Baptist and Reflector
DYERSBURG — Seventy-two years ago on Jan. 9, Bill Oakley walked down the aisle of Southside Baptist Church in Dyersburg and took his pastor ( and Dad) by the hand and told him God had called him to preach and that he was surrendering to that call.
The following Sunday night, Oakley preached his first sermon and the church licensed him to preach at the age of 18. During the summer of that year, he was called to two half-time churches as pastor and on Oct. 15, 1950, Southside Baptist ordained Oakley to the gospel ministry.
Bill Oakley
“In my wildest imagination could I ever have known what God had in store for me in the ensuing years,” Oakley said. “I have been privileged to pastor some great churches during these years.” In addition, the Lord has also opened the door for Oakley to work some years with the Baptist State Convention of Michigan, to serve as vice president of Williams Baptist College in Walnut Ridge, Ark., and to spend six years in vocational evangelism.
“During this time I have been blessed to have ministered in seven countries of the world, and have been in Brazil six times. The greatest blessing has been to have seen about 4,000 people come to know Jesus during these 72 years, and to have baptized about 2,000 of those,” he said.
Oakley estimated he has preached 15,300 sermons and traveled two million miles in his ministry.
Even now, at the age of 90, he is still preaching every Sunday.
Oakley was invited by Loren Stephens to return to Southside Baptist Church, where he surrendered to the call of ministry 72 years ago, on Jan. 9 to preach on the anniversary of that call.
“To God be all the honor, glory and praise,” Oakley said. “It has been all of Him and none of me.” B&R
