Symposium Spotlight - Al Dodson

                                                          Al Dodson

Preferred Name to be Listed as and State or Country you live in:

ANSWER:   " Al  D"

Age: 44

When you accepted Christ as your Savior:

ANSWER: Saved at the age of 13. Rededicated my life at the age of 40 (2010)

Years in and areas of active ministry, past and present:

ANSWER: Media Director 2012 / 2013, Media Servant 2013 – Present. I am currently working with Service Video Directing, Working live camera’s and media presentations.

Favorite scripture and why?

ANSWER: Luke 4:18-19 The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because He has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.

This scripture represents the season I am in right now. Working with the inner city and spreading the gospel to the lost and less fortunate.

Your Wake Up Call to your Generation: 

ANSWER: Thirties and Early Forties. I would share my testimony and what God has done in my life. I would give positive outlooks to cloudy situations. I would share that God has a plan for your life even if you think you are overlooked and not important.

Three things we’d be surprised to know about you:

ANSWER:

1.      I came from a very poor inner city family that was not involved in church and I was never taught about Jesus.

2.      After being blessed and moving to the suburbs, I now focus on bringing the love of Jesus Christ to the neighborhood I grew up in though  benevolence.

What are your hobbies outside of ministry?

ANSWER: I work in the IT field and this has been a passion of mine since the early 90’s. I love cutting edge technology and gadgets. I enjoy all sports. Some would call me a sports nut. I can be caught blabbering about a stat, past player or a certain play. I played football in high school and had a very promising path in life before an injury set me back. My favorite of all is college football.

List some of your past achievements and current projects that you are working on:

ANSWER: Gosh where do I start….

God has blessed everything I have touched through ministry. Share how our church growth in the inner city from fifteen members to over a thousand in just 3 years.

Share all the miracle’s that have occurred in the past few years.

3 month revival where thousands were saved and baptized.

God blessing our ministry by being debt free at both campuses.

The restoration of a broken city.

Share your experience in marriage, as the head of your home:

ANSWER: I was married for over 20 years. Through this season I was away from the Lord. After 10 years there was infidelity in our marriage. I sacrificed by staying together to make sure I was there for my Son. I grew up in a single household and I wasn’t going to put my Son through that experience. After he turned 18 we divorced. I left everything. I wanted a fresh start on life. I rented a cheap rundown apartment and all I had was an air mattress, 2 fold out lawn chairs. After the first month I was laid off at my job. I was alone, unemployed and used all savings. I didn’t know where to turn or what to do. One day I got down on my knees and gave it all over to the Lord. I rededicated my life and asked God if he would get me out of this mess I would forever live for Him and would pay Him back by working in the ministry. A few days passed and an old friend from high school, who I haven’t talked to in over 20 years, contacted me and said that for some reason he needed to tell me about a job. I was blessed beyond measure with an awesome job in IT with a Christian company. My salary doubled and within a few months I was back on my feet. (Much more than what is listed here in my full testimony)

What do you hope to accomplish by participating in this MMofV Symposium? 

ANSWER: To help mentor young men that are going through some of the same seasons that I have overcame with scripture, life experiences and testimonies.

What does your relationship with Jesus mean to you?

ANSWER: I will forever thank Jesus for everything He has done in my life. I acknowledge I could never have done anything without Him. God has taught me obedience, how to be humble and how God will only give you a little at a time till you earn His trust.

What area have your struggled with most in your walk with Christ?

ANSWER: The question should be what areas have I not struggled with? I will make it short and sweet. I am still an infant with my walk with God and every day seems like a struggle. You see, I am very hard on myself to try to always be in the will of God.

What message of hope would you like to share with our reader? 

ANSWER: No matter what is going on in your life. No matter what you have been through. No matter what you have done, God loves you and has a plan for your life.

If you had a theme life motto, what would it be and why? 

ANSWER: “Consistency equals success!” I believe that if you show God you can be trusted and be consistent with your walk, He will open up the window and pour out a blessing that you would never imagine!