Apostle Delmar Coward Jr.
Apostle Delmar Coward Jr. is the founder and senior pastor of Encounter Church in Raywood, Texas. For over 42 years, he has walked in supernatural authority with documented miracles, healings, and deliverances, embodying the Way of Fire that this wiki documents.
He is co-author of The Way of Fire with Gary Sheng and holds a divine mandate to restore kingdom living to all people throughout the world.
Early Life
Apostle Delmar grew up in Liberty County in a family that truly loved God. His sister, Dr. Katherine Williams, describes him as a young man:
"Growing up, he loved to fight—fist fight. Very protective. He loved his family, loved his sisters, very protective of his sisters. Always a leader. Very good in athletics, very competitive in sports. But he loved the Word. He loved the Word even at an early age."
The family was musical—young Delmar played drums at their church while his siblings sang. To this day, the family gathers around the piano to sing together.
The Tent Revival Prophecy
During a tent revival in Liberty County, a minister prophesied over Apostle Delmar's parents without knowing their teenage son was sitting elsewhere in the crowd:
"You don't have to worry about your son. He's gonna minister the Word of God all over the world."
Young Delmar's response? "That man don't know what he talking about. I ain't no preacher."
God had other plans.
One Decision
As congregation member Sister Shaw testified at Pastor Appreciation Day:
"One decision. God decided to send Jesus. Jesus decided to die on the cross for us. Pastor Delmar decided to follow Jesus. Pastor Charlotte decided to follow Jesus. Most of us have made the decision to follow Jesus. It all starts with one decision."
Because of that one decision to follow Christ over 40 years ago, God has entrusted Apostle Delmar with:
- A thriving church family
- Tributary cities under his spiritual authority
- The keys to the city of Liberty
- The role of chaplain for Liberty County and the city of Liberty
- A worldwide mandate to teach kingdom living
Character and Leadership
Backbone of Faith
Those who know Apostle Delmar testify to his unwavering spiritual backbone:
"Pastor, you are the commander-in-chief in the army of the one true living God. Your faith and your backbone are intact. Have you ever had to follow someone that didn't have a backbone? We don't have to worry about that."
"Let the devil show his face, and we'll just see how strong his backbone is, how strong his faith is, and his boldness to help those that are bound by the devil. Make no mistake, he is ready for battle."
Authentic Ministry
Unlike leaders who separate their public and private personas, Apostle Delmar is the same person at all times:
"The people you see is the people you get. They are real."
"I appreciate that so much. You got so many that, man, they think they're way up here. They don't have time for you. Our pastors aren't that way. They truly love everyone."
Pastoral Care
When congregation members face crisis, Apostle Delmar and Pastor Charlotte show up personally:
"When my son-in-law transitioned, they didn't leave my daughter's side. They were there for the family every step of the way. We've had others that have transitioned. They're always right there. It didn't matter what they had going, they made time. They showed their love by actions."
"A few nights ago, my brother went to heaven last Wednesday. Now, last Wednesday, he preached. But guess who was at my house around 10:30? Just to check on me. This is their heart, just to check on me to see if I was okay."
The Anointing
Miracles as Normal
At Encounter Church under Apostle Delmar's leadership, the supernatural is the expected norm:
"We truly experience miracles and the move of God on the regular."
Documented miracles include:
- Chronic back pain healed — One congregation member suffered two years of chronic pain requiring heavy medication. After prayer at a breakthrough service, he has had no back pain since.
- Tumors disappearing
- Cancer healed
- New lungs — Creative miracles of organ restoration
- Baby Faith — A two-year-old from South Dakota with a severe intestinal birth defect received a creative miracle after Apostle Delmar laid hands on her during a divinely orchestrated encounter in Denver.
Early Miracles
Even before Encounter Church, the supernatural followed Apostle Delmar's ministry:
The Alabama Tumors: At a church in Alabama, Apostle Delmar was praying for people in line. A woman had visible tumors on her neck. God told him to touch her. He did, told her to put her head up and down, and in front of everyone the tumors disappeared.
The Baptist Church Deliverance: At their family's Baptist church in Liberty, a woman began having a seizure during service. Young Delmar, frightened but obedient, silently declared: "Satan, come out of her." The woman turned and said seven times, "Look what you've done to me." Then her body went limp and the spirit left.
"We didn't know it was a miracle, but that was a miracle right there before our eyes. We didn't realize what had happened until later."
The Shekinah Glory
During Kingdom 101 teaching, the presence of God manifests tangibly:
"The Holy Spirit come to me. I was praying in the spirit. When I opened my eyes, this place was filled with the Shekinah cloud of glory. And I thought, praise the Lord. God's fixing to do something. And it wasn't two minutes later, Apostle says, those that need prayer, come on up here... There was people laid out here everywhere."
Teaching Ministry
Kingdom 101
Apostle Delmar's signature teaching series, Kingdom 101, distinguishes between "church" teaching and "kingdom" teaching:
"I praise God it's not about religion. I am so grateful for the teaching on kingdom. Robbie and I have learned so much since we've been here. And Pastor, you just don't know, it has changed our lives."
"If you're not getting here for 101 to learn more about kingdom and what we're really supposed to have... Kingdom 101 can turn that around."
The teaching emphasizes:
- What believers are supposed to have according to Scripture
- How to walk in faith and walk faith out
- What to do and what not to do
- How to cast out devils
- How to stand in the face of fear
Revelatory Teaching
Apostle Delmar teaches Scripture at a level that reveals truths even longtime believers haven't seen:
"When I first started going to Encounter and started hearing Pastor preach... I said, 'Oh, I got this.' I bought a little bitty notepad. Make a few notes, you know. I say, 'I ain't never heard it like that before. Where this come from?' I say, 'Lord, I read that scripture 1,000 times. I didn't get that.' So he teaches on a different level, a different level."
Prison Ministry (1983 onward)
Before his current chaplaincy role, Apostle Delmar spent approximately 25-30 years ministering inside the Texas prison system and beyond. Starting right out of high school in 1983/84, he brought the Gospel to the hardest places:
- Death Row — Maximum security inmates facing execution
- Jester Units — Psychiatric facilities
- Henley Unit — Dayton, Texas (where inmates would wait 4 hours in line to attend his meetings)
- Juvenile Facilities — Ministering to incarcerated youth
- Women's Facilities — Both men's and women's units
- Kentucky Facilities — Extended beyond Texas
Meetings would draw 400-500 inmates at a time.
"We saw people healed from AIDS, we saw witches get converted. Love conquers everything and it's more powerful than anything. So we demonstrated that love."
The work began when a prison chaplain attended one of Apostle Delmar's parking lot concerts and invited him to minister at the Henley unit. Word spread among chaplains, and doors kept opening across the system.
Law Enforcement Chaplaincy
Called to the Role
Apostle Delmar's current chaplaincy began with a divine word at 5:00 AM on a Saturday morning—God told him He wanted him to be a chaplain. That Monday, someone called to set up an interview. By Tuesday or Wednesday, he sat before Sheriff Bobby Rader and his team.
When Sheriff Rader suggested he might want to pray about accepting the position, Apostle Delmar responded: "I don't need to pray about this. God already told me about this on Saturday morning."
Sheriff Bobby Rader's Testimony
Sheriff Bobby Rader, who has known Apostle Delmar for approximately 15 years (and knew his parents before that), testifies:
"He's got the touch. He's been ordained to do the things like that... He can make a difference where when I go in, I'm like the boss. Two different types of people there."
"This man loves God and it is easy to work for a man that really loves God and loves his job, does his job well. I have lots of respect for him because I know who he is."
Scope of Service
As chaplain, Apostle Delmar serves:
- Liberty County Sheriff's Department — Original appointment
- Liberty Police Department — The police chief requested he serve them as well
- Liberty County Jail — Regular Tuesday evening ministry
- City Council — Opens meetings in prayer
- Deputies — Preaches at monthly meetings for all deputies and investigators
- Tragic Scenes — Called out to drownings, car accidents, murders, and other crises to comfort families
Stories from the Field
The Infant Death: Called to the scene of an infant's death, Apostle Delmar ministered to parents who didn't know God. He led both parents to Jesus that day. Months later, the grandparents—who had been unable to get their children to attend church—recognized him in a restaurant and tearfully thanked him. The parents were now in church, and the spirit of grief was gone.
The Gang Member: Two deputies at a gas station told Apostle Delmar about a known killer coming to town—part of a gang, two canine units staged for the operation. Right there at the pumps, he grabbed their hands and prayed divine protection. The capture happened 10-15 minutes later: no shots fired, no problems.
The Drug House: Deputies went into a house selling drugs after Apostle Delmar prayed with them. Later, four officers at a bank (depositing confiscated money) stood up and hugged him: "Hey, chaplain, you prayed for us at this event. It went off without a hitch. We just need you to pray for everything."
Weekly Schedule
Apostle Delmar maintains a rigorous ministry schedule:
| Day | Activities |
|---|---|
| Sunday | Morning services with miracles, signs, and wonders; Kingdom 101 teaching |
| Monday | Phone ministry, prayer, speaking engagements |
| Tuesday | Ministering to ministers; Liberty County Jail ministry (evening) |
| Wednesday | Prayer, phone ministry; Evening service with miracles |
| Thursday | Men's meeting; Prayer ministry |
| Friday-Saturday | City Park Party preparation (27 consecutive years); Special events |
"I'm like Mr. Ben said, it's unstoppable... They're like the Energizer Bunny. They just keep right on rolling."
Pastor Charlotte
Apostle Delmar ministers alongside his wife, Pastor Charlotte Coward, whose own dedication is legendary:
"Pastor Charlotte always has her hand in something to bless God's people... She is always saying, 'What can we do?' If you need her, she will be there."
"Her tenacity to hold on to something tightly, like when a dog locks his jaws on something, that's her endless days and nights of work, work, work. Her ability to adapt and never give up."
"She gives her all. She never quits until the job is complete. Even if she's seeing spots, she's not stopping."
Acts of Love
Pastor Charlotte demonstrates love through practical action:
"In 2021, my husband went to heaven and like four months later, my house burned down. So I was in a really bad state. These two people were there for me... One day I came to church and Pastor Charlotte had this big old bag. She said, 'This is for you.' Pastor Charlotte bought me a gift, 30 gifts in one month. And she put them all in a big bag because she could see that I was still in that depression... Every morning, I would just be so excited, like a little kid on Christmas."
Community Impact
City Park Party
For 27 consecutive years, Apostle Delmar and Pastor Charlotte have orchestrated the City Park Party, a community outreach event where healings happen in public settings.
Liberty County Growth
Liberty County is currently the third fastest-growing county in the United States. As Sheriff Rader noted, this creates challenges for law enforcement—but Apostle Delmar's response is to cover the peace officers in prayer:
"When you pray for an officer, you pray for safety... you are loosing angels to help and work along with him. So he may look like one man, but he can work like three or four men."
World Ministry Fellowship
Apostle Delmar has been part of World Ministry Fellowship for approximately 25-30 years, teaching and ministering to other ministers.
Global Vision
Recent divine appointments have taken Apostle Delmar to Denver, with doors opening to:
- Kenya
- London
- The Carolinas
- And wherever God says to go
"Jesus said to restore kingdom living to all the people in all the world. So we have doors opening up in Kenya, doors opening up... We're gonna make sure that that's done. All over the world. Restore kingdom living."
The Presence of God
What distinguishes Encounter Church under Apostle Delmar's leadership is the tangible presence of God:
"We know and appreciate the fact that Pastor Delmar, Pastor Charlotte have created a place and provided a place for you to come and be in the presence of God. There are many churches that don't have the presence of God, but guess what? We do. We do, because we have pastors that will stand up and say, we are kingdom."
Long Life Declaration
Apostle Delmar teaches and declares long life over his congregation:
"God says 120 years. Believe what he said and then you'll get what he said. So we're believing for 120 plus the additional days plus the multiplied days on top of 120... Added multiplication. We can live long and live strong and just give the devil a hard time all the way along."
Why Apostle Delmar Matters
The Preface describes Gary Sheng's first encounter with Apostle Delmar's ministry:
"The idea that a man was performing miracles in the same state where I lived was completely mind-blowing. I had been a frequent visitor to multiple churches in the Austin area, but I'd never heard of anything like this."
Apostle Delmar demonstrates that the Way of Fire is not historical—it is present tense. The same power that flowed through Smith Wigglesworth, John G. Lake, and Kathryn Kuhlman flows today through vessels fully surrendered to God's will.
"The Book of Acts didn't end in chapter 28. It continues today through those brave enough to pay the price for apostolic authority."
Connect
Website: encounter-intl.com