Tulsa Dream Center To Continue Reverend Billy Joe Daugherty's Legacy

By Emory Bryan, News On 6

TULSA, OK -- Pastor Billy Joe Daugherty, 57, died Sunday of complications from lymphoma. Daugherty was pastor at Victory Christian Center, but he is known for much more than just Sunday sermons.

At Victory Christian, the congregation is dealing with the death of their pastor while continuing one of the legacies he created in Tulsa -- a solid record of service to the community.

Johnny Thaxton is shopping, but when he finds what he needs, he won't have to pay for it. He's shopping for a pair of pants and a shirt at the Tulsa Dream Center.

"I think they're helping out a lot of people in this community, so I came today to find out for myself," Thaxton said.

The Dream Center was the dream of Pastor Billy Joe Daugherty as a way to serve the poor of North Tulsa. The church says it now serves 500 families a week and that Daugherty's death will not stop the ministry.

"We believe that it will continue. The ministry will continue and I believe it will be even stronger," said Caroline Coussens of the Tulsa Dream Center.

The Dream Center brings together a number of ministries under one roof, everything from a car care clinic to GED classes and food bank, and this is just one of the community outreach ministries that Pastor Billy Joe Daugherty founded that will continue long after his death.

The Dream Center provides free healthcare to people who cannot afford to go anywhere else. Caroline Coussens runs the medical clinic and says Daugherty was it's biggest supporter.

"He's up there cheering us on to continue and run the race and he set the example for us, with vision," Coussens said.

The Dream Center, which started as a prayer for a way to help the poor, turned into a strong community resource, created by a pastor who wanted his church to serve. 

Even today, the many ministries of Victory Christian continue in Tulsa and around the world.

The memorial service for Pastor Daugherty will be next Monday in the Mabee Center, just across the street from the Victory Christian Center.

11/23/2009  Related Story: Details On The Cancer That Claimed The Life Of Reverend Daugherty