Our History

A newspaper clipping about the consecration of Reverend Francis Key Brooke as a missionary bishop of Oklahoma, featuring a sketch of Bishop Brooke and details of the ceremony held in Topeka, Kansas.

Bishop Francis Key Brooke came to Muskogee at the invitation of Mary Morris on February 23, 1983 to read Evening Prayer and baptize four young children. Surprised to find that the few Episcopal families that had started worshipping in a welcoming Methodist church in town had grown the community enough to fill the building, he formally started a mission in Muskogee, which would grow to become Grace Episcopal Church.

On May 1, 1984 Rev. Henry Tudor from Ferguson, MO became the first priest at Grace Church. That same year parishioner Robert L. Owen, a member of the Cherokee Nation who later would become Oklahoma's first U.S. Senator, donated property for the construction of our first church, a small building on S. 4th Street that hosted its first service on April 14, 1895.

After multiple leadership changes, we bought a new building site at the northwest corner of 6th St. and W. Broadway in August of 1903. Grace grew from 63 parishioners to 141 by the following year. On February 1, 1904 we applied to become a parish, making Grace the first fully self supported Episcopal church in Indian Territory. We began construction of a new building in May of 1905, which was finished by January of 1906. 231 parishioners gathered in the new building with a new priest, Rev. Hugh J. Llwyd, for its first service on March 1, 1906. Rev. Llwyd would serve at Grace for 35 years.

By the early 1920s we were one of the three largest Episcopal churches in Oklahoma with over 500 members, but regular flooding and noisy traffic, motivated another move. On April 25, 1922 we voted to move the building to our current location at 6th and Court, which we still call home today. Scroll down to see photos from our history as a church in Muskogee, and if you want to learn more about this history what we’ve been up to in the century since, click the button below:

Grace Church Complete History
100 Year Anniversary Service
Mary "Tag" Morris

Mary "Tag" Morris

Bishop Francis Key Brooke

Bishop Francis Key Brooke

A newspaper article titled "Bishop of Oklahoma" about Rev. Francis Key Brooke's consecration as a missionary bishop in Topeka, Kansas. The article includes a sketch of Rev. Brooke, showing a man with a mustache and wavy hair.

A newspaper article titled "Bishop of Oklahoma" about Rev. Francis Key Brooke's consecration as a missionary bishop in Topeka, Kansas. The article includes a sketch of Rev. Brooke, showing a man with a mustache and wavy hair.

A black and white photo of Grace's first small church on South Fourth Street, with a large tree in front. The church has wooden siding and a steep roof. The caption indicates the church opened for services on April 14, 1895.

A black and white photo of Grace's first small church on South Fourth Street, with a large tree in front. The church has wooden siding and a steep roof. The caption indicates the church opened for services on April 14, 1895.

Group of Grace members standing outdoors in front of a church, posing for a photo.

Group of Grace members standing outdoors in front of a church, posing for a photo.

Colored illustration of Grace Episcopal Church in Muskogee, Oklahoma, showing its Gothic Revival architecture with a tall tower, arched windows, and a steep gabled roof, set in a neighborhood with trees and residential buildings.

Colored illustration of Grace Episcopal Church in Muskogee, Oklahoma, showing its Gothic Revival architecture with a tall tower, arched windows, and a steep gabled roof, set in a neighborhood with trees and residential buildings.

Grace Rectors Through the Years

  • Rev. Henry Tudor

    1894-1897

  • Rev. Arthur Francis

    1897-1902

  • Rev. A. Basil Perry

    1903-1906

  • A black and white portrait of an older man with glasses, short light-colored hair, and a serious expression, looking downward.

    Rev. Hugh J. Llwyd

    1906-1941

  • Black and white photograph of a middle-aged man wearing glasses and a clerical collar, smiling slightly.

    Rev. Paul Rudsil Palmer

    1941-1958

  • A black-and-white portrait of a young man with short hair, dressed in clerical attire, likely a priest.

    Rev. James Lawrence Basil Williams

    1958-1961

  • Black and white portrait of a man with combed-back hair, wearing a clerical collar and suit, looking directly at the camera.

    Rev. F. Grover Fulkerson

    1961-1966

  • Black and white photo of a young man in a clerical shirt with a collar, sitting at a desk with open books in the background.

    Rev. Daniel Leen

    1966-1971

  • Black and white portrait of a young man in a suit and clerical collar, smiling at the camera.

    Rev. Sudduth R. Cummings

    1971-1972

  • A person dressed as a priest, wearing glasses and a clerical collar, covering their face with one hand. The background appears to be a decorative or architectural element.

    Rev. Edwin L. Hoover

    1972-1986

  • A smiling elderly man dressed in religious robes, wearing glasses, with a white cloak and red ceremonial vestment featuring decorative trim.

    Rev. Richard C. Allen

    1986-1987

  • A woman with short hair smiling in front of leafy plants.

    Rev. Drew H. Wales

    1987-1990

  • Black and white portrait of an older man with grey hair, glasses, and a mustache.

    Rev. Max B. Berry

    1990-2005

  • A man with dark hair, a goatee, and wearing a clerical shirt with a white collar, smiling outdoors with greenery in the background.

    Rev. Kirk Woodliff

    2005-2008

  • A woman in religious attire, wearing a white robe with a purple stole, standing in front of stained glass windows.

    Pastor Jenny Pratt

    2008-2010

  • Rev. Bob Wickizer

    2010-2021

  • Rev. Chris Cole

    2022-2024

  • A man in religious robes holding a young toddler in a church with wooden altar in the background.

    Rev. Omar Cisneros

    2025-Present