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TOP JOBS

Story by PATRICK BUTLER
Religion Editor

When Christ Central Church of Lindale is officially dedicated on Sunday, it will be a dream-come-true for the Rev. James Dill. Dill, 69, is a self-described dreamer, visionary and builder who has loved the life of church-building for decades.

Years ago Dill was at the helm when Tyler’s Rose Heights Church of God was started and its present sanctuary constructed. When Dill left after 26 years as Rose Heights’ pastor, the church had grown from 81 to “just over 4,000 on the roles,” he said.

“I love to birth and build churches in East Texas,” he said in a phone interview from his office at Christ Central on Tuesday. “I’m not just a dreamer, I hope, but like to take the dream off the page and be a visionary.”

Congressman Louie Ghomert and state Rep. Leo Berman will be at Sunday’s dedication service that begins at 2:30 p.m. Dr. Dan Boling, the executive director for the Church of God in Texas, will be a featured speaker. Dill hopes to send a strong signal that Christ Central wants to serve civic leaders, doing “whatever we can,” he said, and “get to the heartbeat of the community.”

“When I move into a city, I try to get hold of the officials of the city as quickly as I can and ask them, ‘how can we serve you? Is there any way we can network with you in your community.’ We join every place we can. There is unbelievable depth in a Chamber of Commerce.”

Christ Central, located about a mile east of Lindale High School, is not looking to replace existing ministries in Lindale, Dill said.

“I just love to find a need and fill it,” he said. “There are many great churches already here in Lindale and we hope to complement what they are already doing. When you look around at the growing needs in the Lindale area, I think there is a place where we can be an encouragement, and God knows we need more encouragement and hope.”

One of the needs Dill sees in northern Smith County is a place for young people to go who don’t have driver licenses and can’t get to area parks easily. With the church just east of Lindale High School, he sees an opportunity for serving youth.

“We’re interested in creating sand volleyball courts,” he said, “and the idea has been suggested for a skateboard park. It’s too easy to overlook young people. We have every intention to build something spiritual and accommodating. We want to serve the community.”

Dill holds a Master of Divinity degree from Louisiana Baptist University in Shreveport, and has honorary doctorate degrees from Jacksonville Theological Seminary of Florida and the Church of God Seminary in Quito, Ecuador. He has served the Church of God denomination in Canada and Hawaii, as well as his time in Texas. He returned to his native Texas in 1976 from Los Angeles.

The church is just putting the finishing construction touches on its new facility and already, said Dill, 375 people are present on an average Sunday. Not satisfied with an official opening and dedication, Dill is already looking to build again.

“Ultimately we’re looking to the future and breaking ground on a gym,” he said. “I don’t want to turn off the lights in the church each week and just come back next Sunday. When you make yourself available, you never know where it will lead you.”

Looking back on his ministry career, he said, “The folks at Rose Heights were so gracious to us over the years,” he said. “They were the kindest, most loving group of people. For three or four months before I left I’d been telling myself ‘I want to move on.’ Now we’re in Lindale. This is where my dream is now. I just love to do things like this.”

Call 903-882-9337 for information.