David O. Dykes

David O. Dykes

L-R: House Chaplain David Coughlin presents pastor David Dykes a certificate in honor of his September 10, 2008, Invocation of the US House, while Representative Louie Gohmert and then Speaker Nancy Pelosi stand by.
Born (1953-01-16) January 16, 1953
Nationality American
Education Samford University[1]
Occupation Clergyman
Religion Southern Baptist[2]
Spouse(s) Cynthia "Cindy" Dykes[3]
Children Two daughters[1]
Website www.gabc.org
Ordained The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary[1]
Congregations served
 Green Acres Baptist Church of Tyler, Texas[4]
Title Senior Pastor
For the late Louisiana United Methodist clergyman who also has a son named "David Dykes", see D. L. Dykes, Jr..

David O. Dykes (born January 16, 1953) is a minister at Green Acres Baptist Church in Tyler, Texas.[1] He has opened the Texas Legislature in prayer[5][6] and opened the US House with prayer in 2008.[7][8] Dykes is an influential leader in East Texas. He is the pastor of U.S. Representative Louie Gohmert and Texas State Representative Matt Schaefer. He has written a lot of Christian books. Under his leadership Green Acres became "one of the leading churches in America," according to president of the SBC Executive Committee Morris Chapman.[2] Dykes was honored by the Southern Baptist Convention Executive Committee with its highest honor, the M.E. Dodd Award, for a lifetime of work.[2]

Early life

Dr. Dykes was reared in South Alabama.[1] He began preaching at 17.[1] He received a B.A. from Samford University in Birmingham, Alabama in 1975.[1] Rev. Dykes received his Master of Divinity degree from The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Kentucky.[1] He also earned his Doctor of Ministry degree with emphasis was on evangelism and church growth from The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary.[1] He received post-doctoral training at Cambridge University in Cambridge, England.[1]

Ministry

Dykes has been preaching since 1970[1] and pastored churches in Alabama before coming to Green Acres Baptist Church in 1991.[4] Green Acres has 14,000[2]-15,000[1] members. Roughly 6,000 people worship there each Sunday, with holidays like Easter boosting the congregation to 8,000.[4] Since he took over as pastor, 2,000 people were baptized at Green Acres.[2]

Green Acres was designated a Global Priority Church by the International Missions Board because of Dr. Dykes emphasis on missions.[4] The North American Mission Board also designated Green Acres as Key Church for Dykes work partnering with other churches for missions at home and over seas.[4] Green Acres sent over 1,000 volunteer missionaries[2] to various locations worldwide and has been the number 1 church among Southern Baptists in the amount given to the Cooperative Program for the last 14 years.[1] He has personally led mission teams to 10 countries,[2] including: the Ukraine, Mexico, Belize, Brazil, and Argentina. He trains church leaders in the US and around the world each year on biblical principles of leadership.[1] Dykes has led over 20 educational tours to the Holy Land Israel.[1]

He is an enthusiastic supporter of the Cooperative Program and CP Sunday.[4] Green Acres is regularly the top contributor to the Cooperative Program. In 2007, they raised $1,445,909, almost a half-million dollars for than the second place total.[2] The cooperative program has received $10 million since 2000, more than half of the total $18.4 million raised for missions.[2]

In 2009, he hosted the Hope For 100 "If You Were Mine" conference with the goal of encouraging people to adopt and foster care.[9] He is also a supporter of Acquire the Fire's Relentless Pursuit.[10]

Theologically, Dykes is furthest away from Reformed, fitting into the Dispensational camp. Dykes' soteriology is Arminian. He holds the Dispensationalist view of Scripture, meaning he believes in a distinction between the church and national Israel, the seven points of Dispensationalism, and a literal interpretation of Scripture. However, he rejects the classical Dispensational teachings of the law having no application to the church and there being more than one way to salvation throughout the course of history. Dykes also advocates the Pre-Tribulation Rapture (a position most dispensationalists take), as expressed in his series on 1 and 2 Thessalonians and Revelation, among others. Regarding spiritual gifts, Dykes is a continuationist. He, though having the utmost respect for Dr. John MacArthur, says that Cessationism is too extreme. Likewise, he claims that the Charismatic movement is also extreme to the point of being unbiblical. Thus, Dykes chose continuationism because he questions why there would be instructions in the Bible on how to speak in tongues in the church if that gift, among others, ceased upon completion of the Bible.

Politics

Dr. Dykes participated in Pulpit Freedom Sunday, voicing support for Mitt Romney.[11] Dr. Dykes and Congressman Gohmert invited Joel Rosenberg to discuss his book,Damascus Count Down, about the endtimes and the possibility of a foreign policy mistake by a president leading to war.[12] He takes public political positions that upset some people[11] because of his ties to elected officials in his church, mostly Congressman Louie Gohmert, State Representative Matt Schaefer, and several members of the Tyler City Council. He is close to Louie Gohmert who serves as a deacon in the church and teaches Sunday School.

He endorsed Tom Leppert for Senate.[13]

Writings

Dr. Dykes has published articles in Moody Monthly, Church Administration and Guideposts.[1] He is the author of eleven books.[1]

Books

References

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