Jeremiah 1:5
Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations.
The inevitable sovereign will of God was manifested on Sunday, August 25, 1957, when the Lord allowed Bishop Derrick W. Hutchins to enter into this earthly life from the lineage and parentage of the Elder Roy Hutchins Sr. and Mother Lozetta Hutchins. From the humble beginnings of a God-centered family, the man-child born to this union, Bishop Derrick W. Hutchins, would grow and mature into one of the greatest and most prolific prognosticators of the gospel of Jesus Christ.
Luke 1:80
“And the child grew, and waxed strong in spirit…”
Under the nurturing hands of his parents and the spiritual tutelage and guidance of his pastor, Bishop Roger L. Jones Sr., Bishop Derrick W. Hutchins grew in wisdom and knowledge of Jesus Christ at the Greater Holy Temple COGIC in the city of Flint, MI. It was here that he was introduced to the God of the Bible and subsequently received salvation and the baptism of the Holy Ghost. Here at the Greater Holy Temple church, the seeds of a Great Servant-Leader would be sown into the life of Bishop Derrick W. Hutchins. The spirit of a servant was cultivated in the embryonic years of his life as he humbly and willingly served his pastor, Bishop, and the Saints of God.
Luke 2:52
“And He increased in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men.”
It was in the year 1972 that Bishop Derrick W. Hutchins heard the clarion call of our Savior to preach the gospel. As a sagacious and ardent student of the word of God, Bishop Hutchins not only studied the ministry and art of preaching from his pastor, Bishop Jones, but he also matriculated through the halls of academia, making full proof of his ministry, “being ready always to give an answer to every man that asked him a reason of the hope that is in him with meekness and fear…” Bishop Derrick W. Hutchins was a proud alumnus of the Saints Junior College and Academy of the Church of God in Christ in Lexington, MS. He furthered his academic pursuits and received a Bachelor of Science degree in psychology and philosophy from the prestigious and historic Tougaloo College in Jackson, MS. Continuing his pursuance of excellence in education, Bishop Derrick W. Hutchins entered the master’s program at the University of Michigan. As a result of his commitment to excellence in academia and his stellar tenure as a gospel preacher, he was conferred an Honorary Doctorate degree from St. Thomas Christian College in Jacksonville, Florida. For five decades, Bishop Derrick W. Hutchins he has traveled the length and breadth of the United States preaching thousands of revivals and crusades, where many were inspired, saved, set free, healed, and restored. From presiding bishops to the average layman of the church, phrases such as "a preacher's preacher," "a preaching machine," and "one of the greatest preachers in our church" were descriptive characteristics, illuminating the ministry of Bishop Derrick W. Hutchins. He possessed an uncanny and unique anointing, captivating the minds and spirits of audiences every time he proclaimed the word.
Jeremiah 3:1
And I will give you pastors according to mine heart, which shall feed you with knowledge and understanding.
Accurately described as a “leader who God has raised up and empowered for leadership in the 21st century", Bishop Derrick W. Hutchins was chosen and anointed by God to preach the uncompromising, unapologetic, and unwavering Word of the Lord that transcended age, denominational and racial barriers, and touched the lives of a countless number of people from around the world. Even though he traveled as an itinerant preacher and evangelist, the call of the pastorate was upon his life. Under the leading of the Holy Ghost, Bishop Derrick W. Hutchins established and organized some of the countries, greatest churches in the cities of Columbia, SC, Chattanooga, TN, Orlando, FL, and Jackson, MS. The impact of his life and ministry in these cities yet rings loud and clear even in his absence.
Ephesians 4:11-12
And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:
It was in the year 2000 that Bishop Derrick W. Hutchins was elected to one of the highest offices in our denomination, Chairman of the General Council of Pastors and Elders, which consisted of over 10,000 pastors and 40,000 ordained elders. For three consecutive terms, Bishop Hutchins was elected to this high office and grew the pastors and elders conference from a few hundred to over 5,000 in attendance during his first term. Once again, the leadership of the Church of God in Christ looked favorably upon him and appointed him as the Vice Chairman of the National Program Committee for the International Holy Convocation in 2015. In November 2016, the former presiding Bishop, Bishop Charles, E, Blake, and the Presidium of the Church of God in Christ, with the ratification of the General Assembly, consecrated Bishop Derrick W. Hutchins as a Bishop in the Lord's church, appointing him as the jurisdictional prelate of Venezuela, South America. His ascension to the episcopacy was the glowing culmination of years of fervent and altruistic service to the Church of God in Christ. The Lord graced him with an apostolic anointing to expand the kingdom and work of God. It was in 2020 that the Lord allowed this ServantLeader to gather pastors from around the southeastern portion of the nation, who were seeking shelter and covering as they fervently fulfilled the call of God on their lives
With this massive burden upon him, Bishop Derrick W. Hutchins humbly accepted the role of establishmentarian of the Georgia Cosmopolitan Fellowship of Churches, gathering churches as far as the states of Florida, Tennessee, North Carolina, South Carolina, Alabama, and Georgia. Bishop Hutchins was a global and community leader whose work expanded beyond his ecclesiastical endeavors. In 2021 Bishop Hutchins was appointed as Co-Chair of the Annual National Leadership conference of our great church.
As pastor of New Life Church in Orlando, Florida, he spearheaded a $25 million senior affordable living project in 2021 that is currently in development. Recently, he hosted a community event to help increase awareness of human trafficking in Orlando, Florida. He also secured the purchase of a $7 million, 59,000-square-foot campus for New Life Church that sits on ten acres and houses three schools (spanning grades K-12), an adult day care center that is the only one serving the Pine Hills community, a dance/modeling studio, two Haitian congregations, and one Hispanic congregation, and a food pantry that is said to be the largest COGIC-affiliated feeding ministry in the state of Florida, which distributes food to more than 20,000 people annually. In addition, as an example of Bishop Hutchins' global reach, five African kings met at New Life Church this year to collaborate with Bishop Hutchins on innovative ways to combat violence and hunger in their communities. Bishop Hutchins had a heart for people who were formerly incarcerated. His vision was to create transitional housing for these returning citizens. He endeavored live out the essence of the gospel he preached about.
Acts 13:36
“For David (Bishop Derrick W. Hutchins) after he had served his own generation by the will of God, fell on sleep, and was laid unto his fathers…”
On Monday, December 5, 2022, with the love of his life, Dr. Katrina Hutchins, by his side, Bishop Derrick W. Hutchins heeded the voice of our Savior’s calling, bidding him to take his rest. He entered into eternal life to receive his reward as a servant that has done well. At that moment, he joined the great cloud of witnesses from his family, his parents Eld. Roy Hutchins Sr, Mother Lozetta Hutchins, and brother Min. Roy Hutchins Jr.
Those left to cherish his love and to honor his heritage of holiness are his loving and devoted wife, Dr. Katrina Hutchins, his only begotten son, in whom he was well pleased, Pastor Derrick W. Hutchins II, his grandchildren, Jordan Elyse and Derrick Wayne Hutchins, his siblings Pastor Dennis Hutchins, Dinah Jones (Terry), Randall Hutchins, Bridgette Perry and Brent Hutchins, the members of New Life Church, Georgia Cosmopolitan Fellowship of Churches, and a host of family and friends.
Babe,
I never allowed myself to imagine what your absence in my life would feel like. I never wanted to think about life on earth without you. I did not want to fathom the deep pain of missing your voice, not hearing your laughter, and not feeling your touch. I cringed each time you mentioned or alluded to the day you would leave this world. I could not perceive the possibility of a reality that would take my breath away.
I did not want to know mornings where the instant recognition that you were no longer here would cause an unexplainable heaviness in my heart. I did not want to have the experience of talking myself into getting out of bed. I never imagined sitting on a day like today and living in days like the ones that I know will come. Yet here I am, and there you are.
There you are, gone from me, but in the presence of the One you dedicated more than 50 years of your life telling and teaching others about. There you are with the One who was the reason you loved people and committed your life's work to "finding their needs and meeting them, finding their hurt and healing them." There you are, with the One who is the reason you could powerfully commit to keep "looking up and moving forward" – no matter what darts and arrows came your way.
There you are, out of a mortal body that could no longer contain your beautiful heart, unselfish giving spirit, and uniquely brilliant mind. There you are, having traded the things that broke your heart for the Glory that is your promise from God. There you are, enthralled in magnificent peace beyond my ability to comprehend. There you are, full of joy and rest. There you are…
Here I am, seeing and sensing your essence in every moment. Here I am, feeling your movement in our world, the one we made our own. Here I am, holding on tightly to your sweet words and your consistent unconditional actions of your love toward me. Here I am, savoring every memory we made and smiling about our plans for making so many more. Here I am, smiling at our laughter and tearing up over our tears.
Here I am, grateful for the "A-Team" we were and your way of unapologetically telling others, "She makes me better." Here I am, knowing beyond a shadow of a doubt we were, indeed, made for each other. Here I am, grateful for how you cared for me, covered me, protected me, provided for me, and changed me. Here I am, finding solace in the truth that we were truly "better together."
Here I am, committed to carrying your greatness and legacy in my heart. Here I am, committed to amplifying your mark in this world. Here I am, loving you and embodying our love forever and always. Here I am, forever your "chocolate" and always your "Babe."
I whispered to you on December 5, 2022 – "I'll be seeing you, my love." That beautiful day will surely come. There, we will be together.
Until then, I will cherish every part of our #HutchLove
The great theologian Soren Kierkegaard said, “life is to be lived forward, but it is to be understood backwards”.
My father; A Voice, a Visionary, a Victor. From your youth you were recognized, revered and received as a herald for the ages.
A champion of the people, the family protector, provider and Priest. You were always moving forward. You lived forward by faith, accomplishing tasks and conquering territories both naturally and spiritually that others believed were beyond your reach, but from the shadows of anonymity I was amazed at your ambition, and in awe of your abilities.
Thank you Dad for always living forward. Your prolific preaching propelled you forward. Your heart of service and sacrifice made you a Voice in rooms where silence seemed to be the standard and expectation. You changed a generation. Your Voice gave birth to Vision that has changed the lives of so many, including me. I celebrate and salute your courage to keep going forward.
And now, you have become a Victor. On the other day when you stepped into the Winner Circle, it left me with so many unanswered questions and feelings which flood the soul. As I reflect on your Victory in Jesus, I can understand your life, in the words of the theologian, "backwards".
As I look back on times of tragedy and those resplendent with the joy of triumph, I am able to understand your life and legacy. Thank you Dad. You have left me with a treasure more valuable than the gold of Ophir or the brightest diamond in the desert. Thank you for my inheritance among the sanctified, my identity as a man and a minister, and the influence in, through and because of you.
Thank you Dad. I can take it from here.
Special Tributes
Mayor Jerry L. Demings Orange County of Orlando Congresswoman Val Demings U.S. Representative, FL-10 Pastor Jonathan McKnight Sanctuary of Praise Ministries, Orlando, FL Archbishop Allen Wiggins The Hope Church, Orlando, FL
Musical Selection Bishop Derrick W. Hutchins Celebration Choir New Life Church of Orlando Congregational Tributes Elder Robbie Pressy Mother Ruthie Warren Assistant Director of Women, GCFC Mr. Abraham Enessi
Musical Tribute Bishop Norman Hutchins Administrative Assistant, GCFC Frontline Ministries, Dover, DE Georgia Cosmopolitan Fellowship of Churches Tributes Superintendent Darryl Griffin Transforming District, GCFC Mother Darlene A. Body Director of Women, GCFC Superintendent Michael Stevens Administrative Assistant, GCFC Musical Selection Bishop Derrick W. Hutchins Celebration Choir Familial Tributes Pastor Derrick W. Hutchins, II Mrs. Rena Christian Dr. Kristie Searcy Evangelist Candice Jones Resolutions and Acknowledgements Mrs. Tangela Thomas New Life Church of Orlando Words of Comfort & Tribute From The Friend Bishop Brandon B. Porter General Board Secretary, COGIC Prelate, Tennessee Central Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction Sermonic Selection Bishop Marvin L. Winans, Sr. Presider, Perfecting Fellowship International (PFI) Pastor, Perfecting Church, Detroit, MI & Toledo, OH
affirm our faith in the Bible.
Congregation: We believe the Bible to be the inspired and only infallible written Word of God.
affirm our faith in God.
Congregation: We believe that there is only One God, eternally existent in three persons: God the Father, God the Son and, God the Holy Spirit.
affirm our faith in the blessed hope.
Congregation: We believe in the blessed Hope, which is the rapture of the Church of God, which is in Christ, at His return.
affirm our faith in repentance.
Congregation: We believe that the only means of being cleansed from sin is through repentance and faith in the precious Blood of Jesus Christ.
affirm our faith in salvation.
Congregation: We believe that regeneration by the Holy Ghost is absolutely essential for personal salvation.
affirm our faith in Jesus Christ.
Congregation: We believe that the redemptive work of Christ on the Cross provides healing for the human body in answer to believing prayer.
affirm our faith in the Holy Spirit.
Congregation: We believe that the Baptism of the Holy Spirit, according to Acts 2:4, is given to believers who ask for it.
affirm our faith in sanctification.
UNISON: We believe in the sanctifying power of the Holy Spirit, by whose indwelling the Christian is enabled to live a holy and separated life in the present world. A-Men!
