Greetings my fellow Christians. I am Deacon Derricote from Good Hope Missionary Baptist Church. I became a Deacon under the tutelage of Pastor Oyedokun II, January 31, 2016.
My wife, Gilda, and I joined Good Hope Missionary Baptist Church in 2014 after searching for a new church home. We had moved to Texas from Maryland and were searching for a Bible teaching, Bible preaching church and we found both at Good Hope in Pastor Oyedokun (Pastor O). Pastor O’s preaching style was particularly attractive to me because of his ability to seamlessly deliver a teaching, challenging and aspirational sermon at the same time. Pastor O can do each separately equally as well. He had the uncanny ability to come down my pew step on my toes and scuff my shoes, figuratively of course. He caused me to examine myself and challenged me to work harder at my walk with Jesus. Suffice it to say Pastor O, now Dr. O, is a Biblical scholar with the ability to use scholarly terms without pretense, putting them in to lay terms, helping you to understand Biblical context. Pastor O has an engaging sense of humor which he displays in and out of the pulpit.
Pastor O is not only a teacher/preacher, he also is a person who is concerned about the wellbeing of others. His concern extends from the youngest youth to most senior of saints and the community beyond the walls of the church. Pastor O arranged and went with the high school seniors and juniors on bus tours to several colleges in various States and Washington DC. He mentored and helped one of the youths to become an ordained minister and made him the youth minister. Pastor O’s community outreach was not only evangelism. It also included clothing and school supply drives and Thanksgiving baskets. Pastor O would always take time to listen to and talk with those who wished to do so. Even when he was pressed for time because he was off to a speaking engagement, he would listen then follow up when he had the time to give his full attention to the matter. If you seek his counsel Pastor O is going to give you what you need to hear not what you want to hear. I know from personal experience and yes it was Biblically based and practical. When one of our granddaughters passed away in June of 2021, Gilda and I asked Pastor O on short notice if he could do the service. Without hesitation he said yes. What we thought would be a short service with him was much more. Pastor O rallied the church around us, and we had a full service. We were and are still extremely grateful.
I once said at a pastoral anniversary for Pastor O that the best way to describe him is to think of bacon and eggs breakfast — the hen is involved, but the pig is committed. And just as I said then I am saying now, I am NOT comparing Pastor O to a pig. Note: he still talks to me. I told you Pastor O has a sense of humor. It was just my inarticulate way of saying what the youth would say that Pastor O is ride or die for the Lord. He takes his calling most seriously in all its aspects and charges. The night I went before the Pastoral Board I said to him, “I hope I don’t let you down.” His response speaks volumes about him, his character, and his dedication. He said “If you don’t make it, it’s on me. It was my job to prepare you.” Pastor O is going to reach out to those who are lost and introduce them to a man named Jesus, as well as edify those who are saved.