About Us
Welcome to Hope Unitarian Church, a beacon of progressive spirituality in south Tulsa! Perched atop the highest point in the city at 84th and Sheridan, our unique church offers a warm invitation to people of all ages to join us Sunday mornings for a variety of enriching activities.
At Hope, we are a diverse community of individuals, each on our own unique spiritual journey. We share an unwavering belief in the worth and dignity of every individual. It is our calling to translate our faith into meaningful acts of justice and compassion, creating a world that reflects our values. Together, we foster a vibrant community where we seek truth through love, staying true to our name: Hope. Join us!
Our Mission and Vision
Vision
Seeking Hope, Love, and Justice—Together in Community
Mission
Supporting the free and responsible search for truth and meaning;
Teaching the history and traditions of Unitarianism;
Promoting and defending freedom of thought;
Celebrating life’s passages;
Serving the larger community with justice and compassion.
Core Values
Reason, Integrity and Tolerance
Our Beliefs
What is a Unitarian Universalist?
Unitarian Universalists (UU) affirm the individual conscience in matters of religion and the search for truth. We proclaim the center of religious life is the local church, governed by congregational democracy. We affirm deeds not creeds, the use of reason in religion and covenant as the basis for religious community. We recognize the scriptures of all religions as human attempts to understand the divine and as such subject to interpretation and critique on the same basis as other human literature.
We believe the purpose of the church is not to require people to believe alike, but to create a Beloved Community where human souls are knit together, where people can laugh and cry with one another, sharing with and supporting one another through the best and the worst of times. We welcome all who come to our door, regardless of race, ethnicity, ability, gender or gender/sexual orientation.
Our church is not unique. Our tradition finds its roots in the Pilgrim and Puritan traditions of New England and the Universalist Church of America. The Pilgrims and Puritans were neither Unitarian nor Universalist, but they rejected creeds in favor of covenants and insisted on the right of individual conscience and congregational polity–the belief that the local church was the highest authority and that it should be ruled democratically. They also insisted on education for both their ministers and their laity.
Over time the Pilgrims and Puritans evolved into Unitarians and played a pivotal role in the beginnings of the United States with three of the first six Presidents being members of Unitarian churches (John Adams and John Quincy Adams) or Unitarian in their personal theology (Thomas Jefferson). The Universalist side of our tradition comes from the Universalist Church of America that rejected the hell fire and brimstone tradition of early American evangelists and insisted instead on a doctrine of love.
Hope Unitarian Church is a proud member of the Unitarian Universalist Association of Congregations.
A flaming chalice, symbolizing religious freedom and those who have died for it, is lighted at the beginning of each worship service.
Our History
Hope was founded in 1968 by 53 Charter Members from All Souls Unitarian Church. It was an act of creation that had been planned since All Souls moved to its present location in the 1950s with an eye towards future growth. With a commitment to spreading the good news of liberal religion to South Tulsa, the new church held its first worship service at Key Elementary and shortly thereafter moved to Thornton YMCA where it remained until construction was completed on its present building in 1977.
Located on the highest point in Tulsa County, Hope’s building is the creation of nationally recognized architect, Ron Dirsmith. Its unique design appears to grow organically out of the top of the hill. The natural stone walls of Oologah limestone, the domed ceiling of its Sanctuary (The Great Hall) and its natural setting create a space that invokes the sacred. In addition to the original structure, the Log Cabin, to the northwest of the church, was nestled into the surrounding woods. Both buildings were designed with accessibility in mind.
Hope has been served by seven called ministers: The Rev. Fred Lipp, The Rev. Bill Gold, The Rev. Jim Eller, The Rev. Gary Blaine, The Rev. Jack Bryant, The Rev. Cathey Edwards, and The Rev. Justin M. McCreary.
Hope has served the Tulsa community in a variety of ways, including a jail ministry organized in the 1970s and an outstanding preschool that operated from 1980 to the mid-1990s. In 2000 and 2001, Hope was recognized for community service when the Tulsa Metropolitan Ministry awarded it the Community Outreach Award for Outstanding Community Services and the Annual Interfaith Service Recognition. In 2006, the congregation voted to “give away the plate” by identifying a community charity each month to whom the offering is donated; this practice continues today. Environmental concerns are important to the congregation, which committed to UUA Green Sanctuary certification in 2011. Hope is a certified Monarch Waystation, which brings an abundance of butterflies to the hill in spring and summer.
Today our community outreach supports Tulsa’s Day Center for the Homeless by providing a monthly meal for approximately 120 people who seek services every day, participating in Guest at your Table through the Unitarian Universalist Service Committee, Tulsa Public Schools Partner in Education and Christmas Outreach.
Our Symbol: The Flaming Chalice
A flame within a chalice is the primary symbol of the Unitarian Universalist faith tradition. Many of our congregations kindle a flaming chalice in gatherings and worships and feature the chalice symbol prominently.
Hans Deutsch, an Austrian artist, first brought together the chalice and the flame as a Unitarian symbol during his work with the Unitarian Service Committee during World War II. To Deutsch, the image had connotations of sacrifice and love.
To Unitarian Universalists today the flaming chalice is a symbol of hope, the sacred, the quest for truth, the warmth of community, the light of reason, and more.
We light a flaming chalice in worship to create a reverent space for reflection, prayer, meditation, and singing. You can learn more about the history of the chalice in UU World.
Our Covenant
Love is the spirit of this church, and service is its law; this is our great covenant: to dwell together in peace, to seek the truth in love, and to help one another.
James Vila Blake, 189.