The heart behind it.
Why DEVOTED exists.
Something is missing in a lot of Christian community today. Not the programs. Not the events. The table. The kind of gathering where people slow down, break bread, and actually know one another.
Where it started
It started with a simple question.
What would it look like to gather the way the early church gathered? Not as a recreation of the first century — but as a recovery of its posture. People devoted. People present. People giving themselves to God and to one another.
DEVOTED was born out of that question — a supper that is intentional, Christ-centered, and open to anyone who wants to come.
"And they continued stedfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers."
Acts 2:42, KJV
Four things. The Word. Fellowship. Breaking bread. Prayer. DEVOTED is built around all four — not as a checklist, but as a rhythm.
01
The Word
Every gathering is grounded in Scripture. Not a lecture — a reflection. Something to carry with you.
02
Fellowship
Intentional space to meet people you don't already know. Real conversation over a shared meal.
03
Breaking Bread
A shared supper. Food has always been the language of belonging — we take that seriously.
04
Prayer + Worship
Room to respond to God together. Unhurried. Unperformed. Simply present.
The vision
A table where everyone belongs.
DEVOTED is for people who are hungry — for real community, for genuine faith, for a place where they don't have to perform or pretend. Whether you've been following Jesus for decades or you're still figuring out what you believe, there's a place for you.
We believe the table is one of the most powerful places God works. When people break bread together, walls come down. Conversations go deeper. Community forms. That's what we're making room for.
The people behind DEVOTED
Pastor Al + Pastor Khalilah Olokunola
DEVOTED is hosted by Pastor Al and Pastor Khalilah Olokunola. Married for more than 20 years and raising four children, they have built their life around family, faith, serving people, and following Jesus together.
DEVOTED grew from a simple conviction after gathering friends, family, and community around the table in celebration of their 20th anniversary: people need spaces where they can encounter Jesus, grow in the Word, experience genuine community, and be transformed by the presence of God.
As the vision became clearer, Al and Khalilah sought prayer, wisdom, and spiritual covering before moving forward. They were commissioned and released under apostolic covering to carry this work with a clear charge: keep Jesus at the center and faithfully steward what God has entrusted to them.
Their heart is not simply to host gatherings, but to make room for the kind of community reflected in Acts 2:42—where people are devoted to the Word, to fellowship, to breaking bread, and to prayer; where people are known and loved; and where lives are transformed by the presence of God.
There's a place for you.
First gathering
Come to the table.
Sunday, August 30 · 5–7 PM · Skyline Center · Wilmington, NC
The first DEVOTED supper is free and open to everyone. Reserve your place so we can prepare enough food and make room for you.
Reserve Your Place