Oikos Church began in 2021 when Smith and Kelsey Hopkins gathered 12 friends around their table and invited them to imagine a church that was deeply transforming, Spirit-led, and rooted in Memphis. What started in a living room has multiplied across the city in homes and tables, with people hungry to experience the church not as an event, but as a family of faith.

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The name Oikos is a New Testament word meaning “home” or “family.” We believe it captures God's vision for the church—a people in whom He makes His home (1 Peter 2:5). Our dream has always been simple and bold: to see people deeply transformed by God’s grace through the gospel of King Jesus, here in Memphis and to the ends of the earth.

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The Oikos Gathering launched on January 23, 2022, near the University of Memphis—a deliberate decision to prioritize the city and its young adults. We felt called to stay in the city we love, to plant roots, and to join God's work of renewal.

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Since then, God has grown our church family. From 12 in a living room, to 70 who launched OIkos together, to over 150 now, we’ve become a multigenerational community shaped by five key values: Spirit-led movement, renewed identity, beloved family, holistic ministry, and a shared rhythm of life. These aren’t just ideas—they're how we live, love, and serve.

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In 2025, we moved into our first building at 674 Stratford Road, a space now shared with HopeWorks to serve our neighbors through adult education. We also steward and lead the Christian Student Center at the University of Memphis, where we’re investing in the next generation through campus ministry and intentional discipleship.

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Today, we’re in a season of growth and transition—launching new ministries, raising up elders and leaders, and dreaming together about what it means to “pass it on.” We believe the church is not a building, but a family on mission. And we’re just getting started.