My Church: Olivet Baptist Church, Oklahoma City
One thing you have already learned about me is the fact that I am a pastor. I have been in some kind of church work for 40 years. I have been a pastor for the last 31 years. I pastored Lone Star Baptist Church in Lone Stat, Texas for 8 years from 1980 to 1987. I pastored Calvary Baptist Church in Boise, Idaho from 1987 to 1995. I spent a year in Dallas, Texas before I went to Olivet Baptist Church in Oklahoma City in 1996. I have served Olivet for the last 15 years.
Let me tell you a little about Olivet. It is an inner city church that celebrated 100 years of ministry last May 2010. When many other churches felt they needed to move out of the inner city back in the 1970’s, Olivet decided to stay. In her hey day, the 1950’s, Olivet was an upper middle class church running 1400 in attendance. Today we run from 120 t0 150. Our facilities are old but still functional. For example, our auditorium was built in 1920. Our newest building, that includes a gym, was built in 1967. It takes a lot of work and money to keep them up.
Here is what is so great about Olivet. Though we are small in number we are actively involved in as many as 50 ministries during the year. Some are continual, and others are seasonal. For example, we have a year around medical clinic sponsored by Integris Hospital. We are open 3 Mondays a month and give out free meds. We have a ministry to homeless mothers with children that provides free housing, utilities, and food among others services. We call it Heart and Hand which also has a thrift store that provides jobs for our ladies and income to pay the ministry bills. We also provide children’s literacy programs, all summer day camp, sports programs, prison ministry for men getting out of prison, clothes closet, food pantry, children’s music programs, bus ministry, HIV counseling, rescue mission classes, and others. You can read about my philosophy of ministry in my book, Judgment’s Greatest Question. I hope to have it online eventually. It is a must read for every Christian who wants to be faithful in their walk with the Lord Jesus Christ.