{"id":17105,"date":"2025-09-04T19:08:35","date_gmt":"2025-09-04T19:08:35","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/wordpress.thetruthtoledo.com\/?p=17105"},"modified":"2025-09-04T19:08:35","modified_gmt":"2025-09-04T19:08:35","slug":"fridays-in-the-kitchen-how-reverend-dr-donald-and-first-lady-willetta-perryman-are-serving-up-love-laughter-and-a-cookbook","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wordpress.thetruthtoledo.com\/index.php\/2025\/09\/04\/fridays-in-the-kitchen-how-reverend-dr-donald-and-first-lady-willetta-perryman-are-serving-up-love-laughter-and-a-cookbook\/","title":{"rendered":"Fridays in the Kitchen: How Reverend Dr. Donald and First Lady Willetta Perryman Are Serving Up Love, Laughter, and a Cookbook"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"By Asia Nail
\n<\/em><\/strong>The Truth Reporter<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

Some couples dance. Some couples hike. Reverend Donald L. Perryman, PhD, <\/strong>and his wife, First Lady Willetta Perryman<\/strong>, cook. And not just a quick throw-something-in-the-microwave kind of cooking. No, they have turned Friday nights into a sacred space where the kitchen is their dance floor, the pots and pans are their instruments and the food is a love letter to one another and the community they serve.<\/p>\n

What started as a private tradition of laughter, chopping vegetables, and playing old-school music has grown into Fridays Cooking Together: Ministry, Meals, and Marriage<\/em><\/strong>\u2014a new cookbook\u2014and a beloved social media series that brings their joy to the world.<\/p>\n

Their story is more than just recipes, it\u2019s a journey of cultivating God\u2019s love as husband and wife, finding joy in the simple moments of life, and showing that even church leaders often need to take off their \u201cpastor hats\u201d to nurture their personal relationships.<\/p>\n

And if you\u2019ve ever wondered whether your kitchen could be the center of joy, healing and connection, the Perrymans are here to tell you that it can.<\/p>\n

From the Pulpit to the Kitchen<\/strong><\/p>\n

Rev. D.L. Perryman is a leading voice in Toledo as the senior pastor at Center of Hope Community Baptist Church<\/em><\/strong> and as a dedicated social justice advocate. Yet he admits that sometimes ministers \u2014 and anyone in a caregiving role \u2014 lose sight of how to turn off the faucet.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe often get lost in our civic roles,\u201d he said. \u201cWe\u2019re preaching, we\u2019re visiting, we\u2019re serving. And we often forget to laugh, to sit down at the dinner table, to just be.\u201d<\/p>\n

First Lady Willetta agrees. \u201cThe church takes a great deal of time and energy,\u201d she said. \u201cIf you\u2019re not careful, you can lose yourself in it. I didn\u2019t just want to become a First Lady in the church \u2014 I also need to be my partner’s wife at home.\u201d<\/p>\n

They made a pact, years ago: Friday nights were for each other. No church discussions. No work-related conversations. Just cooking, laughter, music, and being together.<\/p>\n

Fridays Cooking Together: A New Rhythm of Love<\/strong><\/p>\n

Picture this: it\u2019s Friday evening. The week has felt long. The phone rings, but unless it\u2019s an emergency, it goes unanswered. Instead, the Perrymans are in the kitchen, enjoying an Isley Brothers\u2019 playlist, and playfully teasing about who cuts vegetables faster while weighing the pros and cons of fish over chicken for dinner.<\/p>\n

To them, cooking is more than food, it\u2019s a ministry of love. It\u2019s a way to serve each other before serving the world. And every so often, family members join in, like their kids and granddaughter, drawn by the sweet smells and the sound of laughter.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s sacred time,\u201d said First Lady Willetta. \u201cWe prepare the table, light candles and set the mood with music. It\u2019s like a date night at home, but better.\u201d<\/p>\n

She laughs as she explains how extreme Dr. Perryman can be. \u201cI\u2019d be happy with an Amazon tablecloth, but he prefers fine linens from Macy\u2019s!\u201d<\/p>\n

He smiles. \u201cI want our meals to feel special because she is special.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"The Birth of a Cookbook<\/strong><\/p>\n

The Perrymans never set out to write a cookbook. They were just sharing their Friday night meals online, and pretty soon people started asking for recipes. One day their daughter chatted with an editor, shared photos of their culinary creations and, suddenly, a book deal was on the table.<\/p>\n

That’s how Fridays Cooking Together: Ministry, Meals, and Marriage<\/em> was born.<\/p>\n

This isn\u2019t a conventional cookbook, complete with boring recipes and dry instructions. Instead, it offers an experience. Each month has a theme, a story, a prayer, recipes, recommended playlists and even tablescape ideas. Picture turning to a page in April to not only find a menu, but also a meditation, a curated Spotify playlist and tips on how to make your table look fresh for spring.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s not just food,\u201d said Reverend Perryman. \u201cIt\u2019s music, mood, memory and meaning.\u201d<\/p>\n

First Lady Willetta adds, \u201cYou certainly don\u2019t need fancy dishes or gourmet skills. You can light a candle, order Chinese takeout and still create a vibe all at the same time. This cookbook is about connection, not perfection.\u201d<\/p>\n

Cooking as a Ministry<\/strong><\/p>\n

Some might ask, what does cooking have to do with church? But for the Perrymans, food and faith have long been intertwined.<\/p>\n

Think about it: Jesus spent as much time at tables as he did in temples. He shared meals with friends, celebrated at weddings and used dinner as a setting for teaching and love.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe saw how our Fridays blessed our marriage,\u201d Rev. Perryman said. \u201cWe wanted to share this model with other couples, ministers and families. If we stay grounded in love, then we better serve the people God calls us to serve.\u201d<\/p>\n

First Lady Willetta further exemplifies this service as she hosts cooking classes<\/strong> with Center of Hope Family Services.<\/em> She doesn\u2019t just teach recipes \u2014 she arms parents with full meals they can take home, things like casseroles and roasts that can feed the entire family. These classes not only nourish the body, they also feed the community with laughter, connection, and a sense of dignity<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen the adults leave,\u201d she said, \u201cthey\u2019re not just leaving with food. They leave with happiness, with a community, with something they can share.\u201d<\/p>\n

A Social Media Hit<\/strong><\/p>\n

The Perryman\u2019s weekly cooking sessions are blossoming into a popular online series called Fridays Cooking Together<\/em><\/strong>. On Facebook and YouTube, viewers can find them smiling, joking and trading recipes like gumbo, jambalaya and even seared fish.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s not curated or staged like a Food Network show \u2014 it\u2019s real life. You get Rev. Perryman chopping okra, sometimes more slowly, as First Lady Willetta laughs and guides the process. You\u2019ll hear music in the background, maybe Earth, Wind & Fire, maybe Luther Vandross.<\/p>\n

The response has been heartwarming.<\/p>\n

Couples have written in to say they have started their own Friday night cooking tradition. Families are saying the book is helping them find new ways to reconnect. Fellow ministers say the Perrymans\u2019 openness shows them it\u2019s okay to step away from \u2018always being on,\u2019 unwind, and to even let the kitchen become a place of rest and joy.<\/p>\n

Honored at Hampton University<\/strong><\/p>\n

Rev. D.L. and First Lady Willetta Perryman\u2019s work hasn\u2019t just caught the attention of families at home\u2014it\u2019s also made big waves in ministry circles, too. Recently, they were asked to teach at the 13th Annual Church Development and Leadership Academy<\/em><\/strong> (CDLA) at the prestigious Hampton University Ministers Conference<\/em><\/strong>.<\/p>\n

To be recognized at such a respected national gathering was an honor for both of them. More importantly, it was a chance to spread the message: that love, marriage, ministry, and food are all connected\u2014and all holy.<\/p>\n

Recipes for Life, Not Just Food<\/strong><\/p>\n

As you scroll through Fridays Cooking Together<\/em>, you will find menus inspired by First Lady Willetta\u2019s mother, grandmother and aunts. She learned by watching them cook, and by taking in stories that made her laugh, reflect, and feel the bittersweet moments of life.<\/p>\n

Those recipes became the soil where she planted her own creativity, updating old classics and experimenting with new culinary dishes.<\/p>\n

But the real recipe they are sharing is as follows:<\/p>\n