The History of Trinity Presbyterian Church (PCA)

Trinity Presbyterian Church (PCA) is a relatively new church serving Owasso and the surrounding region. While Trinity officially "launched" in August 2011, its story began much earlier—in living rooms filled with prayer as far back as 1997. Many Christians in Owasso and the nearby areas were traveling to Tulsa for worship, longing for a local church where people could “come as they are” without pretense. They envisioned a gospel-centered, outward-facing, and reformed presbyterian church that sought the good of the city. This prayerful movement originated at Christ Presbyterian Church in Tulsa, and later gained momentum with support from local reformed baptist churches.

For over a decade, this vision remained informal, coalescing into an Owasso small group under Christ Presbyterian Church. Then, in the spring of 2010—five years after RiverOaks Presbyterian Church was planted in South Tulsa—Pastor Ricky Jones led a remnant of this group who asked about a church plant in Owasso to begin monthly worship services at Freedom Baptist Church on Sunday nights.  Six months later, the group began meeting weekly under the name "Redeemer Owasso" at the Owasso Sixth Grade Center. While the core group grew, they lacked the resources to become more than a small satellite of RiverOaks in Tulsa.

In the summer of 2011, the pastoral search committee called Rev. Blake Altman, then a campus minister at Princeton University, to serve as the church planter for this young congregation. In October 2011, the new church plant was renamed Trinity Presbyterian Church, reflecting both the visionary leadership of RiverOaks (formerly Redeemer Tulsa) and the encouragement from Christ Presbyterian Church.

By November 2011, Trinity moved its weekly worship service to Presence Theater, where the church established a stable core group. On Easter Sunday 2012, Trinity welcomed its first 42 members. Later that year, the church transitioned to Sunday morning worship at the Owasso YMCA, allowing for further growth. By 2014, as more families joined, Trinity invested in portable trailers and equipment to move back to the gym at the Owasso Sixth Grade Center, seeking more space for a growing congregation with a lot of children. Interestingly, the space that once served as its worship venue in 2011 later became the teaching area for Trinity’s middle school and high school students.

Church Planting and Regional Growth

Trinity's vision from the beginning was to be a church-planting church, believing that the church gets larger as it gets smaller. In 2013, families from the Grand Lake area began driving down to Trinity for worship. The Grove community group grew steadily, and Pastor Blake began traveling monthly to lead worship for this group. By June 2015, the Trinity Session recommended the Grove community group to petition the presbytery for mission church status. That petition was approved in July 2015, and Three Rivers Presbyterian Church was officially established in August 2015.  The Rev. Mark Kuiper moved from St Louis to lead this remarkable church (please go check it out it if you're near Grand Lake!) 

Meanwhile, Trinity’s long-range planning team began exploring options for a permanent home. In 2016, the church moved its offices into the old Ator Farm House, known as the "Trinity House," located across the street from Hobby Lobby. This space became a hub of mid-week activity until late 2023, when the church offices relocated to the 169 Business Park south of 76th Street North.

In 2018, Trinity planted its second daughter church, Hope Church Bartlesville, with 20 families from Trinity. Like Three Rivers, this effort grew out of a community group. Pastors Blake Altman, Mark Kuiper, and Chris Miller (from Trinity Grace in Rogers) regularly preached for the core group as they developed a vision to reach Bartlesville.  In 2018 the search committee called Rev. Peter Johnson to lead this the work, now called Hope Presbyterian Church. Interestingly by this point, both of Trinity’s daughter churches had relatively stable spaces for worship, while Trinity itself continued setting up and tearing down each week.

Permanent Home and Capital Campaigns

In 2018, Trinity purchased 15 acres at the northwest corner of 76th Street North and North Memorial Drive in Owasso. The following year, the church launched its first capital campaign, ROOTS, with a goal of $1.2 million to pay off  the land and prepare for Phase 1 construction. By God’s grace, the campaign raised over $1.1 million, enabling Trinity to pay off the land during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the use of Owasso Public Schools closed to outside groups. Trinity worshiped online for three months before resuming in-person gatherings at the Patriot Golf Club.  In May 2021, Trinity returned to the Sixth Grade Center and launched its second capital campaign, RISE, with a goal of $3.6 million to fund Phase 1 of a permanent facility. By God’s grace, the campaign exceeded its financial goal, enabling the church to finalize its long-term design vision for Phase 1 with the help of Pfeifer and Jones (Tulsa) and Cram & Ferguson (Boston) Architects. This effort culminated in the completion of Trinity Hall, a multipurpose space designed to serve as the church’s worship venue until the main sanctuary is constructed. Long term Trinity Hall will be Trinity's fellowship hall.

In April 2022, Trinity broke ground on Phase 1. In February 2025, the congregation began worshipping in Trinity Hall, debt-free.

Leadership and Ministry Today

Over the years, Trinity has continued to grow in leadership and ministry. In April 2024, Rev. Mark Kuiper joined Trinity’s staff as assistant pastor and Rev. Spencer Murphy was recruited by the Grove congregation to lead Three Rivers.  In January 2025 Trinity elected a new ruling elder and a new deacon, bringing the leadership team to six ruling elders and seven deacons.

Today, Trinity Presbyterian Church is led by its Session, served by its deacons, supported by its staff as the members do the work of ministry, living out the good news that "grace changes everything" in Owasso, Tulsa, and beyond. Trinity partners with Christ Presbyterian (51st & Harvard, est. 1951), Reformed University Fellowship at the University of Tulsa (est. 2004), RiverOaks (south Tulsa, est. 2005), Grace and Peace PCA (15th & Harvard, est. 2013), Three Rivers PCA (Grove, est. 2015), Hope Presbyterian (Bartlesville, est. 2018), New City Fellowship PCA (North Tulsa, est. 2018), and the churches of the Hills and Plains Presbytery. Trinity is also a member of the Acts 29 Network and partners with Nine Marks and The Gospel Coalition.

The story of Trinity one that of risky faith and bold imagination for what the church can do and be for the sake of the world.  Her story continues as this body of believers seeks keep the gospel in the center of all she does, to glorify God, enjoy Him forever, and spread the good new of the gospel throughout northeast Oklahoma and beyond.