support women who wish to terminate their ...
activism; and his frequent criticisms of Tulsa's most famous evangelist leader,
Oral Roberts Granville Oral Roberts (January 24, 1918 – December 15, 2009) was an American Charismatic Christianity, Charismatic Christianity, Christian televangelist, who was one of the first to propagate Prosperity theology, Prosperity Gospel Theo ...
.Susan Everly-Douze
"A Free Spirit: The Rev. John Wolf Has the Most Liberal Pulpit in Town"
''
Tulsa World The ''Tulsa World'' is an American daily newspaper. It serves the city of Tulsa, Oklahoma, and is the primary newspaper for the northeastern and eastern portions of Oklahoma. The printed edition is the second-most circulated newspaper in the sta ...
'', December 3, 1989.
Bill Sherman
"Pearson's Church to Meet in All Souls"
''
Tulsa World The ''Tulsa World'' is an American daily newspaper. It serves the city of Tulsa, Oklahoma, and is the primary newspaper for the northeastern and eastern portions of Oklahoma. The printed edition is the second-most circulated newspaper in the sta ...
'', June 14, 2008.
In 1974 All Souls began a broadcast ministry, initially known as Univision, that included a multipart series hosted by Wolf called ''Faith in the Free Church''. Wolf took emeritus status in 1995, and remained active until his death in 2017 at age 92. Under his successors, Brent Smith and the current senior minister, Marlin Lavanhar, the church's activism has continued.


Ministry of Marlin Lavanhar

In 2000, the All Souls' congregation, then comprising about 1,000 members, voted to call Reverend Marlin Lavanhar as its senior minister. Lavanhar had grown up in suburban Chicago, Illinois, where he grew up in the Unitarian Universalist Church. After high school, he moved to New Orleans, and earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in sociology at
Tulane University The Tulane University of Louisiana (commonly referred to as Tulane University) is a private research university in New Orleans, Louisiana, United States. Founded as the Medical College of Louisiana in 1834 by a cohort of medical doctors, it b ...
in 1990. After graduation, he and a friend moved to
Kyoto, Japan Kyoto ( or ; Japanese: , ''Kyōto'' ), officially , is the capital city of Kyoto Prefecture in the Kansai region of Japan's largest and most populous island of Honshu. , the city had a population of 1.46 million, making it the ninth-most pop ...
, to work and study for two years. The pair then began a three-year adventure traveling the world on mountain bikes. They covered about 20,000 miles, to learn about religions and religious practices in different cultures and traditions.Interfaith Alliance of Tulsa. "Rev. Dr. Marlin Lavanhar to Receive 2015 Russell Bennett Faith and Courage Award". March 4, 2015.
Accessed March 3, 2019.
Not only did he study the main religions along the route (Buddhism, Judaism, Hinduism, Islam, and Christianity), he searched out Unitarian-related communities on
Negros Negros (, , ) is the fourth largest and third most populous island in the Philippines, with a total land area of . The coastal zone of the southern part of Negros is identified as a site of highest marine biodiversity importance in the Coral Tr ...
island in the Philippines, in the
Khasi Hills The Khasi Hills () are a low mountain formation on the Shillong Plateau in the Meghalaya state of India. The Khasi Hills are part of the Garo-Khasi-Jaintia range and connect with the Purvanchal Range and the larger Patkai Range further east. The ...
of Northeast India, and in Pakistan, Sri Lanka, the Czech Republic, Hungary, and Romania. He later said that the journey helped him recognize that he was called to become a Unitarian minister. Returning home from his adventures, Lavanhar decided to enroll at the
Harvard Divinity School Harvard Divinity School (HDS) is one of the constituent schools of Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts. The school's mission is to educate its students either in the religious studies, academic study of religion or for leadership role ...
. He earned the Master of Divinity degree in 1999, then was ordained by the
Unitarian Universalist Association Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA) is a liberal religious association of Unitarian Universalism, Unitarian Universalist congregations. It was formed in 1961 by the consolidation of the American Unitarian Association and the Universalist Ch ...
in 1999. He first went to be minister of outreach at the historic
First First most commonly refers to: * First, the ordinal form of the number 1 First or 1st may also refer to: Acronyms * Faint Images of the Radio Sky at Twenty-Centimeters, an astronomical survey carried out by the Very Large Array * Far Infrared a ...
and
Second The second (symbol: s) is a unit of time derived from the division of the day first into 24 hours, then to 60 minutes, and finally to 60 seconds each (24 × 60 × 60 = 86400). The current and formal definition in the International System of U ...
Church in Boston. Then he was sent as pastor to the North Shore Unitarian Church in
Deerfield, Illinois Deerfield is a village in Lake County, Illinois, Lake and Cook County, Illinois, Cook counties in the U.S. state of Illinois. A northern Chicago metropolitan area, suburb of Chicago, Deerfield is located on the North Shore (Chicago), North Shore, ...
, where he became better known throughout the UUA for developing the "Soulful Sundown Service", designed to attract young people. In 2000, the All Souls search committee met with him, heard him preach and evidently were quite impressed. Although he had no experience running even a small church, he had so many other qualifications they were seeking that they had no difficulty in recommending him to their own congregation. At the age of 31, he became the youngest senior minister in the UUA. Lavanhar was a leading opponent of the
Tulsa Zoo The Tulsa Zoo is an zoo located in Tulsa, Oklahoma, United States. The Tulsa Zoo is owned by the City of Tulsa but since 2010 has been privately managed by Tulsa Zoo Management, Inc. The zoo is located in Mohawk Park, one of the largest munici ...
's controversial (and short-lived) 2005 decision to include a
creationism Creationism is the faith, religious belief that nature, and aspects such as the universe, Earth, life, and humans, originated with supernatural acts of Creation myth, divine creation, and is often Pseudoscience, pseudoscientific.#Gunn 2004, Gun ...
exhibit. Lavanhar presided over the 2004 memorial service for Fern Holland, a Tulsa lawyer and human rights activist who was the first U.S. civilian to be killed in the
Iraq War The Iraq War (), also referred to as the Second Gulf War, was a prolonged conflict in Iraq lasting from 2003 to 2011. It began with 2003 invasion of Iraq, the invasion by a Multi-National Force – Iraq, United States-led coalition, which ...
. In February 2010 he traveled to
Uganda Uganda, officially the Republic of Uganda, is a landlocked country in East Africa. It is bordered to the east by Kenya, to the north by South Sudan, to the west by the Democratic Republic of the Congo, to the south-west by Rwanda, and to the ...
to speak in opposition to the proposed
Uganda Anti-Homosexuality Bill The Anti-Homosexuality Act, 2014 was an act passed by the Parliament of Uganda on 20 December 2013, which prohibited sexual relations between persons of the same sex. The act was previously called the "Kill the Gays bill" in the western main ...
. All Souls has also been noted for its efforts to re-examine the 1921
Tulsa race riot The Tulsa race massacre was a two-day-long white supremacist terrorist massacre that took place in the Greenwood District in Tulsa, Oklahoma, between May 31 and June 1, 1921, when mobs of white residents, some of whom had been appointed as ...
, including the controversial role of the church's co-founder and ''Tribune'' publisher Richard Lloyd Jones, as well as the riot's lasting impact in Tulsa. In the summer of 2008 the church rented space to New Dimensions, the congregation of
Carlton Pearson Carlton D'Metrius Pearson (March 19, 1953 – November 19, 2023) was an American Christian minister and gospel music artist. At one time, he was the pastor of the Higher Dimensions Evangelistic Center Incorporated, later named the Higher Dimensi ...
, a prominent evangelist, former protégé of
Oral Roberts Granville Oral Roberts (January 24, 1918 – December 15, 2009) was an American Charismatic Christianity, Charismatic Christianity, Christian televangelist, who was one of the first to propagate Prosperity theology, Prosperity Gospel Theo ...
, and
bishop A bishop is an ordained member of the clergy who is entrusted with a position of Episcopal polity, authority and oversight in a religious institution. In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance and administration of di ...
of the
Church of God in Christ The Church of God in Christ (COGIC) is an international Christian perfection#Holiness Pentecostalism, Holiness–Pentecostal Christian denomination, and a large Pentecostal denomination in the United States. Although an international and multi ...
, who was declared a heretic by a group of
Pentecostal Pentecostalism or classical Pentecostalism is a movement within the broader Evangelical wing of Protestantism, Protestant Christianity that emphasizes direct personal experience of God in Christianity, God through Baptism with the Holy Spirit#Cl ...
bishops for preaching his "Gospel of Inclusion", a message that salvation is afforded to all persons including non-Christians. At the end of the summer, Bishop Pearson dissolved New Dimensions and invited the members of his congregation to join him in signing the membership book at All Souls, and to enroll their children in the church's religious education program. All Souls began hosting the All Soul Acoustic Coffeehouse in 2008 in Emerson Hall, founded by Anitra Lavanhar, wife of the church's senior minister. The coffeehouse is not a part of the church's official program, but is a monthly venue for music aficionados. Lavanhar was first exposed to the concept of a smoke-free acoustic coffeehouse that catered to folk musicians while living in Boston. It is a non-profit venture, staffed by eight volunteers. The music is predominantly blues, bluegrass and alternative country style. Attendance varies, but has reportedly been as high as 200. The influx of new members received attention for the concurrent move to introduce a worship liturgy with the livelier, predominantly African-American
Pentecostal Pentecostalism or classical Pentecostalism is a movement within the broader Evangelical wing of Protestantism, Protestant Christianity that emphasizes direct personal experience of God in Christianity, God through Baptism with the Holy Spirit#Cl ...
style of Pearson's followers during one of the church's two Sunday services.Kimberly French
"The gospel of inclusion: A black Pentecostal bishop embraces Universalism, befriends a Unitarian minister, and shakes up the largest congregation in the UUA"
''UU World'', Fall 2009.
As the church has continued to grow in recent years, it has strained the capacity of its Maple Ridge campus, where the main sanctuary has a seating capacity of only 400 people. Expansion plans were developed in 2007 and 2008 but not pursued. In 2011, serious consideration began of a master plan to move the church to a new
Downtown Tulsa Downtown Tulsa is an area of approximately surrounded by an inner-dispersal loop created by Interstate 244, U.S. Route 64 in Oklahoma, US 64 and U.S. Route 75 in Oklahoma, US 75. The area serves as Tulsa, Oklahoma, Tulsa's financial and business ...
campus. The block, donated by three families who have been long-time members of the congregation, is bounded by Frankfort and Kenosha avenues and Sixth and Seventh streets. In November 2011, the congregation voted to accept the donation of a vacant city block in downtown's East Village neighborhood. Bill Sherman, "Church on path to return to downtown: All Souls Unitarian members vote to accept a gift of property in the East Village"
''
Tulsa World The ''Tulsa World'' is an American daily newspaper. It serves the city of Tulsa, Oklahoma, and is the primary newspaper for the northeastern and eastern portions of Oklahoma. The printed edition is the second-most circulated newspaper in the sta ...
'', November 22, 2011.
In 2017 a membership vote reaffirmed the church's intention to move downtown; if sufficient and timely financing is raised, the schedule calls for the new campus to open in time for the church's 100th anniversary in 2021. One historian of the UU movement has described All Souls Unitarian Church as a "prominent" example of a small group of urban UU churches that became "powerful voices of liberal religion in their communities and in the nation."


Largest Unitarian Universalist congregation

All Souls Unitarian Church has been identified as one of the largest UU congregations for many years."Biggest in the U.S.: That Now Describes The First Unitarian Society Of Madison, And In 15 Years It Has Doubled To 1,300 Members"
, ''
Wisconsin State Journal The ''Wisconsin State Journal'' is a daily newspaper published in Madison, Wisconsin by Lee Enterprises. The newspaper, the second largest in Wisconsin, is primarily distributed in a 19 county region in south-central Wisconsin. As of Septembe ...
'', December 26, 2003.
A second Unitarian church, Hope Unitarian Church in south Tulsa, was established in 1968, drawing off some membership; later, another small spin-off, Church of the Restoration, was started in the Greenwood district. In the early 2000s, All Souls Unitarian dropped some inactive members from its rolls, and for a time it was supplanted in the top spot by
Unitarian Church of All Souls The Unitarian Church of All Souls at 1157 Lexington Avenue at 80th Street (Manhattan), East 80th Street on the Upper East Side of Manhattan, New York City was built in 1932 and was designed by Hobart Upjohn – Richard Upjohn's grandson &n ...
in
New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...
and then by the First Unitarian Society of Madison, Wisconsin. The
Unitarian Universalist Association Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA) is a liberal religious association of Unitarian Universalism, Unitarian Universalist congregations. It was formed in 1961 by the consolidation of the American Unitarian Association and the Universalist Ch ...
certified membership statistics have shown All Souls Unitarian to have the largest congregation of any single-church UU congregation since at least 2009; as of April 29, 2022, All Souls Unitarian had 1,512 members, more than any other church-based congregation. The only larger congregation is the
Church of the Larger Fellowship The Church of the Larger Fellowship (CLF) provides a ministry to isolated Unitarian Universalists (UUs). Its mission also includes growing Unitarian Universalism by supporting small congregations and new UUs around the world. The CLF also offers ...
, an outreach ministry.According to the same statistics, All Souls Unitarian was third in average weekly attendance, a category led in 2016 by First Unitarian Society of Madison.


Notes


References


External links


All Souls Unitarian Church website
{{List of Unitarian, Universalist, and Unitarian Universalist churches, state=autocollapse Unitarian Universalist churches in Oklahoma Churches in Tulsa, Oklahoma 1921 establishments in Oklahoma Religious buildings and structures in Tulsa, Oklahoma