Biography: David Tompkins

David's Personal Media Bio

As the president and CEO of Praise Ministries Int'l (PMI), David provides biblical and practical teaching, leadership training, encouragement to Senior Pastors, and guidance for the church body as a whole. Following a vision God gave him in 1988, he launched PMI to become an itinerate ministry to the world. The ultimate goal for this ministry is to help people find and develop a personal relationship with Jesus Christ as their Savior and God the Father as their source of true life and peace.  He speaks at meetings and conferences around the world and has written courses as an instructor for Bible Institutes. He and his wife Shonda live in the Edmond, Oklahoma area and have two sons, one daughter-in-law, and four grandkids.

Profile

David L. Tompkins
American Evangelist and President of PMI

David Tompkins strongly believes that God has called and specifically anointed him to fulfill the "Great Commission" as stated in Mark 16:15, "Go into all the world and preach the Good News to everyone."

He has preached the Good News (Gospel) to thousands of people since Praise Ministries Int'l began in 1988. An estimated quarter of a million people have heard the message about the saving power of Christ in more than 21 countries through multiple evangelistic meetings, including doing global outreaches and projects.

David personally has led thousands of individuals since 1988 to make personal decisions to live for Christ, which is the driving purpose of his ministry.

Born on Tuesday, June 28 1960, in Oklahoma City, David grew up in a good modest home with great parents. They were not considered to be wealthy nor were they classed as being poor. David considers his early years to represent good foundational truths based from a religious upbringing, adventure coming from a father and mother that loved to travel and experience the country, and opportunity grounded in the fact that he grew up learning skill after skill from working side-by-side with his father. All of his life, he has longed to experience the best and most that life has to offer.

In the summer of 1972, at age 12, David having already made a personal commitment to Christ years earlier, attended a youth camp and at the altar, feels he was called to be a preacher. It wasn't until 1986 that David became a licensed minister for the Pentecostal Church of God (PCG) organization and preached his first sermon.

On September 21, 1985, five years after David and Shonda had started dating, they were married at a small church in Oklahoma City, just down the street from where David grew up. David served in this church for years as a helper to the Pastor in the areas where he was needed most. He was also a singer and musician for the church doing special songs, leading songs in the choir and operating as sound technician as needed.

In 1986, David began evangelizing in nursing homes, rescue missions and other churches. The ministry was fruitful from the start, and the more David preached Christ, more doors began to open for the ministry. He became an ordained minister with the PCG in the state of Oklahoma.  Soon his calendar year schedule was filling up as he worked full-time on a job, traveling and preaching on the weekends. David soon realized by the end of 1987, because of the demand for his ministry, that it was time to transition to full-time ministry and part-time work.

In  March of 1988, David founded Praise Ministries Int'l and became known under that ministry name as a Global Evangelist and Missionary. From that time until March 1992, David, along with his wife Shonda and their two sons, Dustin and Dillon traveled across the United States as evangelists ministering salvation, hope and healing to hundreds of people in churches and on the city streets. During this time, David was used by God's hand and he witnessed so many miracles, signs and wonders.

From 1990-1992, David also had the opportunity to travel on the bus with the Templeaires Quartet, based out of Oklahoma City, as their baritone vocalist. He did this for 2 years only on the weekends that he wasn't traveling with his family as an evangelist. The group was privileged to open on stage for the Cathedrals, the Weatherfords, the Arnolds and many more southern gospel singing groups. This proved to open many doors of various denominations for David and his ministry.

From 1992-1994, David became a student again and attended Rhema Bible Training Center in Broken Arrow Oklahoma. David received a solid foundation in the Scriptures and in ministry. He graduated from the Evangelist Class with diploma in May of 1994 and is currently an RBTC Alumni. Between David's first and second year, he met Pastor Dale Drain in an evangelistic meeting and by the fall of 1993, after much prayer and fasting, David and Shonda had become the Associate Pastors of Calvary Temple in Edmond, OK.  During his second year at Rhema, David and family commuted from Broken Arrow to Edmond usually 4 times each week to attend classes and fulfill his role as a pastor.

From 1993-2002, David served at Calvary Temple as an Associate Pastor and also as the Pastor of Powerhouse Student Ministries. During these 9 years, David had led several missions trips with their group and had the honor to lead other groups on global trips as well. By this time David had preached Christ and taught discipleship and leadership subjects in the United States, Mexico, Guatemala and in the Philippines Islands. This began a new phase for David's ministry and his global travels.

In November of 2002, David resigned as pastor of Calvary Temple and became a full-time Global Evangelist. His missionary journeys took him to Guatemala, Mexico, the Philippines, and to East Africa. In February of 2003, a very good friend and ministry colleague, Pastor Michael Lincoln of Mending Hearts Ministries Church passed away just days after David had preached Sunday services. David and Shonda spent the next six months ministering with the church through the grieving process. David also incorporated Praise Ministries Int'l Inc. in 2003.

While in Guatemala in 2004, David feels that he had an unction from the Lord to call Rhonda Lincoln at Mending Hearts Church (MHC) and take the role as the Lead Pastor. In January of 2005, David and Shonda were placed in as the Pastors of MHC. From 2005-2015, David taught and trained leaders within the church, leading people to restored hope and healing, and building the church in the community. Within the years at MHC, David also traveled to Haiti on a couple of occasions to work with the Mission of Hope.

In March of 2015, David and Shonda resigned from MHC and transitioned ahead into their main purpose and calling, Global Evangelism.

Today, David and his ministry are known in over 21 countries world-wide. He has preached in remote villages of Africa and the Philippines and in the heart of cities across our nation. It has been over 44 years that God had placed a call on David and 34 years of full-time ministry preaching the Gospel of Jesus.

David and Shonda are used frequently in the prophetic gifts as the Spirit wills and it has been said that they are modern day revivalist’. David feels one of his strongest points of ministry is to encourage spiritual growth in the body of Christ. Shonda has been transformed by the Spirit of God and now is used to encourage and bring hope to other women that they can be beautiful from the inside out!

David and Shonda together have two sons, one daughter-in-law, and 4 grandchildren. They reside in their home in Edmond, Oklahoma.

Biography

Born
David L. Tompkins
June 28, 1960
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

Parents
Harold Tompkins (deceased 2013) and Helen L. Bell Tompkins (deceased 2007)

Married
Shonda L. Tompkins, 1985

Children
Dustin Lee, 1986 and wife Andrea Danielle, 1987
Dillon Scott, 1989

Grandchildren
Charlotte Ryan, 2009
Hunter Elijah, 2010
Amelia Lea, 2013
Eleanor Kate, 2016

Residence
In town of Edmond, Oklahoma

Education
Graduated, Capitol Hill High School, 1978
Graduated, Rhema Bible Training Center, 1994

Vocation

• 1976-1978: Painter's helper, Fallwell's Body Shop, OKC, OK
• 1978-1980: Painter's helper, Lindy's Truck Shop, OKC, OK
• 1980-1985: Truck metal repair, welder and painter, Coca-Cola Bottling Co., OKC, OK
• 1985-1987: Carpenter, Womack Construction, OKC, OK
• 1986: Ordained by the Pentecostal Church of God, OKC, OK
• 1987-1993: Evangelist, Praise Ministries Int'l
• 1988-: Founded Praise Ministries Int'l, OKC, OK; Ordained to the ministry by the Pentecostal Church of God, OKC, OK
• 1993-2002: Associate Pastor, Calvary Temple Church, Edmond, OK
• 1994-Ordained by the Independent Assemblies Fellowship, Ada, OK
• 2002-2005: Global Evangelist, Praise Ministries Int'l, Edmond, OK
• 2003: Incorporated Praise Ministries Int'l Inc. OKC, OK
• 2005-2015: Pastor, Mending Hearts Church, Newalla, OK
• 2015-Global Evangelist, Praise Ministries Int'l, Edmond, OK
• 2018-Ministry Partnership with Legacy Park and Liberty Church International, Weatherford, OK
• 2021-Joined Advisory Board of Warriors Arise Ministry, Edmond, OK

Awards and Honors
Governors Accommodation Award, Oklahoma