Cook developed an outreach ministry at the church to get out the message that Jesus loves everyone and on Sundays the church provided meals to those who could not afford food.
Rhonda Clines, coordinator of the outreach ministry for the last five years said the organization was Cook’s greatest passion because he was concerned about restoring peoples’ spiritual lives.
The mission of the group was to “compel men and women who have faced mountains in their lives that there is hope in Jesus and that he can put a stop to their merry-go-round lifestyle,” according to Clines.
Cook also founded the True Deliverance Christian School, which serves children from 3 months to eighth grade. He was always encouraging young people to further their education and get a degree, no matter what their career choice and would often say “try not to be the tail, but the head of your class.”
“I thought very highly of him,” said Desiree Sockwell, who has been the principal of the school since it was founded. “He always had children at heart and wanted them to be well educated so that they could contribute to society and have a deep love for the Lord.”
The children, in turn, loved Cook as well and would greet him warmly and often hug him as walked through the building during his visits.
“He instilled in us that the sky was the limit and that anything we wanted, the Lord would give it to us, if we walked the right before him,” said Lenise Miller, a social studies teacher at the school.
During his sermons, Cook would often preach about the importance of having respect for your fellow man, coming to Christ, the afterlife and saving souls. Many parishioners recalled the genuine heartfelt manner in which he expressed himself and how it inspired them to continue to attend services and bring others with them.
Cook was married to Reva Kinsley for 35 years. She passed away in 1995. Besides his daughter, Cook is survived by two stepdaughters, Talmadge Swaine and Ophelia Kinsey. Over the course of 25 to 30 years, Cook cared for over 100 foster children ranging in age from eight to 16 years old.
“He would help them with their homework and make sure that they learned their lessons for the day,” said Reva Cook. “The children had structure. They went to church every Sunday with him and my mother.”
Although a loving father and religious leader, Cook had little time for hobbies.
“I would have loved for him to relax and take a break, but he said ‘No, my duty is to serve Christ.”
Cook was born on June 6 in Darlington, S.C. where he attended Butler High School, before being drafted into the Army. He served for four years and fought in World War II before being honorably discharged. After he received his high school diploma, he attended Clafin College in Orangeburg, S.C., where he obtained a bachelor’s degree in science. He aspired to be a pharmacist and later a doctor but his path changed after he accepted Jesus Christ as his savior.
His spiritual awakening occurred after he paid a visit to the Zion Gospel Assembly of the Apostolic Faith church located in the Jamaica area where he was ordained in 1963 and served as both an elder under the leadership of Bishop J.P. Shields and as a the Sunday School superintendent until 1974.
Cook founded True Deliverance Church on Feb. 9, 1975 and later opened True Deliverance Christian School in 1994. He became a bishop in 1998.
“I pray that he is in the bosom of our Lord Jesus and I am hoping he is with his wife again because they were a dynamic team,” said Reva Cook.
When asked what she thought her father’s final wish would be, Cook replied “Please continue my work. Do not let my legacy be in vain.”
A wake will be held at True Deliverance Church located at 188-13 Linden Blvd. in Jamaica on Thursday, Oct. 22 from 5 to 9 p.m. Funeral services will be held at the church from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. on Friday, Oct. 23.
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