Pastor DJ, thank you for serving on Oklahoma Baptists’ board and as a convention officer! Can you tell us about your background and how the Lord called you into ministry?
“I was born in the small town of Slick, where my dad served his first pastorate for 14 years. My dad, Derrick, was called to pastor Luther, First in 1995, where he still pastors today. Being a preacher’s kid, I grew up knowing all the right answers and knew what all the right things to do were. It wasn’t until the summer of 2000 at Falls Creek, that I recognized my goodness couldn’t make me right with God, and it was only by His grace and Christ’s finished work that I could have a relationship with Him. The next summer while at Falls Creek, I submitted to the Lord’s call to ministry in my life. It is easy to look back now and recognize the Lord’s work to develop a heart for the local church through my dad, who is a faithful pastor and taught me how to love the local church and to serve it well.
Can you briefly share about your family and about where you now serve in ministry?
“My wife, Lindsay, and I were high school sweethearts and just celebrated our 20th anniversary in December. We have four children – John (30), Dre (18), Kadence (13), and Preston (12).
“Lindsay had a difficult pregnancy with Dre, which resulted in developing congestive heart failure after giving birth. The Lord did miraculous things in the events that unfolded as we nearly lost Lindsay and we are grateful for his purpose and work through those things.
“Due to the extreme risk of having more children biologically, the Lord opened doors for us to adopt through the last 15 years. That began with John, whom we met at Boys Ranch Town (BRT) while serving as houseparents. John married Caitlyn in 2019 and our granddaughter, Reign, was born in 2020.
“At the beginning of 2020, the Lord began to stir in Lindsay’s and my hearts to reopen our home to foster care. Our very first placement was in March of that year, as we welcomed Kadence and Preston into our home. It quickly became apparent that these children were going to be with us a while, which ultimately turned into forever as we adopted them in November of 2021.
“We have called Bristow, First home for the last 11 years. I came to Bristow, First as the Student Pastor. When the Senior Pastor left in early 2016, I sensed the Lord moving me to pursue stepping into that role. The church sensed the same and in 2016, I began my first pastorate here at Bristow, First.
What impact are you seeing the Lord make in your church and community?
“2025 brought some great opportunities, some challenging moments, and some unexpected blessings to Bristow, First. After a little more than a year without a student pastor or worship leader, our church called some great individuals to come and serve in these roles, and we have seen the Lord bless these two areas of ministry.
“In October, our student pastor coordinated Fields of Faith. Caleb and Jeremy Freeman came and shared to more than 400 people, and we saw 40 students and adults come to know the Lord. We hosted the Living Christmas Tree again and saw over 500 people come through the doors to share in the beautiful presentation of the Gospel from an amazing choir under the direction of Brad Butler.
“In the Spring, we explored what it would look like to start praying BIG prayers in our Wednesday evening Bible study. Through prayer and God’s provision, we were able to pay off the remainder of our building loan to WatersEdge.
“We serve a BIG God who can do BIG things. In the same spirit of knowing we have a God who will do exceedingly abundantly more than we could ask or think, we have come to 2026 with some fresh vision and BIG goals. We cannot wait to see what the Lord does this year!
You have experience in the foster care and adoption capacity. Can you tell us about your experience and heart for that?
“Growing up with awareness of the foster system through friends and family, my personal involvement began when my wife, Lindsay, worked at BRT. Interacting with the boys there ignited a shared passion in our hearts for advocacy. We later served as house parents at BRT, witnessing firsthand the need for safe homes and adopting our oldest son through foster care during that time. Our journey led us to partner with Anna’s House Foundation, where we specialized in short-term placements for young children, which highlighted the depth of emotional, physical, and spiritual needs these children possess. Over the years, we’ve provided various types of foster care and I now serve on the Board of Trustees for Oklahoma Baptist Homes for Children (OBHC) and as an ambassador for CarePortal (111Project), connecting local churches with foster needs.
“While I handle organizational roles, it is Lindsay who truly embodies the heart of this work, sharing the Gospel with many children and parents, including our two youngest children whom we met and adopted through foster care. Adoption has allowed our family to feel whole while helping others in the process. We embrace adoption as a “Gospel word,” a powerful illustration of God’s redemptive love for us as described in Galatians 4:4-5. We view foster care as a “Gospel principle,” answering the call in James 1:27 to look after orphans in their time of need. Through all the highs and lows, our experience with foster care and adoption has consistently revealed the heart of the Father.
Why is it important for your church to support the Cooperative Program?
“I believe that we are better together. It is something that our church believes deeply and practices fully. We desire at our core to lead people to know God and make him known. We, like many churches, have the burning desire to see Acts 1:8 lived out. But like many churches, that would be a daunting task for just our church to approach, logistically and financially. That is why we give through the Cooperative Program (CP). We have a connection with the principle that we are better together, and we have a connection to the people the CP serves. We recognize the CP as an investment in our people and an investment in the work of Southern Baptist here and around the world, and that’s why we will continue to give through the CP.”
