The Reverend Dr. Timothy L. Dotson
Meet Our Pastor
The Pastor...
"Preach the Gospel always and when necessary, use words,” is a famous quote from an anonymous source that Reverend Dr. Timothy L. Dotson uses as the philosophy of his life. On February 18, 2023, Dr. Timothy L. Dotson became the seventh Pastor of the historic St. Paul Missionary Baptist Church of Gary Indiana. He 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, with a heart for the homeless, the helpless, and the hopeless. Reverend Dotson is a proven leader with nearly two decades of Pastoral experience. He has served as the 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 historic St. Paul Missionary Baptist Church of Gary Indiana. 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. In addition to his role and responsibilities within the local church, Dr. Dotson has held several leadership positions within several Baptist District Associations. Reverend Dotson served the Bethlehem Baptist District Association as Parliamentarian, and the Greater Shiloh District Association as the Mission’s President. He is a former member of the Progressive National Baptist Convention and is an active member of the National Baptist Convention.
The Community Activist...
Dr. Dotson works diligently as an advocate for Economic Justice within the African American community. He labors tirelessly to eradicate homelessness, hunger, and the lack of access to healthcare for the poor. His philanthropical outreach efforts have made an impact within the financially challenged communities of the west and southeast sides of Chicago, as well as the northwest Indiana region. As an advocate for homelessness, he has worked to support numerous homeless shelters throughout Chicago and the northwest Indiana region. Dr. Dotson continues to provide financial resources to assist those agencies who provide shelter and food to the homeless. He previously served as the Chairman of the Board for the Haven Towers senior citizen apartment building on the southeast side of Chicago. Haven Towers is an eighty-unit apartment building designed for senior citizen independent living.
Dr. Dotson understood the challenges of paying energy bills for the working poor. He subsequently implemented the CEDA energy assistance program and was successful in saving community members well over $50,000.00. in Chicago’s South Shore community. Dr. Dotson in partnership with Abundant Life Inc. and Rush Hospital has brought a new medical care program to the City of Gary Indiana. The Abundant Living program was designed to identify members within the northwest Indiana region who are struggling with hypertension and other illnesses, which are undiagnosed, and are not under the care of a physician.
Dr. Dotson has also partnered with Faith in Place Inc. in an effort to educate those citizens who reside in areas of food insecurity within the Northwest Indiana region on the subject of Ecological Justice. The partnership focuses on the eradication of food insecurity through urban farming.
His love for teaching and learning inspired him to return to the classroom. Dr. Dotson currently serves as an Adjunct Professor of Theology at Calumet College of St. Joseph. He teaches a course in Theology with a foci in Social Justice.
The Family Man and Friend...
Dr. Dotson has always maintained a commitment to service. He is a life member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Inc. Dr. Dotson served seven years of active duty in the United States Marine Corps. He retired after serving over twenty years with the Chicago Police Department. Throughout his military and law enforcement careers, he received numerous awards and commendations, however, he is most proud of his family. Pastor Dotson and Lady Jenise Dotson have been married for nearly forty years. They have three adult children, Timothy Jr., Tiffany, and Troy. They also have four grandsons, Zechariah, Zaiden, Zander, and Zaire. Dr. Timothy L. Dotson strives to, “Preach the Gospel always, and when necessary, he uses words.”