The Reverend Dr. Timothy L. Dotson
Meet Our Pastor
Preach the Gospel always and when necessary, use words.” is a famous quote from an anonymous source that Dr. Timothy L. Dotson uses as the philosophy of his life." On February 18, 2023, the Reverend Dr. Timothy L. Dotson became the seventh Pastor of the historic St. Paul Missionary Baptist Church of Gary Indiana. Dr. Dotson wears a plethora of titles which include Husband, Pastor, Father, Grandfather, Scholar, Preacher, Teacher, and Friend. He is a humble homiletician of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and a visionary with a passion for Outreach Ministry. His clarion call to the Gospel Ministry crosses ecumenical boundaries. Dr. Dotson is the lineage of a long line of gospel preachers. He is a proven leader with nearly two decades of Pastoral experience. Dr. Dotson served as Senior Pastor of the Greater New Birth Church, The Gathering at Bethany Missionary Baptist Church, and the iconic Haven of Rest Missionary Baptist Church of Chicago, prior to being selected to lead the Faith Family of St. Paul.
He is a native Chicagoan and an alumnus of the Chicago Vocational Career Academy. Dr. Dotson has earned both a Bachelor of Science and Master of Science Degree from Calumet College of Saint Joseph. He attended the McCormick Theological Seminary, where he was conferred the Master of Arts Degree in Ministry with an emphasis in Pastoral Care. Dr. Dotson earned the Doctor of Ministry Degree from the Chicago Theological Seminary in the cognate discipline of Homiletics. His Doctoral Thesis was entitled, Let Us Spread the Word, Prophetic Preaching that Promotes Evangelism Within the Church and Community, During A Season of Despair. He was the recipient of the 2021 G. Campbell Morgan Award for Excellence in Preaching at the Chicago Theological Seminary. Dr. Dotson is an Associate Member of the Academy of Homiletics.
Dr. Dotson leads a service-oriented life. He has always been an advocate for change and Social Justice, with a willingness to speak out for those who have no voice. His concern for the community persuaded him to accept an Adjunct Professor position in the Religious Studies Department at his alma mater Calumet College of Saint Josephs. Reverend Dotson taught a course in Social Justice, in an effort to make the biblical text contextually relevant to today's college students. Dr. Dotson has also served as a mentor for seminary students through McCormick Theological Seminary’s experiential learning program. In addition to serving the local church, Pastor Dotson has held leadership positions at both the State and local District Association level. Dr. Dotson currently serves as one of several local clergy who has been entrusted by the City Court of Gary Indiana to provide court mandated domestic violence counseling to those found guilty of domestic violence related charges in the City Court of Gary.
As a community leader, Dr. Dotson works diligently to positively impact socio-economically challenged communities. He is a member of the social justice advocacy organization Pastors United for Change. Throughout Dr. Dotson’s pastoral ministry, he has worked to improve the quality of life for the marginalized. Pastor Dotson credits the United States Marine Corps, for preparing him for the role of servant leader. Dr. Dotson served seven years of active duty in the United States Marine Corps, prior to the start of a twenty plus year law enforcement career. Pastor Dotson retired from the Chicago Police Department after over twenty years of distinguished service. He is a life member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Inc. He is the devoted husband of nearly 40 years to the lovely Mrs. Jenise Dotson. He is the father of Timothy Jr., Tiffany and Troy, and the grandfather of Zechariah, Zaiden, Zander, and Zaire. He works tirelessly to serve both God and His people. Dr. Timothy L. Dotson does his best to, “Preach the Gospel always, and when necessary, he uses words.”