50 years of TCF's history
​1969-2019
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TCF Leaders' Retreat 2019

2019
TCF celebrates 50 years of God's faithfulness

November of this year marks 50 years since the very first meeting of Tulsa Christian Fellowship.  TCF is still being used to release laborers into God's harvest, sending out two new families to the mission field during the year 2019.

2018
TCF ordains the next generation of leadership with three new elders
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Jon Faylor, James Thorpe, Steve Staub, ordained July 2018 as TCF elders
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from a 1980 church directory

2011
Bill Sanders, TCF's first pastor, enters eternity with Christ

2017
last original TCFer goes to her eternal home with Christ

Nette Hudson, who with her husband Willard, and about a dozen others, started TCF in 1969, was the last person of that original group still involved with TCF until she died in 2017.  Willard, one of TCF's first elders, passed away in 1995.

1999
Chuck Farah, who joined Bill Sanders to pastor TCF soon after TCF's founding, enters eternity with Christ

1996
TCF completes transition to true plural leadership with ordination of two new elders

1986
Jim Grinnell and Joel Vesanen ordained as TCF elders

1981
Jim Garrett joins TCF leadership

Jim Garrett came to TCF in Feb. 1981 after developing a relationship with Bill Sanders and Chuck Farah.  Jim's leadership was instrumental in TCF's approximately 15 year transition to a New Testament church leadership structure, with a plurality of elders.
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TCF began with Bill Sanders as pastor, later joined by Chuck Farah and Jim Garrett.  With the ordination of Bill Sullivan and Dave Troutman in November 1996, the church completed its transition from a pastor-led church to a truly elder-led church.
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Jim and Laura Grinnell
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Jim Garrett
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Dave Troutman
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Joel and Ruth Vesanen

1983 
Bruce Clutter ordained as TCF elder

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Bruce and Lynn Clutter

1977-78
TCF sends its first missionaries

1972
Jesus Inn begins
Gordon Wright, who was charged with the ministry of Jesus Inn, which has evolved over the years into a teaching and discipleship ministry
Bill Sanders knew he needed help with the growing congregation at TCF, and asked ORU professor Chuck Farah to join him in his pastoral responsibilities.  

1969
TCF begins

1980
TCF meets in its own building for the first time

TCF met in rented spaces the first eleven years of its existence, but purchased its own building in 1980, and moved in November that year.  The church still meets at the 2121 E Third St, Tulsa building.

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Randy and Deanna Harrison (left) and Cindy P (name redacted for security) left for the mission field about the same time in these years, followed closely by Millard and Shirley Parrish and Dan and Mary Lu Coventon - the first of TCF home-grown missionaries serving in more than 45 countries over 50 years.
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newspaper picture about outreach along the "restless ribbon" which resulted in many coming to Christ, and needing help with housing, addictions rehab, and discipleship. This led to the founding of Jesus Inn.

1970
Dr. Charles "Chuck" Farah joins the new church
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On Sunday, November 2, 1969, TCF held its first service, with its first pastor, Bill Sanders, preaching.  In the early days of the church, baptisms in the swimming pool, at Orville Wright Jr High where TCF met, were common.