Dan Willis did not exactly envision a life in ministry as a young boy growing up in Chicago. Though he loved the contagious rhythms of Gospel Music, he never knew he’d one day be creating them himself. Yet from these humble beginnings developed one of todays leading Pastors and Gospel artists.
As a young boy, Dan’s dreams actually involved entering the medical field as a neurosurgeon until the fateful day when, at age sixteen, he was called to “temporarily” take over the Pastor position of a local church which had lost theirs. Thirty-two years later, Dan is still there – serving as the Senior Pastor of The Lighthouse Church of All Nations in Alsip, IL. Never wavering, he took the small ministry of sixteen and nurtured it into a thriving multi-cultural body of over 2,200 which is now preparing to build a new, state-of-the-art sanctuary and community center.
The driving force of Dan’s ministry has always been one of uniting the races. To look out over the crowd on a typical Sunday morning you will see men, women and children from, as the last census revealed, over sixty-one different nationalities. Each Sunday is spent celebrating one of the unique cultures and he implements a plethora of innovative ways to bring acceptance and understanding through the love of Christ.
Confronting the walls of racism and prejudice is never easy but music has been a tool Dan has used to share his message. Dan is a gifted singer, musician and producer and in 1990 he founded a community choir called The Pentecostals of Chicago. It was a groundbreaking move at the time because it brought together Black, White, Hispanic and Asian singers from over twenty Chicago area churches. This group, now known as The All Nations Choir, has six albums to their credit and have performed with artists from Celine Dion and Kirk Franklin to missionary trips in the orphanages of Kingston, Jamaica.
Most recently you can also tag “Executive Producer” to Dan’s journey as the creator and host of “I’m Just Sayin’”, the premier late-night Christian talk show as seen on the TCT Network in over 125 Nations. Pastor Dan also created “Inspiration Sensation”, the Emmy-Award Winning Christian talent search which was seen across the country and helped countless teens reach their musical dreams. Dan has traveled the country ministering and teaching to men and women through the Starting Line/Prison Fellowship organization and has also been a national and international speaker on the topics of music, ministry, racial reconciliation, leadership and community development.
What does the future hold for this extraordinary man of God? Though only time will tell, even though he did not become the physician he once dreamed of becoming, the truth is he is still touching and healing lives through his powerful gifts and generous heart.
As a young boy, Dan’s dreams actually involved entering the medical field as a neurosurgeon until the fateful day when, at age sixteen, he was called to “temporarily” take over the Pastor position of a local church which had lost theirs. Thirty-two years later, Dan is still there – serving as the Senior Pastor of The Lighthouse Church of All Nations in Alsip, IL. Never wavering, he took the small ministry of sixteen and nurtured it into a thriving multi-cultural body of over 2,200 which is now preparing to build a new, state-of-the-art sanctuary and community center.
The driving force of Dan’s ministry has always been one of uniting the races. To look out over the crowd on a typical Sunday morning you will see men, women and children from, as the last census revealed, over sixty-one different nationalities. Each Sunday is spent celebrating one of the unique cultures and he implements a plethora of innovative ways to bring acceptance and understanding through the love of Christ.
Confronting the walls of racism and prejudice is never easy but music has been a tool Dan has used to share his message. Dan is a gifted singer, musician and producer and in 1990 he founded a community choir called The Pentecostals of Chicago. It was a groundbreaking move at the time because it brought together Black, White, Hispanic and Asian singers from over twenty Chicago area churches. This group, now known as The All Nations Choir, has six albums to their credit and have performed with artists from Celine Dion and Kirk Franklin to missionary trips in the orphanages of Kingston, Jamaica.
Most recently you can also tag “Executive Producer” to Dan’s journey as the creator and host of “I’m Just Sayin’”, the premier late-night Christian talk show as seen on the TCT Network in over 125 Nations. Pastor Dan also created “Inspiration Sensation”, the Emmy-Award Winning Christian talent search which was seen across the country and helped countless teens reach their musical dreams. Dan has traveled the country ministering and teaching to men and women through the Starting Line/Prison Fellowship organization and has also been a national and international speaker on the topics of music, ministry, racial reconciliation, leadership and community development.
What does the future hold for this extraordinary man of God? Though only time will tell, even though he did not become the physician he once dreamed of becoming, the truth is he is still touching and healing lives through his powerful gifts and generous heart.