Pastor Hardin Boyer resigned in 1987 and his family moved to the East coast.  Associate Barry Lawrence and youth pastor Paul  Utnage answered calls to new churches near the same time.

This was an exciting time at TBC and our leadership team took over the pulpit and the expository preaching from the Word of God continued for almost a year before we found the next lead pastor.  It was a rich and wonderful time in the history of our church.

After an extensive search, and several really great candidates, we called Dr. Paul Brownback and his wife Connie who lived in Ozark Arkansas.  Again, God’s timing is always perfect in His providence.  With Paul there was a shift of emphasis beginning with an active evangelism explosion outreach and people were getting introduced to the Christ by our members, witnessing around the growing area of the church.   The surrounding neighborhoods were being exposed to the gospel. It was good for our members and the apartments next door to the church never lacked from our outreach to sharing the gospel and the good news.  Many were being saved and discipled.

When changes happen sometimes it impact those who are not seeing it as they knew it to be.  As a result, some  people moved on and a few new churches were planted and ministry continued. Times like these can be hard to see your friends leave the church, but God in His faithfulness spread out the body to new churches and locations.  God was working to spread the gospel in Tulsa with solid men and women of the Word going forth.

Five years later Pastor Brownback and his wife left for a new ministry and again our elders took the lead and preached and cared for the flock till God brought a new pastor.

Pastor John Barnett and his wife Bonnie came in 1995 with a few kids and left with eight wonderful children.

New vision and focus, refreshing changes and growth for the next 14 years.  One of pastor John’s good friends, John MacArthur and many from The Master’s seminary came to speak in our church as guest speakers.   Strong teaching has always been a strength at TBC.

With the changes was a strong movement of homeschooling and more family-oriented activities and devotion which was a rich time of growing deeper and stronger in the Word.

During the time of growth in numbers of attendees another group of families and staff from TBC moved to Owasso to plant Bible Church of Owasso with about 200 of our members. God used this time to expand the ministry of TBC into the suburbs with a strong group of believers that were committed to reach another community with great Bible teaching.

Soon after this new plant, another 100 people from TBC planted Crossover Bible Church with two of the young men that came to Tulsa Bible Church while they were attending and playing football at Tulsa University. God allowed us to send these two young men to Dallas Theological Seminary for training and on their return, we sent them to North Tulsa to launch Crossover Bible Church. Talk about an amazing community church! They are doing something in that community that we had never seen done before and God has blessed that ministry with lives being changed for the next generation.  What a blessing from God that TBC has been able to be a part of this church.  Phillip Abode is the lead pastor and continues reaching the North Tulsa community with not only the church, but health care facilities, private boys’ and girls’ Christian schools, sports programs, and community outreach. All because God allowed TBC to embrace the vison of ministry to our community.

After 14 years Pastor Barnett felt the call and left Tulsa Bible Church to go to Michigan to a church that had been reaching out to him for years feeling like God had called him to their church.  This was another time for us at TBC to allow our elders to lead the body and teaching of the Word of God for a season.  God was so faithful teaching and training up our body during this time once again.

God has been faithful to bring outstanding pastors to TBC over the years. My wife Marlene and I have been blessed to say that Tulsa Bible Church has been our home since April 1974.

To Be Continued…