Christian Communities
The Episcopal Diocese of Oklahoma offers many opportunities for adult formation and community. Below, you can learn about different communities and groups that form at a congregational and diocesan level.
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All women in the Diocese of Oklahoma are members of the diocesan Episcopal Church Women (ECW), whether or not there is an organized ECW group in their congregation. Our mission is to be Sisters in Christ and to be committed to prayer, worship, listening, leadership, study, service, giving, and fellowship. Our vision is to empower women to fulfill their ministries. The ECW sponsors several events throughout the year. These include the Women’s Fall Retreat, Women’s Winter Retreat, Annual Conference, and Bishop's Day. We are also working to re-establish regional meetings, bringing women together for fellowship, networking, and fun.
Check out their Facebook group for events, meetings, and community HERE.
If you have any questions or want to learn more, please email Heather Sessing, Diocesan ECW President, at hsessing@gmail.com
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The Brotherhood of Saint Andrew (BStA) is the official men's ministry of The Episcopal Church, and every man in the church is considered a member by default. Over the past 135 years, the mission of the Brotherhood has been to support men and youth through the disciplines of Prayer, Study, and Service. The initiatives of The Brotherhood in Oklahoma have included an Annual Men's Retreat in May at St. Crispin's, support and mentoring of many Boy Scout troops, and various fundraisers supporting many other deserving causes.
If you have any questions or would like to learn more, please contact Bob Baker, Diocesan Coordinator, via email at bobbaker688@gmail.com or via phone at (918) 688-7777.
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Cursillo is a movement in the Episcopal Church designed to help participants better understand their individual callings to be Christian Leaders. The movement offers small group meetings, which help us in our life of Christian Ministry. It includes a three-day weekend retreat, during which participants listen to sessions led by clergy and lay persons and participate in worship, music, fellowship, prayer, and other activities. Check out their Facebook group for events, meetings, and community HERE.
If you have any questions or would like to learn more, please contact Allen Mann, the president of the Oklahoma Episcopal Cursillo Secretariat by phone or text at 918-916-1793.
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The Order of the Daughters of the King are women and girls between the ages of seven and one hundred who desire a closer walk with the Lord. Our primary goal is to know Jesus and make Him known to others. We are Christian women, both lay and ordained, who are strengthened through the discipline of a Rule of Life and supported through the companionship of our sisters. We have 19 active chapters in the Diocese of Oklahoma with nearly 200 members throughout the state. We hold an annual Fall Retreat at St. Crispin’s and a Spring Assembly which rotates among different chapters around the state.
Oklahoma Diocese Daughters Fall Retreat: October 11-13, 2024 at St. Crispin's. Special guest the Rev. Canon Betsy Randall, Canon to the Ordinary for the Diocese of Oklahoma.
Check out their Facebook group HERE.
If you have any questions or would like to learn more, please contact Vicki Reynolds, the Diocesan Daughters of the King President, via email at vicki.martin.reynolds@outlook.com.
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What is EfM?
Interested in growing your knowledge and faith side-by-side? Consider joining an Education for Ministry (EfM) group in the Episcopal Diocese of Oklahoma. EfM is a unique four-year learning certificate program in theological education centered on small-group study and theological reflections. As an EfM group member you will encounter the vast breadth and depth of the Christian tradition, in an Episcopal context, and bring it into conversation with your own personal experiences of the world and the experiences of others as you study, worship, and reflect together. Want to know more about Education for Ministry? Read up on EfM here.
How does EfM Work?
Education for Ministry groups typically start in the fall (September) and continue until late spring (May or June). The Episcopal Diocese of Oklahoma can help you find an in-person group to join or we have a number of online groups as well. Cost is $325/year with a congregational or diocesan sponsored group plus some additional book costs. The Diocese has some limited scholarship assistance available.
Want to Join?
If you are interested in joining an EfM Group in the Diocese of Oklahoma you can contact a mentor/congregation directly or email the Diocesan Coordinator who will assist you in getting connected with a group. See our list of currently active EfM groups below.
If you are interested in starting an EfM Group at your church or online, please contact the Diocesan Coordinator.
EfM Diocesan Coordinator: Kate Bond (KBond@epiok.org) -
The Order of Naucratius in Oklahoma is a society within the Episcopal Church. We commit ourselves to three rules of life: Prayer, Conservation, and Charity. We believe that hunting and fishing are sacred activities. We are grateful for God’s gifts and we hope to use our skills and endeavors to help spread God’s Kingdom. Our main activity is to share portions of our harvests with those who are hungry. We host an annual fishing retreat each Fall at St. Crispin's. We also host annual deer hunting harvest day each winter at St. Crispin's where all protein is donated to Seminole Nation's Food Assistance Program.
Check out their Facebook page for events, meetings, and community HERE.
Donate to the Order of Naucratius HERE.
If you have any questions or would like to learn more, please contact the Rev. Sarah Smith at ssmith2@hollandhall.org.
Outreach & Compassion
Episcopalians in Oklahoma serve their communities in many ways - providing hot meals, offering shelter to women and families in need, visiting prisoners and bringing the comfort of God’s love, aiding in disaster and tornado recovery, and much more. Most outreach work happens through local congregations. Learn more at your local Episcopal Church. Episcopalians also participate in some broader ministries in our Diocese and our world. Check out the links below to find out more.
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In 2021, for our annual Bishop's Appeal, Episcopalians in Oklahoma raised over $90,000 to help form Magdalene House OKC. Magdalene OKC serves women who have experienced abuse, sexual exploitation, addiction, or incarceration as they rebuild their lives and focus on healing and wholeness through trauma-informed therapy, physical, mental, and dental health care, self-care, life skills training, and job training – all within the context of restorative relationships, professional support, accountability, and the safety of a home. Magdalene House is part of the Thistle Farms Network.
Learn more about Magdalene House HERE.
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The Diocese's Commission on Prison Ministry serves as a network and resource for equipping our congregations in the community:
To learn about the needs of victims and offenders and their families, the causes and conditions of incarceration in our State, and the problems facing prisoners reentering society, in order to make a positive difference.
To participate in or support St. Patrick's Community of Prison Congregations - a network of Clergy and Lay Ministers who facilitate worship services and programs inside ten Oklahoma Prisons, together with the inmates who worship with St. Patrick's and engage in outreach behind the walls.
To reach out to families and friends of the incarcerated.
To engage in these ministries in collaboration with our Ecumenical Ministry Partners (Evangelical Lutherans and United Methodists in Oklahoma) and in solidarity with other Christians and those in the community who care about these issues.
For more information, please contact the Rev. Nancy Brock, Diocesan Prison Missioner and Priest to St. Patrick's Community, via email at NBrock@epiok.org.
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For over 80 years, Episcopal Relief & Development has worked with an extensive network of faith-based and secular partners to advance lasting change in communities affected by injustice, poverty, disaster, and climate change.
Learn more HERE.
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Oklahomans are more likely to face food insecurity or hunger than most Americans. Below is a list of several feeding ministry programs in our local congregations. In 2023, for the annual Bishop's Appeal, Oklahoma Episcopalians raised over $26,000 for our local congregations’ feeding ministries.
All Saints’, McAlester
Saint John’s, Durant
All Saints’, Duncan
Saint Martin’s, Pryor
Saint Luke’s, Tulsa
Saint Andrew’s, Grove
Good Shepherd, Sapulpa
Saint Naucratius Guild
Saint Stephen's, Guymon
Saint Luke’s, Chickasha
Saint James, Oklahoma City
Saint John’s, Woodward
Whirlwind Mission, Watonga
Emmanuel, Shawnee
St. Crispin's Camp + Conference Center
For the past 50 years, our Diocese has operated St. Crispin's Conference Center + Camp in Central Oklahoma. Those who come to the conference center are immersed in the beauty of the natural setting of 450 acres of wooded, rolling hills and two pristine, spring-fed lakes. Here, people from all walks of life and all faith traditions find the perfect environment where creativity blossoms, lasting friendships are formed, and where today's children become tomorrow's leaders.
Schools
We recognize that ministry occurs in every part of life, inside and outside of the church building. Therefore, in addition to our congregations, we support five Episcopal schools.
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Oklahoma City
Pre-K through 12th grade
Casady School is a PreK-12, independent, college preparatory Episcopal day school committed to deeper-level learning. Casady School welcomes a student body that reflects the diversity of the world around us. We commit to providing a foundation of excellence for all our students, instilling them with the educational and social skills to triumph in their future endeavors.
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Tulsa
Pre-K through 12th grade
Holland Hall provides a challenging, comprehensive educational experience grounded in a rigorous liberal arts, college preparatory curriculum that promotes critical thinking and lifelong learning. A PreK-12 Episcopal school, we seek to foster in each student a strong moral foundation and a deep sense of social responsibility.
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Ardmore
3 years old - 8th grade
Oak Hall Episcopal School is dedicated to the intellectual, creative, physical, social, emotional, and spiritual growth of each student to their potential within a Christian environment in the Episcopal tradition.
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Edmond
2 ½ years old through 5th grade
For more than 40 years, St. Mary's has served the families of Edmond, Guthrie, Deer Creek, and beyond as partners in their child's first educational experiences. As a private preschool and elementary school, special care is taken by our faculty to meet each child where they are — our desire is to challenge each child's unique abilities and interests while guiding all students to be respectful, responsible, and resourceful.
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Tulsa
6 weeks through 5 years old
St. Dunstan’s Episcopal Preschool is a developmental program that strives to provide activities and learning experiences to build each child’s self-esteem while stimulating cognitive development and socialization skills. We want the children to feel self-confident as well as capable of meeting new challenges, both social and educational.
Adult Living Centers
Christian ministry continues in the senior years of life. Our diocese supports two residential communities for seniors.
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Welcome to Saint Simeon’s, a senior living community nestled on 50 serene acres in the Osage Hills of Tulsa, Oklahoma. Saint Simeon’s is a mission of the Episcopal Diocese of Oklahoma. Explore our full range of senior care choices and discover why we are the preferred community for senior living in Tulsa.
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Located on 18 beautiful acres in Ardmore, Oklahoma, the Ardmore Village, an institution of the Episcopal Diocese of Oklahoma, serves residents of all faiths. This community provides a variety of services and programs including independent living, assisted living, and more.
We are the Episcopal Church in Oklahoma.