An Inner-City Ministry with a Global Vision in Dorchester
Greater Love Tabernacle sits at 101 Nightingale Street in the Dorchester neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts, carrying the simple motto "A Heart for People." From that single building, a Spirit-filled, non-denominational congregation reaches into the surrounding community with health education, mentoring for at-risk youth, prison reentry support, HIV and AIDS awareness, and international missions trips. Bishop William E. Dickerson, II, the founding pastor, and his wife Lady Luella Dickerson describe the church as "an inner-city ministry with a global vision to impact hurting people everywhere," a phrase that captures both the Dorchester roots and the wide reach of its work.
From a Kitchen Table to a Cross-City Vision
Greater Love Tabernacle began in November 1989 with a handful of hungry believers gathered around the Dickersons' kitchen table. From those humble beginnings, the church grew into a body that runs weekday prayer lines, weekly Bible study, monthly women's fellowships, an annual Family Conference that has reached thousands, and short-term mission trips overseas. Bishop Dickerson has pastored the church for more than two and a half decades, and during that time he has also helped establish other churches and ministries, while serving as an overseer for pastors and ministry leaders under Restoration Ministries since 2001.
Bishop William E. Dickerson, II
Bishop Dickerson was born in Virginia and raised in Boston. He graduated from Boston Latin School, where he was a standout athlete in track, football, and basketball and earned a college basketball scholarship. He went on to complete Bible school, earn an undergraduate degree in Business Management, a Master of Education from Cambridge College, and a Master of Arts in Urban Ministry from Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, with additional study at Harvard University and an honorary Doctorate. He is a certified HIV and AIDS educator.
Dickerson was saved at the age of eight, drifted in his teen years, and rededicated his life to Christ during his senior year of high school. His mother, the late Evangelist Alma Dickerson, was a foster parent who took young William along on ministry trips such as feeding the homeless, and he and his wife later became foster parents themselves. He received his formal ministry start at Good Shepherd Church of God in Christ in Roxbury, Massachusetts, under Bishop Samuel B. Hogan, Sr., where he preached his first sermon in 1981, was licensed in 1983, and ordained an elder in 1985. He has served as a former chaplain for the Boston Police Department, a former member of the National Chaplains' Association, and a former adjunct college instructor.
In civic life, Dickerson served on transition teams for the late Boston Mayor Thomas M. Menino and former Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick, sat on a federal advisory board for Boston's Enhanced Enterprise Zone, and is chairperson and president of the board of the Charitable Trust for the Inhabitants of Boston. He serves on the board of Carney Hospital in Dorchester and remains active with the Massachusetts Six prison advocacy group and Ministers in Action. He has been trained in trauma response and psychological first aid, and he volunteers regularly in schools, jails, and prisons.
He and Lady Luella have been married since 1980. They are the parents of three adult children, William III, Kyanna, and Latia, and the grandparents of five grandchildren.
Lady Luella Dickerson and the Women's Work of the Church
Lady Luella Dickerson, who grew up in Boston, is the co-founder of Greater Love Tabernacle and the Vice President of Restoration Outreach, an organization that helps hurting men and women through seminars, crusades, counseling, and referrals. She is the visionary behind Ladies of Love, a women's ministry she is birthed to address women's specific needs. She is also the founder of Luella's Fashions, an upscale women's clothing line, and serves as head consultant to a wide clientele in Boston, New York, and Atlanta. Together with her husband, she leads Marriage Enrichment Workshops at the church. Her annual Restoration Women's Conference draws more than 2,000 women each year.
A Schedule Woven with Prayer
The church's weekly rhythm is built around prayer and the Word. On Sundays, a single Worship Experience gathers the congregation at 10:00 a.m. Early Morning Prayer takes place Monday through Friday from 6:00 to 7:00 a.m., with a prayer line available at (667) 770-1025, PIN 788663#. Evening Prayer follows on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 7:00 to 8:00 p.m. Wednesdays bring Life Enrichment and Time in the Word at 7:00 p.m. via Zoom (Meeting ID 498 035 1961, Passcode 5yW9G9). On the second and fourth Fridays, the Hour of Power meets from 7:00 to 8:00 p.m. via Zoom, and Saturdays close the week with Evangelism and Community Outreach from 12:00 to 1:00 p.m. Selected messages are made available through the church's online media library and YouTube channel.
Statement of Faith
Greater Love Tabernacle teaches that there is one God, eternally existent in three persons - Father, Son, and Holy Spirit - and holds to the blessed hope of the rapture of the Church at Christ's return. The church teaches that repentance and faith in Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord is the only means of being cleansed from sin, that the redemptive work of Christ on the cross provides healing for the human body in answer to the prayer of faith, and that the baptism of the Holy Spirit, according to Acts 2:4, is given to believers who ask for it.
A Vision for Spirit, Body, and Community
The church's published vision organizes its work around five areas: Spiritual Training, Economic Development, General Education, Health Education, and Social Action. Under that vision, believers are equipped to make a spiritual impact and to plant affiliate churches and ministries; new entrepreneurs are trained and assisted, with a Community Development Corporation envisioned to stabilize housing and increase home ownership; tutoring and a training center are offered for youth and adults; a health education clearinghouse and the Healthy Family Network bring churches, hospitals, and social-service agencies together under one roof; and the church continues to take public stands on homelessness, unemployment, social injustice, and homicides. The Mission of Greater Love Tabernacle is to be a Spirit-filled church raising Bible-believing Christians empowered to bring the life-changing gospel to a dying world through healing, deliverance, and restoration.
The Healthy Family Network and Health and Wellness Ministry
The Health and Wellness Ministry has been active in Boston's communities for more than fifteen years and is one of twelve founding faith-based organizations in the Dana-Farber Cancer Disparities Network, a partnership the church has shared since 2007. The ministry educates members on disease prevention and health management, healthy relationships, physical activity, nutrition, self-care, stress management, and a balanced spiritual, emotional, and physical lifestyle. Signature events include a Breast Cancer Awareness Luncheon, a Prostate Cancer Awareness Breakfast, healthy cooking classes for youth, teens, and adults, and senior wellness programming. The Health Ministry partners with Mass General Brigham, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, and UMass Boston, where the church represents faith-based organizations on the community advisory board for the U54 Partnership. The annual Family Conference continues to bring churches, hospitals, and social-service agencies under one roof to address the spiritual, social, and health disparities in the neighborhoods surrounding GLT and beyond. Charlotte James leads this outreach and can be reached at GLTHealth@outlook.com.
The HIV and AIDS Services Team
Greater Love Tabernacle's HIV and AIDS Ministry exists to raise awareness of HIV and AIDS in the Christian community and to empower believers to serve people infected and affected by the disease. The team includes Reverend Edward Burks, Director; Missionary Annette Campbell, Coordinator; Judy James; Yvonne Castillo; and Debbie Guity. A confidential GLT HIV and AIDS Service Helpline is available at (617) 740-9480.
Walking with Prisoners and the Future Hope Apprenticeship
The Prison Prevention Ministry was created in 1994 to support congregation members whose family or friends were incarcerated. Clergy and volunteers provide one-on-one mentoring for youth and adult inmates, and they continue counseling offenders upon release, helping them cope with reintegration into the community. Under the leadership of Reverend Emanuel Hutcherson, the Future Hope Apprenticeship Program teaches men and women the carpentry and construction trades, prepares graduates for OSHA certification so they can step onto construction sites as apprentices, and offers life-skills, education, and job-readiness training for a sustainable future.
Men's Ministry
The Men's Ministry provides a stable environment where men from different backgrounds enjoy fellowship and free discussion about life's challenges. Men fully committed to the vision of the church are known as Men of Devotion and serve under the leadership of Bishop Dickerson. Other men's programs include Security, Ushering, Boys II Men, Godfathers, Music Ministry, Evangelism, and the Who Are You Ministry.
Ladies of Love and GIRLS Talk
Ladies of Love provides a place where women can safely voice their life experiences - traumatic ones and victories alike - and discover love within themselves through sisterhood and the love of Christ. The group meets on the third Saturday of every month at 10:00 a.m. and welcomes women from across Boston, drawing together women from various churches and denominations in worship and fellowship.
For young women ages 13 to 17, GLT's GIRLS Talk gathers on the second Friday of each month at 101@GLT for empowerment, self-care, life-skills, and identity workshops, along with fellowship, outings, and panel discussions. Sisters Tinika and Sharnia Dottin coordinate the program and can be reached at GLTGirlsTalk@gmail.com.
Children and the Warriors for Christ
The Children's Ministry welcomes young children into the Worship Experience, where instructors teach the ways of God through mutual love and respect, help children memorize scripture, and apply biblical truth to their daily lives. Light meals are provided so each child is properly nourished to receive God's Word. The Warriors for Christ Youth Ministry, for ages 13 and up, addresses real-life scenarios young people face through weekly peer leadership meetings, outings such as bowling and amusement park trips, and the annual Youth and Back2School Jam Conferences.
International Mission and Local Outreach
Greater Love Tabernacle International Missions, a subsidiary of the church, exists to meet the immediate natural and spiritual needs of orphans and widows around the world through outreach and evangelism, holding James 1:27 as its foundational scripture. The annual Widow's Luncheon keeps the same burden alive locally. A recent missions trip to Haiti was, in the church's words, one of the most life-changing trips the team has taken.
What to Expect When You Visit
Visitors are warmly invited to join the Sunday Worship Experience at 10:00 a.m. at 101 Nightingale Street in Dorchester. The church describes itself as a place where the diversity and cultural differences expressed in worship are welcomed and where giving praise and thanks to God brings the body together. Children are welcome in the service, and the Children's Ministry supports families with scripture memory and meals. Office hours are Tuesday through Friday (adjusted due to Covid protocols) and Sunday from 1:00 to 2:00 p.m. The church phone is (617) 740-9480, and the general inbox is greaterlovetab@aol.com. Online giving is available through the church's giving portal. Greater Love Tabernacle encourages first-time guests to come as they are and to encounter a community shaped by the conviction that Jesus is concerned with the whole person - spirit, mind, and body.