WS Chronicle

The new year brings new beginnings for many people.  On Sunday, Jan. 28, Rev. Robert L. Dikes Jr. was officially installed as the new pastor for Gethsemane Missionary Baptist Church.

Dikes, who is a native of Pinehurst, N.C., accepted Christ as his personal savior on Nov. 19, 1996.  He preached his initial sermon on Nov. 18, 2001, at Faith Missionary Baptist Church in Gibsonville, N.C.

Under the tutelage of Faith Missionary’s senior pastor Dr. Darryl McConnell, he was ordained by the Guilford Educational Missionary Baptist Association in May 2012.  Dikes was a member of Faith Missionary for 19 years before accepting the call to be pastor of Gethsemane Missionary Baptist earlier this year.

“I am looking forward to this and I know God is going to do wonderful things here, so I am elated that this opportunity has been presented to me,” said Dikes.

The congregation from Faith Missionary made the journey from Gibsonville to witness the installation service of Dikes.  The church was so full it turned into standing room only, with everyone in the pews sitting shoulder to shoulder.

McConnell delivered the sermon during the service.  His message titled “Separating the Dikes” touched on the new relationship of the Dikes family and Gethsemane.  He says he asked the Lord to give him something to say that would be helpful to the start of this “new marriage.”

“I have seen him [Dikes] grow by leaps and bounds over the years and now to see how God is molding him is tremendous,” said McConnell.  “I think he and his family are a great family and they work as a unit.”

“I have all the confidence in the world that they are going to do great things for God here at Gethsemane,” he continued.  “We knew that God was going to release him, and I feel 100 percent that he has all the tools to execute what God has given him to do at this time.”

Following the service, the installation rituals began.  The pastoral charge, church charge, presentation of the keys and the official installation of Pastor Dikes were performed.

Dikes and his family were front and center at the church during the service.  Dikes, who has been at Gethsemane since the first of the year, seemed elated to officially be installed at the church.  His passion was evident by the words he spoke to the church.

“It was a very lovely service, but I am glad everyone was able to make it out and I think God did a wonderful job here today,” said Dikes.

Dikes says he wants to come in and “unite the church” because he knows Gethsemane has gone through some things in recent years.  He wants to head in the right direction by going out in the surrounding community and “get out into the community and not just stay behind these four walls.”

“I have never seen a group of workers like we have here,” Dikes continued.  “They have a ‘can do’ attitude, and that’s what I love about what we have here.  I am looking forward to putting my hands in there to grow and reach out.”

Dikes had high praise for McConnell because of the things he has sowed into him.  Dikes says he spent two years with McConnell just studying the Word.  Dikes said, “If he wasn’t there for anyone else, he was there to prep me.”

To close out the service, the congregations of Faith Missionary and Gethsemane presented the Dikes family with gifts to welcome them to their new home.