Our Speaker
The speaker for Spreading the WORD Ministry, Bro. Darriel (Buck) Nicholson, was born near the small town of Duke, Oklahoma.His birth took place, not in a hospital, but in a house. The house in which he was born was that of a preacher. Being raised by Christian parents resulted in our speaker being saved at an early age. There were few Sundays in his early childhood that he was not exposed to old time gospel preaching and singing. However, attending church and listening to hell-fire and brimstone preaching did not immediately produce a “model” child. On the contrary, Brother Buck sowed many wild seeds while growing up. A lot of his “riotous” living was because he sought to prove to his peers that being a preacher’s son did not mean he was different.
In Buck's sophomore year in high school, his father, Irvin, was called to pastor a church in the small town of Rocky, Oklahoma. It was this move that brought about many changes for the better in Brother Buck’s life. Rocky High School was notorious for its winning basketball teams. The coach, Raymond “Red” Miller, was a man who made a profound impression on the lives of those who played for him. Playing basketball for coach Miller brought many improvements in the life of Brother Buck.
Near the end of his senior year, he surrendered to the Lord’s call to preach the gospel. His first public sermon was given in his home church at Rocky. When an invitation was given to those desiring salvation, a lady ,about fifty years of age, came forward putting her trust in the Lord. This marked the beginning of what has been a long and fruitful ministry.
Upon graduating from High School, Buck attended Seminary in Little Rock, Arkansas. Later, he entered Southwestern Oklahoma State University in Weatherford, Oklahoma, graduating in 1960 with a Bachelor of Arts degree. His major was speech and minors were history and economics. In 1963, he received a bachelor of theology degree from the Oklahoma Baptist Institute and Seminary, Marlow, Oklahoma, where he later served as an instructor, teaching evangelism.
On June 7, 1957, Buck married Doris Patterson, who has been the joy of his life for 50 plus years. On June 11, 1957, three days after being married, Brother Buck left his new bride to begin preaching previously scheduled revival services, and did not return for 90 consecutive days and nights. Preaching took him away from home so often, the raising of their two older children, Robin and Mark, was left almost entirely to their mother. Brother Buck often tells of returning home from an extended preaching engagement and having Robin ask her mother, “Mommy who is that man?”
He has preached numerous revivals throughout the Southwest and many other parts of the United States. He began pastoring at the age of eighteen, and over the years has served churches in Oklahoma, Texas and Arkansas.
Preaching has been the passion of his life! Even before preaching to a live audience, he would preach to his own image in a mirror. Many a dog, cat, horse, mule, etc, have heard him preach. He often practiced preaching behind locked doors to empty pews in the church where his father was pastor. Many a Sunday afternoon, after speaking in some church, he and Doris would go back to the church and he would preach to only one person, Doris. He has preached on street corners, town squares, jails, street missions, nursing homes, private homes, on-coming traffic, and anywhere else he could share the message of Christ.
In the early 60’s, Brother Buck, conceived and drew up by-laws for a mission outreach ministry. The ministry was named, Oklahoma Mission Development Program. Over the years this worthy cause has expanded to almost every state in America, and many foreign countries. Through this outreach, millions of dollars have been raised, and the ministry continues to grow even to this day.
Brother Buck is married to his wife Doris of whom he says is the “wind beneath his wings.” They have three grown children, Robin Williams, Mark Nicholson, and April Willoughby. All their children and grand-children are active servants for the Lord.
The fire which was ignited in Buck’s heart many years ago has not been quenched. He is presently pastoring a small church and serves as speaker for the ever expanding, Spreading the Word broadcast. Brother Buck has asked that the epitaph inscribed on his tombstone simply read, “THE ONLY THING HE EVER WANTED TO BE WAS A PREACHER.”