Charley O’Daniel was
born in Seminole, OK in 1949 to Ray and Betty O’Daniel of Maud, OK. His dad was a butcher in the family grocery
store and he brought his son up to be a butcher as well.
He graduated from Maud
High school and attended Seminole Jr. College for three semesters while
working as a butcher. It was during this
time that his girl friend invited him to church with her and he got saved.
He later married his girl friend, Trela Pack, and they
started a family in Maud. After being
married only a few short weeks Trela realized she was not saved and she trusted
Jesus Christ as her Saviour.
They lived in Maud and attended Trinity Baptist
Church where Charley was
called to preach. He supplied the pulpit
for several churches and then pastored part-time several churches in the surrounding
area. Once while pastoring on a Sunday
morning in Sasakwa, OK Anita Bryant, who did orange juice commercials, walked
in with all her family to the services.
She had brought her father to church with her that morning and he
rededicated his life to the Lord.
In 1975 he took his wife and three children to Chattanooga, Tennessee to
attend Tennessee Temple Bible
College under Dr. Lee
Roberson. Finishing his Bible College
in three years he returned to Oklahoma to be a
youth director and Christian school teacher at Western
Oaks Baptist
Church and BethanyBaptist Schools
in Bethany, OK with his wife, four children and another
one on the way.
After a year and one half as youth director he decided to
seek God’s place for him to pastor. In
September 1980 he was called to Maranatha
BaptistChurch
in OKC, OK. The first Sunday, there was only nineteen
people in attendance, not counting his family.
He pastored there for fifteen years until the church outgrew its building. As they were praying for what they should do
for more space God opened the door for them to merge with Western
OaksBaptist
Church in Bethany since their pastor was retiring. The first week in October 1995 the merge took
place and he became the pastor of Maranatha Baptist Church of Western
Oaks. Since then he has pastored MBCWO
for 15 more years and they are supporting over 137 missionaries and mission
works with six missionaries and their families out the church starting churches
and working on the mission field.
Today his greatest heroes are still missionaries around the
world.