The 1980s service at this Tulsa gospel mission was in full swing. An organ with a Leslie speaker roared with the cadence of the preaching. It sounded like one was at a hockey game. Countless down and outers were present, after all, this house of worship served mostly homeless. It offered meals and a place to sleep along with it's worship services. A few in attendance were likely not sober, as there were no requirements to be accepted by Sister Tucker (1919-2012). Still. most were pretty focused on the exhortation of Sister Grace Tucker, or as she was commonly known as “Mother Tucker.” Now elderly, with her son playing the organ, she would fire out words of comfort in between songs of praise. The audience was not being preached at, no she was above that, she was wooing them to Christ.
Almost weekly, Sister Grace Tucker would come into station KXOJ in Supulpa, Oklahoma to make tapes of her 5 or 10 minutes radio spots that were played daily. Seeing her up close and in person was enough to lift one's spirit. But just as she was in the gospel mission, her program was the best encouragement I have ever heard. Exhortation is a gift in the bible, and she knew how to use it. She had a way to focus you out of your trouble and onto the Lord Jesus Christ. This was the anti-thesis to the blues. She would make Jesus come to life, give hope and leave you inspired. Now she ministered in Tulsa much of her life, and while her ministry was not worldwide, if there is a Hall of Fame for Christians impacting Tulsa, she would be among T.L. Osborn, K.E. Hagin and Oral Roberts. She received an Honorary Doctorate from ORU and was likely the first black woman to ever pastor a church in Oklahoma.
As the events of Tulsa today are in plain sight, I just wanted to offer readers a look inside of a part of Tulsa's wonderful Black community and give honor to one of their best. Mother Tucker, had 16 children of her own. She served an estimated 500,000 meals to the homeless. While I only knew her briefly, one has to be in awe of how the gospel can embody a person who truly lives it. Though I can't do her justice in written form, she is a reminder of what it means to walk in the spirit.
Romans 12:8 (KJV)
8 Or he that exhorteth, on exhortation: he that giveth, let him do it with simplicity...
“If nothing else, Tucker wants people to know one thing: "The Lord loves everybody. Everybody is somebody," Tucker said. "We aren't to show respect of persons."
Black History Month: Mother Tucker fed, sheltered thousands of Tulsa's homeless
Almost weekly, Sister Grace Tucker would come into station KXOJ in Supulpa, Oklahoma to make tapes of her 5 or 10 minutes radio spots that were played daily. Seeing her up close and in person was enough to lift one's spirit. But just as she was in the gospel mission, her program was the best encouragement I have ever heard. Exhortation is a gift in the bible, and she knew how to use it. She had a way to focus you out of your trouble and onto the Lord Jesus Christ. This was the anti-thesis to the blues. She would make Jesus come to life, give hope and leave you inspired. Now she ministered in Tulsa much of her life, and while her ministry was not worldwide, if there is a Hall of Fame for Christians impacting Tulsa, she would be among T.L. Osborn, K.E. Hagin and Oral Roberts. She received an Honorary Doctorate from ORU and was likely the first black woman to ever pastor a church in Oklahoma.
As the events of Tulsa today are in plain sight, I just wanted to offer readers a look inside of a part of Tulsa's wonderful Black community and give honor to one of their best. Mother Tucker, had 16 children of her own. She served an estimated 500,000 meals to the homeless. While I only knew her briefly, one has to be in awe of how the gospel can embody a person who truly lives it. Though I can't do her justice in written form, she is a reminder of what it means to walk in the spirit.
Romans 12:8 (KJV)
8 Or he that exhorteth, on exhortation: he that giveth, let him do it with simplicity...
“If nothing else, Tucker wants people to know one thing: "The Lord loves everybody. Everybody is somebody," Tucker said. "We aren't to show respect of persons."
Black History Month: Mother Tucker fed, sheltered thousands of Tulsa's homeless
