GARY BOYD / PASTOR / COLLINSVILLE BAPTIST TABERNACLE / COLLINSVILLE, OK
In the new building, the worship space will grow from 600 seats to 1,100. With additional chairs on the back wall, this capacity extends to 1,200. Vastly expanded kids’ spaces are also part of the plan— an especially welcome development for parents. Although the previous building had a children’ s wing for newborns through 5th graders, it became so crowded that elementary-aged kids were moved to three modular classrooms in the parking lot.“ The rule of thumb in ministry is that you can’ t have kids in a separate building because moms don’ t feel comfortable with that,” Wilkerson explains. Enter: a new two-story elementary wing. In the parking lot, the modular classroom buildings are being removed and twice as much parking is being added, going from 275 spaces to 600.
An eye toward the future, even now Although Rock Creek Church is moving into its new building in a few weeks— just in time for Christmas services— the official grand opening will take place in late January 2026. The excitement is palpable. Still, Wilkerson and his team aren’ t resting on their laurels. Even as they finish one major project, they’ re already thinking ahead to the next one. That’ s because Rock Creek will probably need to expand again sooner versus later— this time, to 1,600 seats. According to Wilkerson, one of the telltale signs will be when attendance grows to 5,500, necessitating five services per weekend.“ Even with a teaching team, that’ s grueling,” he says. To accommodate a worship center so large, another 220 parking spaces will need to be added to the backside of the new building.“ With a 1,600-seat auditorium, it’ ll require 800 spaces,” Wilkerson explains.“ That’ s because, in Texas, I can have one family that drives three different cars to church. Maybe Mom is on the worship team and needs to show up early, and Dad’ s coming in his vehicle, and their two teenagers are driving their own car.” A new elementary space will likely be in order, too, as will adult education classrooms and office suite. Right now, the staff works out of the large( but aging) seven-bedroom family home that came with the property.“ We’ re using every square foot for offices for a staff of 40 people,” Wilkerson says.“ It saves us money because we haven’ t built even one
square foot of office space in any of our facilities.“ The house is old and has its issues, but it’ s just part of the sacrifice,” he adds.“ Right now, our priority has to be more seating and kids’ spaces.” If it all sounds like a lot of work, it is. But Wilkerson says he expects all these elements— in other words, completion of the master plan— to be in place by 2030.“ I don’ t see it taking longer than five years because within 15 months of opening this new building, I’ ll probably be standing on the stage saying,‘ We’ ve got to expand,’” he explains.“ And the drawings, the master plan, are all done; I think we could move pretty fast. Then, that’ s all we can build on the land as far as church facilities go.”
Moving forward with faith For Wilkerson, it has been a long and challenging— but fulfilling— road to where Rock Creek stands today. Looking back, he credits much of the second building project’ s success to all the stress and anguish he didn’ t take upon himself this time around.“ When I compare the two experiences, my sanity, my heart, my life, my mind— I’ m in a totally different place,” he says.“ We’ ve let [ Goff ] build the building, and I’ ve continued to do ministry and pastor the church. It has been so much better.” Remaining resolute was also essential in seeing the church through tumultuous times and, ultimately, to tremendous growth— sometimes in the form of simply not quitting along the way.“ When people ask me what has made the biggest difference, I say,‘ We just stayed faithful. We stayed,’” Wilkerson explains.“ Galatians 6:9 says to not give up‘ for at the proper time we will reap a harvest.’ Now, that’ s what we’ re doing.”
QUICK FACTS ABOUT ROCK CREEK CHURCH
Year established: 2008 Number of staff: 40 Combined weekly attendance: 3,350 2025 budget: $ 5.2 million
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