Leroy Dykes

Leroy Thomas Dykes was born in Franklinton, Louisiana, on September 8, 1913 to Henry Lawrence and Cecilia Creel Dykes. He was next to the youngest of five siblings.

Leroy, known to most as Roy Dykes, received the Holy Ghost June 17, 1933, on a Friday Night. He began preaching shortly after receiving the Holy Ghost. He preached his first service on August 10, 1933, at Crain’s Creek, on the front porch of a country residence. In eight nights, the crowd grew from about 25 to around 300. Wood planks were taken out of the hay loft of the barn to make seats. Next, came a two-week open-air service at Bush, Louisiana, in the fall of 1933. The next year, Brother Dykes was ordained at Ponchatoula, Louisiana, in September 1934, with the Pentecostal Assembly of Jesus Christ, by elders Fred McManus, Daniel Talley, J.T. Jones, David Magee, and Robert Graham.

A three-week open-air revival in Wadesboro, Louisiana, in the summer of 1934, yielded several receiving the Holy Ghost. When this revival closed, Brother Dykes joined another minister who was in revival east of Ponchatoula, Louisiana. After Brother Dykes preached several nights, the church group asked him to pastor. That’s where he met Miss Margie who later became his wife.

They had no building, so five acres of land was purchased, which included a small building. After a short time, he left this group with Brother Jessie Hawthorne to pastor. Very soon, he was back to preach a revival for Brother Jessie Hawthorne, in July1935. On this occasion, Brother Dykes married Miss Margie, on July 25, 1935. Brother Hawthorne performed the Ceremony.

In 1935, they pastored the church at Pine Burr, Mississippi. In the month of June 1938, they went to preach a revival at Ole Haw Pond, and 18 received the Holy Ghost. Church buildings were few, but that didn’t stop the spreading of God’s word. Brother Dykes preached a few nights at Stalling Bridge, at Brother Harem Creel’s resident.

From there, he became pastor of Bethel Pentecostal Church, in the summer of July 1938, and pastored thru December 1941. During their stay there, about 60 received the Holy Ghost. This was during WWII, and funds were scarce, as most of the menfolk were farmers. Brother Dykes took a job plowing for a member of the church. He worked for about 10 hours daily and received $1.00 per day. There was no electric lighting in the church, but the REA (Rural Electric Association) was making electricity available to the church. A man in the church, Dexter Rushing, purchased the necessary wiring and fixtures so the church would have better lighting. Side Note: The story goes that Dexter Rushing prayed in the altar many years before being filled with the Holy Ghost. He would play the guitar for the altar call and then lay the guitar down and go to the altar and pray for the Holy Ghost. Eventually, he did receive the Holy Ghost. (James F. Nations)

During this time, Brother Dykes was taking care of Bethel and the Ponchatoula church, which he had previously pastored. It was at the church in Ponchatoula that Brother Dexter Rushing preached his first sermon.

Brother Dykes’s next pastorate was at Acy, Louisiana, near Gonzales, Louisiana. Several received the Holy Ghost. They then went to South Lake Church in the Mississippi Delta and pastored from March 22, 1945–May1945, and several received the Holy Ghost there.

Brother Dykes was called to pastor the Haw Pond church in May 1945. In September 1945, the church was moved to its present location and the name changed from Haw Pond to Stateline Pentecostal Church. The church was located in the State of Mississippi, but Stateline Pentecostal Church was affiliated with the Louisiana District, as there were no churches in that area of Mississippi at that time for fellowship. Brother Dykes and the men of the church built a new block church building (the old block Church), and he remained pastor until February 1947.

In the spring of 1947, Brother Dykes started the new church in Springfield, Louisiana. In the fall of 1947, he went back to pastor the South Lake Church in the Mississippi Delta, Darling, Mississippi, until 1949.
In March 1949, he stared a new church in Franklinton, Louisiana, bought property and built the first building and pastored therer until August 1952. During this time, several prayed through. While at Franklinton, they helped at the Talley’s Chapel Church.

In August 1952, he resigned the church, and in June 1956, went to help Bro, J.W. Magee in Bogalusa, Louisiana. During this time, he served Section Six of the Louisiana District as Secretary and Treasurer, from 1950–1957. In November 1957, he went to pastor McComb Church and finished the church building that was already started. He resigned McComb Church in late spring of 1959.

In 1960, he returned to Stateline Church to work with Brother Earl Carney. He was based out of Brother Carney’s church from 1960–March 1962. (During this time, he pastored White’s Chapel Church for a few months.)

He preached revivals in California before arriving in Ajo, Arizona, and pastored there from January 1963–1968. During this time, he served on the Arizona District Board as Presbyter 1964–1968.

After evangelizing for several months, Brother Dykes became pastor of Ballard’s Chapel Church, where he served from December 1969–December 1972.

Talley’s Chapel called him to pastor in April 1973, where he remained until July 1981. Upon his resignation at Tally’s Chapel, he returned to Stateline, his home church, being semi-retired.

During his nearly 60 years of ministry, Reverend Roy Dykes pastored churches in Arizona, Louisiana, and Mississippi. He passed from this earthly life on November 16,1991.

Reverend Roy Dykes was a GREAT MAN with an HUMBLE SPIRIT.