Avery Chapel AME Church pastor dies
Pastor D. Lavel Crawford, senior pastor of Avery Chapel African Methodist Episcopal Church, died on June 8 after a five-year battle with cancer. He was 58.
A celebration of life was held on Monday at Avery Chapel in northeast Oklahoma City. Another service was held held on Thursday at St. Mark African Methodist Episcopal Church in Orlando, Florida.
A native of Ocala, Florida, Crawford was a graduate of Florida A&M University. He was called to the ministry in 1992. He served as an African Methodist Episcopal pastor at several churches in Florida and one in Little Rock, Arkansas, before accepting the call to lead Avery Chapel in 2014.
Crawford traveled to Africa twice, where he participated evangelism mission efforts spanning three countries. He served in several leadership positions in the African Methodist Episcopal Church over the years, including section leader of street evangelism for the denomination’s department of church growth and development. During his tenure in the AME church’s 11th Episcopal District, he was recognized as Pastor of the Year for the young people’s division.
He is survived by his wife of 34 years Stephanie and their children, Dana Jr., Tangiere, Christin, Chelsea and Morgan. The couple’s child Jessica preceded her father in death.
Outgoing Baptist leader receives award
NASHVILLE — Oklahoma Baptist University presented the J.M. Carroll Award to the Rev. Hance Dilbeck during the Southern Baptist Convention’s annual meeting.
The presentation took place on Wednesday during a special event for alumni and friends of the university. OBU President Heath Thomas presented the award to Dilbeck, who currently serves as executive director-treasurer of Oklahoma Baptists, the Oklahoma affiliate organization of the Southern Baptist Convention.
The J.M. Carroll Award is given in recognition of outstanding denominational service in the state of Oklahoma. It is named for J.M. Carroll, who served as OBU’s first president, helping establish the foundation upon which OBU’s tradition of excellence has been built.
Dilbeck, an OBU alumnus, has previously served on the OBU Board of Trustees, spoken in chapel services, and delivered the OBU commencement address. In 2017, he was the recipient of OBU’s Alumni Achievement Award, given in recognition of outstanding life service which has brought honor to the recipient’s alma mater.
The Pawhuska native recently announced he will be departing his post with Oklahoma Baptists to assume the presidency of GuideStone Financial Resources of the Southern Baptist Convention. He will assume the role of president-elect of Guidestone effective July 1, with a transitional period following before he assumes the role of president and chief executive officer of Guidestone in the first quarter of 2022.
Guidestone’s headquarters are located in Dallas, Texas.