An Elder-Led Church on the Sunny Side of the Street
Sunnyside Baptist Church has gathered at 1139 SW 48th Street in south Oklahoma City since the summer of 1952, when a small group of believers planted a church on what was once an old orchard on the sunny side of the street. The congregation is elder-led, deacon-served, and congregationally-driven, and describes itself as "a body of believers in the Lord Jesus Christ as described in the New Testament." Christ, as He reveals His will through Scripture by the illumination of the Holy Spirit, is the church's ultimate authority. Under Pastor Michael Dirrim and a team of six elders, Sunnyside has built a reputation for careful expository teaching, doctrinal seriousness, a weekly podcast answering listener questions with Scripture, a thriving Spanish-language mission, and a missionary reach that stretches from south Oklahoma City to unreached people groups in Mongolia, Ivory Coast, and Peru.
From an Orchard in 1952 to Today
Sunnyside Baptist Church was established June 30, 1952 in Oklahoma City with the stated purpose "to preach the Gospel, evangelize, and train Christian workers." Planted in an old orchard on the sunny side of the street, the church has continued to grow "in the light of Christ, her Lord." In 1972, a vision of Sunnyside Baptist Church and its longtime shepherd, Harry Boydstun, brought Christian Heritage Academy into being. The school was launched as a new private Christian school in south Oklahoma City, one of the first of its kind in the area. It continues to meet in the Sunnyside facilities while remaining separately incorporated.
The pastoral history of Sunnyside reads like a family record. W. E. Cresswell shepherded the church from 1952 to 1956, followed by Harry Boydstun (1956 to 1959), Emmett Boydstun (1959 to 1964), and Jack James (1964 to 1966). Harry Boydstun returned for a long tenure from 1966 to 1996, during which Christian Heritage Academy was launched. Jack Renfro, sometimes alongside Harry Boydstun Jr., led the church from 1996 to 2007, followed by Ken Smith (2007 to 2013), who has since returned as an elder. Michael Dirrim accepted the call to become pastor in July of 2014.
What Sunnyside Believes
Sunnyside's doctrinal commitments are set out in seven statements, each followed by a long list of supporting Bible passages. The Bible is received as "the Word of God, fully inspired and without error in the original manuscripts, written under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit," with "supreme authority in all matters of doctrine and life." God is confessed as one God eternally coexisting in three persons, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, equal in every way yet executing distinct but harmonious offices in the work of creation and redemption, and "unconditionally sovereign in all His desires, choices, and actions."
The church affirms the full deity of Jesus Christ, His virgin birth, His perfect sinless life, His miracles, His vicarious and atoning death through His shed blood, His bodily resurrection, His ascension to the right hand of the Father, and His personal and visible return in power and glory. The Holy Spirit is confessed as one sent from the Father and Son to convict mankind of sin, righteousness, and judgment, permanently indwelling every believer from the moment of salvation, regenerating, sanctifying, empowering, teaching, guiding, and filling disciples of Jesus Christ as they yield to Him.
Humanity, made in God's image, is now "radically corrupt and estranged from God" through inherited sin from Adam and personal choices; those who die in this state suffer eternal torment in Hell. Salvation is "instantaneous and accomplished solely by the Holy Spirit through the word of God when the repentant sinner responds in faith to the Gospel," wholly of grace through Christ's shed blood and not on the basis of human merit or works, with the redeemed "kept by God's power and thus secure in Christ forever." The church also confesses belief in the universal church, of which Christ is the head, in the local church as the primary means of extending the gospel, and in the bodily resurrection of the saved unto eternal life and of the unsaved unto eternal torment in Hell.
Meet the Pastor and Elders
Pastor Michael Dirrim and his wife, Becca, have been married since 2004 and are the parents of Benjamin, Sophia, Abigail, Emeth, Toby, and Jack. He was called to pastoral ministry at age seven. After pastoring Liberty Baptist Church in Middleton, Tennessee, for seven years, Sunnyside called him in July of 2014. His stated passion is "to preach Christ from all the Scripture until He is formed in all of His people." The Dirrims enjoy investing in the ministry of Hope Pregnancy Center.
Six elders shepherd the church alongside the pastor. Dwight Smoot and his wife, Jill, have been members of Sunnyside for more than 30 years. In addition to serving as an elder, Dwight has taught a men's Sunday School class for more than 20 years, preaches at Grace Rescue Mission every month, and organizes Wednesday night meals with Jill. Before retiring, he worked as an electrical engineer for Lucent Technologies for 33 years. Randy Brooks grew up at Sunnyside, having trusted Christ at the age of 10 in 1965, and serves as an architect in Oklahoma City. Brian Barsaleau and his wife, Lisa, have been members since March 2002; Brian has taught Sunday School, led VBS, served as a home church leader, and led men's ministry, while working as a facilities manager for hospitals, schools, banks, and shopping malls, and serving his country in the Navy as a submariner. Ken Smith, who pastored the church from 2007 to 2013, has returned as an elder and teaches Philosophy and 11th grade Bible at Christian Heritage Academy. Ryan Mounts and his wife, Haley, are long-time members; Haley has served in music ministry for many years, while Ryan produces the church podcast, serves as church web administrator, and oversees the audio/visual team.
Sundays at Sunnyside
Sunday at Sunnyside begins at 9:30 a.m. with Sunday School for all ages, followed by the morning worship service at 10:45 a.m. The evening gathers again at 5:30 p.m. for a second worship service. Services are livestreamed on YouTube, with the morning service broadcast at 10:45 a.m., an evening broadcast at 6 p.m., and a Wednesday evening broadcast at 6 p.m. The church's desire, in the words of its welcome, is that visitors "know God deeply and treasure Him above all things," and that they come to know what the Lord has done through His Son, Jesus Christ.
For first-time visitors, the schedule is regular and unhurried. There is one morning Sunday School hour, one morning service, and one evening service on Sunday, with Wednesday gatherings built around the church-wide meal. The church's livestream channel and sermon archives also make it easy to follow along from home for those who cannot attend in person.
Wednesday Nights Around the Table
Wednesday evenings at Sunnyside are anchored by a church-wide dinner at 5:30 p.m. Dwight and Jill Smoot help organize and prepare the meals, and visitors and whole families are warmly invited to come to the table. After dinner, the church gathers for a prayer meeting at 6:30 p.m., followed at 7:00 p.m. by a devotion for adults and T.A.G. for the children. The rhythm is designed to bring the whole church under one roof for a shared meal, prayer, and teaching, opening the door for families to make a Wednesday night part of their regular week.
Children's Church and T.A.G.
Sunnyside takes seriously the biblical call to "train our children" (Proverbs 22:6). On Sunday mornings during the worship service, Children's Church gathers children ages 4 through 6th grade for songs, lessons, and games designed to teach who God is as seen through the many stories in the Bible. Parents are invited either to involve their children in this ministry or to include them in corporate worship; the church seeks to support parents in their efforts to raise their children in truth and grace.
On Wednesday evenings, T.A.G. ("Truth And Grace") gathers children ages 4 through 3rd grade at 7:00 p.m., after the church meal. There they learn meaningful hymns and choruses, hear engaging stories which teach them the attributes of God, memorize Scripture verses and simple catechism questions, play fun games, and create purposeful crafts. The Wednesday evening rhythm also includes a devotion for adults, so the whole family comes to the building together and parents can step away for their own study while children meet for T.A.G.
Truth Group for Teens, College, and Families
The families of Sunnyside recognize the increasing challenges facing high school and college students, including a moral revolution in pop culture and a secular worldview prevailing on college campuses. "Truth Group" designates a monthly discipleship and fellowship time for the whole family, focused especially on this age group. Topics focus on biblical apologetics and worldview issues designed to reinforce parental authority and equip the whole family to deal scripturally with modern and postmodern questions. Parents, grounded in the word and abiding with Christ, are recognized as God's designed leaders for youth and young adults facing these difficulties.
Iglesia Bautista Todo Por Gracia: A Spanish Mission in the Building
Sunnyside hosts Iglesia Bautista Todo Por Gracia, a Gospel outreach mission with all services held in Spanish. The work is pastored by Danny Roten, an elder of Sherwood Baptist Church in Newcastle, Oklahoma, who previously served as a missionary in Mexico for 32 years. Services are held each Sunday at 10:30 a.m. and 5:30 p.m., meeting in the second floor on the west side of the building. The Spanish-language ministry can be found online at riquezasdegracia.com. Spanish-speaking families in south Oklahoma City are warmly welcomed to either worship with the English-speaking congregation or with the Spanish-language mission.
Christian Heritage Academy: A School Born from the Church
In 1972, a vision of Sunnyside Baptist Church and its pastor, Harry Boydstun, brought Christian Heritage Academy into being. The school was launched as a new private Christian school in south Oklahoma City, one of the first such schools in the area. It continues to meet in the Sunnyside facilities while remaining separately incorporated. Ken Smith teaches Philosophy and 11th grade Bible there, and Becca Dirrim is among the school's staff. The school remains a witness to the long reach of Sunnyside's ministry beyond the walls of the church building.
The "Have You Not Read?" Podcast
One distinctive mark of Sunnyside's ministry is its podcast, "Have You Not Read?" It seeks to answer listener questions on virtually any subject by shining the light of God's Word on them. Pastor Michael is joined by a rotating line-up of guest hosts to tackle questions about theology, culture, current events, and more. The stated thesis is that Scripture is sufficient to give truthful answers to all of life's questions, presenting the only valid lens through which all of reality can and must be understood. New episodes are available each Monday through the church's podcast and through favorite podcast apps, and listeners are invited to submit their own questions through an online form.
Through the Bible in a Year
The church also maintains a daily Bible reading plan that walks readers through the entire Bible in one year. Daily passages from the English Standard Version are posted each day online, drawing from Old Testament, Psalms, and New Testament readings. The plan provides an accessible rhythm for members and any other readers who want to follow along with the church's pulpit and the broader Christian calendar.
Archives and Doctrinal Papers
For those who want to dig deeper, Sunnyside maintains a robust set of resources. The audio library includes sermon series on 1 Peter, Ascension Sunday, Father's Day, Good Friday, Jeremiah, miscellaneous topics, Reformation Day, and Resurrection Sunday. A video library is hosted on Vimeo, and full sermon transcripts are available through a dedicated portal. Pastor Michael has also written several doctrinal papers, including "Kansas or Nepal? - The Terrain of Sin," a study of the biblical doctrine of sin in a time when many churches are reshaping their view of sexual sin, and "A Response to Flat Earth Sexuality," both available for online reading or PDF download.
Missionaries Around the World
Sunnyside supports a wide slate of missionaries and mission families who take the gospel from south Oklahoma City to the ends of the earth. Jonathan and Rachel Wilcock serve with New Tribes Missions at the NTM training center in North Cotes, England, assisting mission endeavors in Colombia and Mexico. Ryan and Dana Powell serve with Reaching and Teaching, with Ryan mobilizing for the Southwest region after ten years of missionary work in Paris. Paul and Kathy serve with Biblical Ministries Worldwide in places where Christianity is heavily persecuted.
Verne and Denny Johnson work with New Tribes Missions among the Palaka people in Ivory Coast, having translated the Bible into the Palakan language. Jeff and Adriana Howe serve among the Culina people, learning the language and culture. Mitch and Baljmaa Tillman serve with Harbor Evangelism in Mongolia, planting churches in Ulaanbaatar and the Gobi Desert, and leading a feeding center in the city dump, a Christian printing press, an orphanage, and the first crisis pregnancy center in Mongolia. Kris and Mary-Jane Howe serve among the Ash people in Peru. Warren and Julie Veal serve at Mission Aviation Fellowship headquarters in Nampa, Idaho. Josh and Christy Wohlgemut serve with WorldVenture at a hospital in Ferkessedougou, Ivory Coast. Brad and Rebecca Howe serve with Pioneers USA among the Asheninka people in Peru.
Supported Ministries in Oklahoma City
Sunnyside supports a number of organizations that fight for the sanctity of life, uplift the poor and needy, and minister to those in prison. Oklahomans United for Life works to make abortion unthinkable in Oklahoma through training workshops and public outreaches. Hope Pregnancy Center South, where the Dirrims invest personally, offers free and confidential services including pregnancy tests, ultrasounds, options education, parenting and fatherhood programs, adoption information, abortion recovery help, and community referrals. Grace Rescue Mission is an emergency shelter for up to 100 men a night, serving 400-600 meals to the community daily, with a one-year SAFE Addictions Recovery Program in residence, a six-month Back-To-Work Program, and an education program for those enrolled in college or technical training. Trinity Legal Clinic of Oklahoma, organized by attorneys in the Oklahoma City metro, provides free legal services to clients of City Rescue Mission, Cross and Crown, Crossings Community Center, and Living Faith Ministry. Oklahoma Jail and Prison Ministries is a nonprofit, non-denominational evangelical Christian outreach providing chaplains, personnel, and resources to bring the good news of Jesus Christ to those incarcerated.
Online Giving
Tithes, offerings, and love gifts can be given online through a secure PayPal option. Donors may direct their gift to a specific purpose or missionary in the optional notes section, and non-members may request a receipt for tax purposes by sharing a mailing address. The church describes giving this way: "All that we have, we have been given by our gracious God and Father. Let our time, energy and resources be used to the glory and honor of His name."