Anglican Church of the Holy Spirit gathers on East 41st Street in Tulsa, Oklahoma, where a small but devoted congregation worships in the historic Anglican tradition shaped by the 2019 Book of Common Prayer. The parish traces its roots to the late 1970s Episcopal renewal movement, weathered the denominational realignment of the early 2000s, and now stands as part of the Anglican Diocese of the Living Word within the Anglican Church in North America. The community blends Anglo-Catholic reverence with evangelical warmth, and the life of the parish flows outward from the Holy Eucharist celebrated each Sunday at 10:30 a.m.
From the Renewal Movement to the Anglican Diocese of the Living Word
Anglican Church of the Holy Spirit began in the late 1970s as an Episcopal congregation shaped by the charismatic renewal and a renewed interest in historic liturgy. In 2005, the vestry chose to remain Anglican by aligning with a Global South diocese. The parish first worked closely with Bishop Jack Iker and the Diocese of Fort Worth before finding a long-term home under the Convocation of Anglicans in North America (CANA), a founding convocation of the Anglican Church in North America. The congregation is now part of the Anglican Diocese of the Living Word, under the leadership of Bishop Julian Dobbs and Assisting Bishop William Love, and works alongside other ACNA congregations to support ministry from Tulsa to the ends of the earth.
The parish describes its calling in five commitments: to worship God in spirit and truth, to live out God's Word in daily life, to serve God's people in caring community, to reach God's world with the love of Christ, and to renew God's Church in Word and Spirit. The great joy of the parish, members say, is the close connection they share with one another as they grow further up and further into God's grace and righteousness.
Sundays at 12121 East 41st Street
The rhythm of the week centers on Sunday morning. Christian Education for adults, youth, and children meets at 9:00 a.m., followed by the principal service of the week, the Holy Eucharist, at 10:30 a.m. The liturgy is printed in a bulletin handed out as worshipers enter; the Book of Common Prayer, the Book of Common Praise, and Bibles are available in the pews. Visitors are welcomed at the door with a smile and a bulletin by a team of ushers.
Worshipers step into a space built for reverence. Candles on the altar recall Christ as the Light of the world; flowers and greenery beautify the church and remind the assembly of the resurrection. A Lectern on one side holds the Scriptures for the Liturgy of the Word, and a Pulpit on the other holds the sermon. A votive stand and side altar offer a place to light a candle in prayer or thanksgiving. At the rear of the nave, the Baptismal Font holds blessed water for a personal anointing as worshipers depart.
It is customary to kneel in the pew for a prayer of personal preparation and to bow to the altar upon entering and leaving. The general rule for posture is simple: stand to sing, sit to hear, and kneel to pray. The congregation stands for hymns and the Gospel reading, sits during the readings from the Old Testament, Psalms, and Epistles as well as the sermon and choir anthems, and kneels for confession and prayer. Nothing is required of visitors, and practices vary even among lifelong Anglicans.
Music and the Liturgy
The music ministry supports worship each Sunday through congregational hymn-singing, choral and vocal offerings, and instrumental music. A grand piano anchors a sound that fills the nave when the whole parish lifts its voice. The music draws on the hymnal and on the readings, the liturgy of the day, and the season of the church year, following a three-year Lectionary cycle.
Children in Worship
Children are warmly welcomed, even noisy ones. The parish is family-friendly, and KidKits - small activity packets that change with the liturgical calendar - are available in the Narthex to help children follow the service. Baptized children are welcome to receive Communion, either by intinction or directly in both kinds. Unbaptized children may cross their arms across their shoulders to receive a blessing from the priest. A nursery is available for infants through age four during the 10:30 service, while preschool Sunday school is held during the 9:00 Christian Education hour. More information for newcomers is available on the Newcomers page.
The Order of the Holy Eucharist
The principal service is the Holy Eucharist, sometimes called Holy Communion, the Lord's Supper, or the Mass. The liturgy follows the 2019 Book of Common Prayer and is divided into two parts. The first consists of prayers, readings from a Lectionary that cycles through Scripture on a three-year plan, a sermon or homily, the Nicene Creed, prayers of the people, confession of sin, absolution, and the exchange of the peace. The second part moves from the offering of the congregation through the Eucharistic prayer, the consecration of the bread and wine, Communion, the post-Communion prayer, blessing, and dismissal.
The Peace is an ancient liturgical practice. The priest says, "The peace of the Lord be with you," and the people respond, "And with your spirit." Worshipers greet one another with a handshake, embrace, or a simple word - "peace." At the exchange of the Peace and the celebrant's sursum corda - "Lift up your hearts" - Christians worship in the same way the Early Church has for two millennia.
At the altar rail, all baptized Christians, regardless of denomination, are welcome to receive Communion. Worshipers may receive the bread in cupped palms and drink from the common cup, or receive by intinction by letting the chalice bearer dip the wafer. Those who wish to receive in one kind only may consume the bread alone and return to their pew; Christ is present in both kinds. Visitors who do not wish to receive may cross their arms across their shoulders for a priestly blessing, and anyone unable to come forward will be brought the sacrament by the priest and chalice bearer.
The Seven Sacraments
The catechism defines a sacrament as an outward and visible sign of an inward and spiritual grace, given by God as a means of receiving that grace. Anglican Church of the Holy Spirit teaches that the two sacraments ordained by Christ and "generally necessary to salvation" are Baptism and Holy Communion. Five other sacramental rites - Confirmation, Reception and Reaffirmation, Holy Matrimony, Holy Orders, Absolution, and Ministry to the Sick - are recognized as channels of grace in the life of the Church.
Baptism
Baptism is the entry into the Church's fellowship and the gateway to every other sacrament. Through faith, repentance, and Baptism, the candidate is spiritually united to Christ and adopted as a child of God. The outward sign is water; the inward grace is death to sin and new birth to righteousness through union with Christ in his death and resurrection. Baptism is once-for-all and is never repeated. Children may be baptized at any age, and parents are invited to discuss the sacrament with the Rector.
Holy Communion
At the altar the bread and wine become, by the mystery of the Holy Spirit, the Body and Blood of Christ - not a mere recalling of a past event but the bringing of that sacrifice into the present. A non-baptized person is welcome to come forward for a blessing and is encouraged to seek catechesis leading to Baptism. Once consecrated, any leftover elements are either consumed or returned to the earth; they are never thrown away. They may also be Reserved and taken by a Lay Eucharistic Minister to the homebound.
Confirmation, Reception, and Reaffirmation
The Church requires a public and personal profession of the faith from every adult believer. Through the laying on of hands and prayer by a bishop, those confirmed receive a strengthening of the Holy Spirit for Christian life and service. Adults baptized in other traditions may be Received into the Anglican Church with prayer and the laying on of hands. Confirmed believers returning to active discipleship or marking a significant life transition may make a Reaffirmation of their baptismal vows before the bishop.
Holy Matrimony, Holy Orders, Absolution, and the Ministry to the Sick
Holy Matrimony is the lifelong, faithful union of a man and a woman entered into with full and free consent, a sign of the great mystery of Christ and his Church. Holy Orders extends the line of ordained ministry - deacon, priest, and bishop - through prayer and the laying on of hands by a bishop, conveyed once for each office. Absolution is the sacrament by which a priest pronounces God's forgiveness in response to repentance and confession; in-person confession is absolutely confidential, bound under the most solemn obligation of the priesthood. The Ministry to the Sick is the anointing of the ill with holy oil blessed by the bishop, accompanied by prayer and the laying on of hands, used in illness, before surgery, during long incapacity, in thanksgiving for recovery, or at the time of dying.
Forming Disciples at Every Age
Children's Ministry
The children's ministry builds faith foundations from birth through age twelve. Nursery care is offered for infants and toddlers during the 10:30 Eucharist, while preschool Sunday school gathers during the 9:00 Christian Education hour. Foundation Beginnings, for ages five to ten, walks through the key Old Testament stories, the life of Jesus, the Ten Commandments, the Lord's Prayer, Psalm study, the Beatitudes, and the Creeds, with attention to the seasons of the liturgical calendar. Foundations of Catechism, for ages ten to thirteen, deepens study of the Anglican Catechism and begins connecting older students to the youth group. All adult workers and volunteers complete safety training and a background check.
Youth Ministry
The youth group gathers students to grow in faith and share the love of Christ. Youth attend the weekly Eucharist, serve alongside the parish as ushers, lectors, acolytes, choir members, on the technology team, and as chalice bearers once they turn eighteen. Christian Education classes for students focus on Bible study, apologetics, theology, book studies, and, in the teen years, Anglican Catechism in preparation for Confirmation. The group meets on the first Saturday of each month for fellowship, outreach, and Bible study. They assist at parish care days, visit homebound members with Christmas carols and Easter flowers, pack boxes for Blue Star Mothers, serve at the John 3:16 Mission, and attend a regional summer camp with other Anglican youth.
Adults
Adult Christian Education meets each Sunday at 9:00 a.m., taught by the clergy and other parish leaders. Past classes have ranged across Christian traditions, Christian history, liturgical exploration, Bible study, and Anglican Catechism. A weekly Bible Study meets on Zoom on Thursdays at 2:00 p.m. Central Time, working through the same Old Testament, Psalm, Epistle, and Gospel readings used in Sunday worship; lesson notes are emailed on Monday so participants can prepare.
Brotherhood of St. Andrew and Daughters of the Holy Cross
The Brotherhood of St. Andrew is a lay order of men and boys devoted to discipleship through daily prayer, regular study, and committed service, praying especially for the spread of Christ's kingdom among men and youth. The Daughters of the Holy Cross is an order of Anglican women committed to a Rule of Life of prayer, service, study, and evangelism. Members offer daily prayers for the clergy, staff, and congregation, may be requested to pray for specific needs, and wear the DHC cross as a sign of devotion. Both orders practice strict confidentiality.
The Work of the Assembly
Sunday worship is supported by a deep bench of lay ministries. Acolytes assist the clergy, beginning at age eight for baptized children and including adults. The Altar Guild prepares the Lord's table - polishing silver, shining crystal, laundering linens, and arranging flowers - in a quiet ministry of love and service. Chalice bearers, vested and serving at the altar rail, assist in distributing Communion during the service. Lectors proclaim the Scriptures and may lead the Prayers of the People. Ushers greet at the door, guide worshipers through the service, and assist with the offering and the Eucharist. A Prayer Ministry gathers before each service and is available afterward to pray with anyone who wishes. A Technology Ministry runs the sound system and connects those unable to attend through a Zoom session.
The Card Care Ministry sends birthday and anniversary cards to parishioners. Hospitality arranges Sunday coffee and refreshments during Christian Education, along with receptions, potlucks, and event set-up and clean-up. The Landscape Ministry tends the garden beds year-round, with parish-wide workdays the first Saturday of May and October. The Lay Eucharistic Ministry takes consecrated elements from the Sunday service to parishioners who are hospitalized, homebound, or in a nursing home. The Safety Ministry offers first aid and security training and serves at services and special events to keep the grounds safe.
Life, Service, and the World
The parish is committed to life in prayer and action. Members support Anglicans for Life and observe the first Sunday of May as "Cupcakes for Life," collecting baby items throughout the month for Hope Pregnancy Center in Tulsa. During the fall 40 Days for Life campaign, the parish prays with other Christians and collects funds for Anglicans for Life and local pregnancy centers. In November, members honor veterans the Sunday after Veterans' Day and collect items and write Christmas cards for the Blue Star Mothers Tulsa chapter, packing boxes together with the youth. The parish serves dinner at the John 3:16 Mission on Super Bowl Sunday, with adults, teens, and children preparing food and sharing songs with the guests. Internationally, the parish has worked with churches in Nigeria to support women's ministry programs for widows and to furnish school facilities and playground equipment for children, and alongside the diocese to support the Living Word Mission of Haiti, helping the bishop oversee nine congregations. Giving to support this work is available by mail or online through the Give page.
Clergy and Leadership
The Rector is The Venerable Carl J. Eyberg, a lifelong Anglican who holds an M.Div from Trinity and additional D.Min coursework, and also serves as Archdeacon in the Diocese of Living Word. He and his wife Janet have five children and five grandchildren. The Reverend Deacon Frank Coffman, ordained in May 2025 and a retired United States Secret Service agent, assists the Rector in operations and pastoral care, oversees church security, and serves as a chaplain with the Billy Graham Rapid Response Team and the International Fellowship of Chaplains. The Reverend John Thorpe serves as Associate Priest; a Tulsa native and Yale Divinity graduate, he has served parishes in Albany and Iowa and taught Latin, literature, history, and music at Christian schools in the Tulsa area.
The Vestry governs the administrative affairs of the parish and provides counsel to the clergy. Members include Joy Coffman, Jean Keeton, Brian Brobson, Lisa Keeler, Phil Streets, Sheryl Fritz, and Michael Roper, who serve alongside the clergy to guide the work and ministry of Anglican Church of the Holy Spirit.