wfn.org | D.L. Dykes Dies at 79

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"UNITED METHODIST DAILY NEWS" by SUSAN PEEK on Aug. 11, 1991 at 13:58 Eastern,
about FULL TEXT RELEASES FROM UNITED METHODIST NEWS SERVICE (3453 notes).

Note 3452 by UMNS on Feb. 25, 1997 at 15:17 Eastern (2188 characters).

SEARCH: D.L. Dykes, pastor, communicator, Alternate View Network,
Shreveport 
Produced by United Methodist News Service, official news agency of
the United Methodist Church, with offices in Nashville, Tenn., New
York, and Washington.

CONTACT:  Ralph E. Baker                          98(10-71B){3452}
          Nashville, Tenn.  (615) 742-5470           Feb. 25, 1997

Religious communications pioneer,
pastor D.L. Dykes dies at 79

                 by United Methodist News Service

     The Rev. D. L. Dykes, well known United Methodist clergyman
from Shreveport, La., died Feb. 21 at Shreveport's Schumpert
Medical Center following a 10-day illness.
     Dykes, pastor of First United Methodist Church, Shreveport
from 1955 until his retirement in 1984, was known as a pioneer in
religious communications.  He began broadcasting his worship
services at First Church on television in 1955.  He founded the
Alternate View television network (AVN) in 1982, and was still
active in its operation until shortly before his death.
     AVN provided a forum on religious, social and political
topics for people representing a variety of opinions, growing to
reach 4 million people through 300 cable systems across the
country.  When the Internet was created, AVN became one of the
first local religious groups to have a home page. 
     During the civil rights era, Dykes actively worked to improve
race relations in his community.  The Times, a Shreveport 
newspaper, quotes Dykes' lifelong friend and local businessman,
George Nelson, saying "He was at the forefront of trying to calm
racial friction ... and he had a cross burned in his yard because
of that."
     Dykes graduated from Centenary College, Shreveport, and
attended Emory University, Atlanta.  He served churches in
Arkansas before returning to Shreveport to be pastor of First
Church.  He was named Shreveport's Young Man of the Year in 1947
and Mr. Shreveport in 1975.  The same year he was named to
Centenary College's Hall of Fame both as a trustee and alumnus.
     Dykes and his wife Sue Ellen had one son David who also
became a pastor.
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