Rev. J. Cameron Beaty, M.Div., Senior Pastor
The Rev. J. Cameron Beaty serves as Senior Pastor and Head of Staff of First Presbyterian Church of Tulsa. A native of Mississippi, Cameron came to First Church in August 2026 with nearly two decades of ministry experience and a deep commitment to Christ-centered preaching, discipleship and the life of the local church.
Before coming to Tulsa, Cameron served as the founding pastor of Peak Street Presbyterian Church in Dallas. A church plant of Highland Park Presbyterian Church, Peak Street began under Cameron’s leadership, and he helped build the congregation from the ground up, developing its ministry and community in the heart of East Dallas. His previous ministry experience also includes pastoral leadership at Highland Park Presbyterian Church in Dallas and First Presbyterian Church in Starkville, Mississippi.
Cameron earned his Master of Divinity from Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary and his Bachelor of Arts from Mississippi State University. His ministry is grounded in the Reformed tradition, with a particular love for Scripture, thoughtful preaching and helping people grow as disciples of Jesus Christ. He values the relationships that form within the church and believes deeply in the church’s calling to bear witness to the gospel through worship, discipleship, hospitality and service to its community and the world.
Cameron and his wife, Emily, have three children, Wells, Charlotte and Lewis. Together, the Beaty family is grateful to call Tulsa home and to share in this new chapter of ministry with the First Church family.
Rev. Wambugu Gachungi, M.Div., Associate Pastor
Born and raised in Kenya, Rev. Wambugu Gachungi came to the United States in 2001 to pursue a faith-based higher education. He graduated from the University of the Ozarks in 2007 with a bachelor’s degree in philosophy, religion, and sociology. He later moved to Tulsa, Oklahoma, where he attended Phillips Theological Seminary and earned his Master of Divinity degree in 2011.
Wambugu’s primary role at First Presbyterian Church is nurturing and strengthening the community of faith known as Tulsa International Fellowship (TIF), the church’s international worship service. He leads worship, Bible studies, and outreach initiatives, and provides pastoral counseling to people from diverse nations and cultural backgrounds. He is passionate about seeing the global Church come together across cultures, nations, and traditions, united by the gospel of Jesus Christ. His vision reflects the biblical picture of “a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages” standing together before the throne of God (Revelation 7:9, ESV).
In his ministry, Wambugu is deeply committed to the Reformed tradition and seeks to make its biblical and theological foundations accessible and relevant to 21st-century Christians. He continues to explore what it means to be the Church in an increasingly interconnected and globalized world. Central to his ministry is the conviction that the Church is called to proclaim one gospel to all people, believing with the apostle Paul that the gospel “is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes” (Romans 1:16, ESV).
This conviction inspires his passion for reaching unreached communities, equipping local believers, fostering cross-cultural partnerships, and collaborating with other Christians and churches in advancing the Kingdom of God. At the heart of this vision is Christ’s Great Commission: “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations” (Matthew 28:19, ESV).
Beyond his pastoral ministry, Wambugu enjoys spending time with his wife, Faith Wambugu, and their two adult children, Spurgeon and Vivien. As Wambugu and Faith reflect on this new season of life and ministry, they find themselves increasingly drawn to the words of Mordecai to Esther: “And who knows whether you have not come to the kingdom for such a time as this?” (Esther 4:14, ESV).
For Wambugu and Faith, these words continue to shape their understanding of God's calling and inspire a deeply personal question: What does God want us to do, for such a time as this, with the gifts He has entrusted to us?
Rev. James Estes, M.Div., Associate Pastor
James was born in Fort Worth, TX and raised in Claremore from the age of four, where he graduated from Claremore Christian High School. Following high school, he earned an associate degree from Rogers State University before completing a two-year ministry internship at New Life Church in Colorado Springs, Colorado. In 2005, James graduated from Langston University's Tulsa campus with his bachelor's degree in psychology. During his first job out of college, James was introduced to First Presbyterian Church in Tulsa at the invitation of then middle school director, Jaclyn Miles. He volunteered with Pathfinders, the middle school ministry, and became a member of FPC that year.
James graduated from Pittsburgh Theological Seminary. After completing this, he moved to Seattle to persuade Lindsey to marry him. In August 2013, James returned to Tulsa in answer to the call to serve as an associate pastor at First Church.
James has had the opportunity to take mission trips to various countries including Mexico, China, the Ivory Coast, Malawi, Nepal, Ethiopia, Holland, Kenya and Costa Rica. "I enjoy serving as the mission pastor because mission is the lifeblood of the Church.”
In future ministry James is excited to continue developing missional partnerships with fellow followers of Christ that cross cultural, ethnic, racial, denominational and national boundaries until the unity of Christ's one holy catholic and apostolic Church becomes an observable reality. "There is good work to be done around the world and around the corner."
James has been married to his wife, Lindsey, since 2012. Together they parent four beautiful children. With four children, life at home is always an adventure. James enjoys reading, music and being outdoors, whether backpacking, camping, gardening, hunting or taking the kids to the zoo or a neighborhood splash pad.
Rev. Julia Metcalf, M.Div., Associate Pastor
Julia Metcalf is a graduate of Princeton Theological Seminary, where she earned her Master of Divinity in 2020. During seminary, she served for a year at the American Church in Paris, France, as the pastoral intern for Youth and Young Adults. Her field education also included ministry with children and hospital chaplaincy.
Born and raised in Tulsa, Oklahoma, Julia studied vocal performance at Belmont University in Nashville, graduating in 2015. She is deeply grateful that the Lord brought her back to First Church, where she now serves as Associate Pastor for Next Gen Ministries. She considers it a joy to serve alongside this wonderful expression of the Body of Christ and an honor to be among the few women to serve as pastors in First Church’s history.
Julia is particularly interested in the spiritual disciplines, contemplative practices, and the ways they can deepen our life with God. She is passionate about helping people of all ages experience a meaningful, transforming relationship with Jesus Christ. Beyond First Church, Julia serves on the board of directors of Camp Loughridge.
When she is not at church, Julia enjoys walking, watching movies, and spending time with her cat, Luna, and her poodle, Fifi. She also hopes to become a master gardener someday!