The Reverend Dr. Timothy L. Dotson

​As a 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. Dr. Dotson is the first member of his family to attain a college education. 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.

 

As a Community Activist...

Pastor 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 on both the west and southeast sides of Chicago, as well as within the northwest Indiana region. As an advocate for homelessness, he has worked to support numerous homeless shelters throughout Chicago and northwest Indiana. Dr. Dotson continues to provide financial resources to assist those agencies who provide shelter and food to the homeless. He served as the Chairman of the Board for the Haven Towers apartment building on the southeast side of Chicago. Haven Towers is an eight-story apartment building for seniors for independent living. Pastor Dotson understood the challenges of paying energy bills, among the working poor. He subsequently implemented the CEDA energy assistance program within the south shore community and was successful in returning over $50,000.00 back to the community. Dr. Dotson has partnered with Abundant Life and Rush Hospital to bring medical care 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. He has partnered with the Faith in Place organization in an effort to further educate the Northwest Indiana region on the subject of Ecological Justice. how to eradicate food insecurity by growing food. His love for teaching and learning inspired him to return to the classroom. Dr. Dotson currently serves as an Adjunct Professor within the Theology Department at Calumet College of St. Joseph, where he teaches a course in Social Justice to incoming college freshmen.

 

​As a Family Man and Friend...

Dr. Dotson has always maintained a commitment to service. He is a life member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Inc.  He believes that his seven years of active duty within the United States Marine Corps developed that character trait within him. He retired after serving over twenty years of faithful service 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 thirty-nine years. They have three adult children, Timothy Jr., Tiffany, and Troy. Dr. and Lady Dotson also have four grandsons, Zechariah, Zaiden, Zander, and Zaire. Pastor Dotson strives to, “Preach the Gospel always, and when necessary, he uses words.”