John 3:16 opens new campus west of downtown Tulsa

Tulsa's John 3:16 is expanding beyond downtown. They’ve opened a campus just west of downtown.

John 3:16 bought the old Choteau Elementary School years ago and on Friday marked the completion—for now—of an entire campus designed to help restore people dealing with homelessness and the issues that led to it.

This 160-acre campus offers new opportunities for the John 3:16 Mission, which had always been focused downtown.

Steven Whitaker, the younger Whitaker, now runs the charity started by his father. He was joined by more than a hundred supporters to celebrate the expansion.

The larger campus includes classrooms and vocational space for students, who can access everything they need on-site.

“I’m in the 12-18 month program and it’s restoring my mind,” said Barbara Egbert, a John 3:16 Refuge student. “I’ve gotten back in touch with my children, my family, which I missed very much.”

Egbert says she found hope here after almost a year of homelessness.

The expanded campus of the John 3:16 Refuge has room for 120 people in treatment, both men and women. There’s a working farm, and products are being created for sale.

The ministry now has the warehouse space it needs, with room to grow even more.

“There really is hope for the homeless folks in our community to come here and, whatever their situation, receive an individual, clinically based holistic program where they really can get their life back together,” Whitaker said.

The location, miles from downtown, is intentional.

“There’s a peace and a calm they can’t find anywhere else, and sometimes it starts with the environment and works from the inside out for you to be able to get that,” said Megan Thompson, director of women’s ministry.

The ministry downtown remains in operation and will stay there. This new site is for more intensive, residential treatment, outside of that environment.