50 Years of Service
and a Dream Fulfilled
Reverend Douglas Cook Celebrates
As a teenager growing up in Sylvania, Georgia, south of
Savannah, Douglas Cook’s dreams far exceeded those
expected to be achieved by the son of a sharecropper.
The children in his rural county attended school for six
months of the year, while helping their families attend
to the farms for the remaining six months. For many
people born in the post-Depression era South, the dream
of attending college and earning a degree would forever
remain just that – a dream.
For Cook, hard work was supplemented by strong family
values and the love of two God-fearing parents and 16
siblings. Rosa Ann and Charlie Cook’s 15th child would
be raised in the Methodist tradition where church was in
integral part of life, accompanied by faithful study of the
holy scriptures. In fact, Cook’s early realization that he
was destined to a life of preaching the scriptures began as
child’s play. He would practice preaching to anyone who
would listen, including his favorite pet mule, Raleigh.
MOVE TO MIAMI
In the mid-1940s, as a teenager, Cook moved to Miami,
eventually setting up residence in Bunche Park, Opa-
locka. He became employed with Seaboard Railroad
Coastline from which he eventually retired after 27
years of service. He became a member of Greater New
Bethel Missionary Baptist Church under the leadership
of the late Reverend W.K. Smith. Cook was ordained as
a deacon in 1952 and faithfully served the church family
for 16 years before being called to the ministry in 1965.
Having a strong sense of purpose for the ministry, going
back to childhood, Cook heard the call, knew it was time
and recalls, “I knew I had to respond.” With the help of
his pastor, he began preaching and serving as interim
preacher for his congregation. He also responded to
requests from the community at-large.
FAMILY TIES
Reverend Cook was invited to preach to a fellowship
of church members whose church was located on NW
12th Avenue at 69th Street in Miami. Finding a strong
bond between himself and the membership, as well
as approving of his preaching and teaching style, the
membership invited him to be their permanent pastor. In
1968, Reverend Cook would begin the longest continuous
religious ministry as the leader of a congregation when he
accepted the helm as Pastor at Jordan Grove Missionary
Baptist Church.