Our History
It was 1916 when a group of Christians assembled in the home of Brother and Sister Gus Narrows for the purpose of setting up a church. Rev. Gilmore served as preacher. A little one-room frame structure was erected in the 1300 Block of East Madison Place and the church was called Concord Baptist Church. Although Charley Allen was one of the organizers, he was not called to pastor because he had not been ordained.
In 1918, the congregation moved to Pine Street and erected a tabernacle. The celebration of this move was done by marching around the block on Madison Street to the church on Pine Street for the first service.
The first pastor, Rev. W. L. Anderson, who served only a few months, claimed to have had a vision of a Star and the name of the church was changed to Morning Star Baptist Church. Later that year, Rev. H.P. Patton was called. It was during his tenure that the first Sunday School Superintendent was elected.
Other firsts included Missionary Society, organized in 1920 under Rev. Patton with Sister Nazareth serving as president; Baptist Training Union, organized in 1921, with Sister Roxie Anderson as president and; Sister Alice Andrews being the first member to represent the church at a state convention.
In 1923 a dissension arose over the Pastor, resulting in a church split, Mt. Rose being the other half, and Rev. Patton offered his resignation. Rev. Frank Jones, Sr., became the next pastor but soon died of an illness. Rev. R.A. Johnson was the next pastor and remained until 1940.
Community Servant beginnings are highlighted by the operation of a Rescue Mission, organized in 1929 by Rev. Johnson in memory of his mother. A first in Tulsa, the Mission, helped elderly people who did not have a place to live. The first site was a two-room rented house across the street from the church opened by Brothers Henry McClung and Irving Andrews. Later Ben O. Angel, a street commissioner, gave the church a house, approximately at 603 E. Pine, where the former Moton Hospital would later be located. It would remain in this location for 10 years. Later this building was moved to the Morning Star site and Sister Alice Fletcher Andrews became the first matron. Sister Eunice Austin cooked the meals at her home and brought them to the Mission to be served to the occupants. They received two meals with all bills being paid by the church. Medical care was donated by Dr. T.L. Wall and Dr. Wakefield with Nurse Janice Jones assisting.
In 1942, Rev. T. Oscar Chappelle Sr., was called to pastor. The Oklahoma native of Sapulpa, trained at American Baptist Seminary, found approximately 53 active members. Immediately the young pastor started a building program which was to bring the congregation out of the basement into the church's first edifice at the corner of Madison Place and Pine Street. Special emphasis on Tithing, blessed the church from a meager Sunday offering of $10 to contributions in excess of $170,000 per year (as of 1979). Rev. Chappelle, a visionary, would lead a ministry that would produce many firsts for any church in the City of Tulsa. These included a continuous Radio and TV ministry; Scholarship Fund for students to attend college; a Credit Union where church youth help to start as a Thrift Club, in 1979, assets were $231,101 with 377 members; Burial Plan where participants receive $600 upon death of a member; believed to be the highest giving membership, per capita; committed to worldwide missions; purchased a bus to transport members; sent a weekly newspaper to its members. The flame-shaped sanctuary of Morning Star Baptist church, built in 1964, sits besides the church's original building. The newer building was a concept of Dr. Chappelle, who wanted the congregation to recognize the spirit of the "eternal flame." Similar construction of the Fellowship Hall would follow and the Morning Star Village Apartments. Rev. Chappelle would take members on a trip to the Holy Land. He was an extraordinary leader both locally and nationally. Some of his accomplishments included founding Trustee for Tulsa Junior College (now Tulsa Community College), president of Moton Hospital (later Health Center) Board, building the Baptist Student Union at Langston University, purchase of the Baptist Building in Oklahoma, the Baptist Memorial Hospital in Oklahoma, Salvation Army, Camp Burge and World Baptist Alliance. He was distinguished as President of the Oklahoma Baptist State Convention and President of the National Baptist Congress of Christian Education, where the national session was brought to Oklahoma in 1991. Perhaps he would be most remembered for pastoring Morning Star Baptist Church as a Community Servant, with the motto, To Serve This Present Age. A faithful servant, Rev. T.O. Chappelle, Sr., died on April 28, 1990, after serving 48 years.
Succeeding his father, Rev. T.O. Chappelle Jr. became the pastor on April 16, 1990. His youthful demeanor energized the membership and was a favorite among the children. During his Pastorate, Dr. Chappelle, Jr., led the renovation of the Chappelle Center, Fellowship Hall and Sanctuary buildings. This included a new choir room, updated sound system, and a new choir loft and altar area. He erected a garage to house newly purchased church vans, equipped the offices with new technology, and resurfaced the parking lots. The Credit Union reached a million dollar mark. He served for 15 years brining in new members and following his father's footsteps, became the 1st Vice-President of the National Baptist Congress of Christian Education. Named one of top 25 most outstanding pastors in America in 1974 by the Mid-Western Baptist Laymen's Fellowship, Dr. Chappelle, Jr. followed in his father's footsteps as President of the Oklahoma Baptist State Congress, and First Vice-President of the National Baptist Congress of Christian Education, where he was instrumental in starting the College Hour service. He also chaired the Congress' Christian Education Centennial Celebration, spearheaded the successful fundraiser for the World Baptist Center of the National Baptist Convention, USA, Inc. In 1996, he was honored to meet with U.S. President William "Bill" Clinton. Rev. Thomas Jr., as he was sometimes called, most proud accomplishment was the opening of Heritage Hall, an archival repository containing mementoes, documents and a pictorial review of the not-to-be forgotten rich history of Morning Star Baptist Church which attests to the Church's Family and Community Servant Spirit. Heritage Hall is housed on the first floor of the Fellowship Hall building. Due to his health, he became pastor emeritus in 2005. Pastor Chappelle Jr. was called from life's labor to heaven's rewards on January 3, 2008.
Longtime, Associate Minister, Rev. Samuel L. Mingo, was elected Interim Pastor in the fall of 2005. During his tenure he made the congregation aware of a prominent feature for MSBC's edifice, the Stained Glass Window, which needed to be repaired. With the assistance of Sister Betty K. Curry, the congregation generously gave over $20,000 in a couple of months to complete the project. He led the campaign to raise monies for Camp Burge. This recreational campground was developed by Oklahoma State Baptist Convention for youth retreats. Dr. Chappelle, Sr. was instrumental in building the Chapel on the grounds which is located in Arcadia, Oklahoma.
Rev. Herbert D. Edmondson III was elected pastor and preached his initial sermon on May 6, 2007. He arrived at Morning Star with established credentials as a member of the American Baptist Churches USA, Chairperson of the World Relief Committee, Member of the Board of International Ministries and General Board and First Vice Moderator for Area V of American Baptist Churches of the South for the region which included Oklahoma, Texas and Louisiana. In 2008, Rev. Edmondson was given the distinct honor to preach at the National Baptist Convention in Cincinnati, OH, which followed with an address from Michelle Obama, wife of the soon-to-be elected first African-American president, Barrack H. Obama (elected November 2008).
During his tenure Pastor Edmondson was an integral part of starting several programs or ministries, including a certificate program in Christian Education, Mission Possible Living Legends Luncheon, Family & Friends Day, Good Friday Service involving local ministers titled, Showdown at Calvary, the Grief, Greeter and Health & Wellness ministries and a Young Adult Choir, Voices In Praise aka VIP. Updates were made to the website and a church TV commercial was produced and aired. The church bond program was retired. He led the church in renovating the interiors of the Sanctuary and Chappelle Center buildings. The exterior of all buildings were given a facelift. Heritage Hall was renamed and rededicated, T.O. Chappelle Jr. Heritage Hall. Rev. Edmondson activated the Trustee board and ordained two deacons. He resigned as pastor January 22, 2012.
By God's grace, Interim Pastor Rev. Dr. John L. Thomas Jr. and the Deacon Ministry continue the journey for Morning Star as "The Community Servant." So the Call to Persevere, Let us hold on to the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful. Hebrews 10:23 HCSB and indeed the Call to Persevere was made real when the Lord saw fit through his infinite wisdom to call Pastor Rodney A. Goss, as the new pastor of the Morning Star Baptist Church. Moving from Hattiesburg MS, he was installed on Sunday, August 30, 2015. As the Tulsa World reports, Pastor Rodney Goss had barely moved into his new office at Tulsa's Morning Star Baptist Church in mid-June when his mother called, crying, and said someone had just "shot up a bunch of people" in a church. He turned on the television and learned that a white supremacist had shot and killed nine people at a historic black church in Charleston, South Carolina. "My heart just bled," Pastor Goss said. "I called one of my deacons and said, 'We've got to do something.'?" Pastor Goss knew almost no one in Tulsa, but in a few short hours he had organized a memorial prayer service that drew hundreds of people - black and white, Christians and non-Christians - to the historic church in north Tulsa. He is greatly loved by his new membership and have started the vision of repairing the church and refreshed the worship services. He is a gifted teacher who applies practical understanding in his weekly bible study, averaging 60 in attendance. To God be the Glory and we know great things are coming, through this shepherd by the grace of the head of the Church, Jesus the Christ!
