| Birth Date: | 16 January 1953 |
| Occupation: | Clergyman |
| Religion: | Southern Baptist |
| Spouse: | Cynthia "Cindy" Dykes[1] |
| Children: | Two daughters[2] |
| Education: | Samford University |
| Ordained: | Southern Baptist Theological Seminary |
| Nationality: | American |
| Congregations: | Green Acres Baptist Church of Tyler, Texas |
| Pastor Emeritus | |
Dr. David O. Dykes (born January 16, 1953) is Pastor Emeritus and the former Senior Pastor of Green Acres Baptist Church in Tyler, Texas. He is also the author of several 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.[3]
He has opened the Texas Legislature with prayer[4] [5] and opened the US House with prayer in 2008.[6] [7]
Dykes was honored by the Southern Baptist Convention Executive Committee with its highest honor, the M.E. Dodd Award, for a lifetime of work.
Dr. Dykes was reared in South Alabama, where he began preaching at age 17. He received a B.A. from Samford University in Birmingham, Alabama in 1975. Rev. Dykes received his Master of Divinity degree from the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Kentucky. He also earned his Doctor of Ministry degree with emphasis on evangelism and church growth from the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. He received post-doctoral training at Cambridge University in Cambridge, England.
Dykes has been preaching since 1970. He pastored churches in Alabama before coming to Green Acres Baptist Church in 1991.[8]
He has personally led mission teams to 10 countries,[3] including trips to Ukraine, Mexico, Belize, Brazil, and Argentina. He trains church leaders in the US and around the world each year on biblical principles of leadership. Dykes has led over twenty educational tours to the Holy Land Israel.
He is an enthusiastic supporter of the Cooperative Program.[8]
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]
In February 2021 Dykes announced his pending retirement from the pulpit, to take place at the end of August, in order to allow a smooth transition to whoever will be the new pastor,[11] something which he mentioned didn't happen when he became pastor.[12] Dr. Michael Gossett became Senior Pastor August 29, 2021.
Dr. Dykes participated in Pulpit Freedom Sunday, voicing support for Mitt Romney.[13] 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.[14]
He endorsed Tom Leppert for Senate.[15]
Dr. Dykes has published articles in Moody Monthly, Church Administration and Guideposts. He is the author of eleven books.