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"Make a decision today to
always be prepared for the
enemy's
attack by putting
on the whole armor of God"
– Dr. Creflo A. Dollar |
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UP CLOSE WITH
Dr. Creflo A. Dollar |
Creflo Dollar is the founder and senior pastor of World Changers Church International (WCCI) in College Park, Georgia, which serves nearly 30,000 members; World Changers Church-New York, which hosts over 6,000 worshippers each week; and a host of satellite churches, located in Los Angeles, California; Indianapolis, Indiana; Washington, D.C.; Cleveland, Ohio; Dallas and Houston, Texas; and Carrollton, Norcross, Macon, and Marietta, Georgia. As mandated by God, Creflo Dollar’s goal is to establish 500 satellite churches around the world. With nearly 30 years in ministry, Creflo Dollar is committed to bringing the Good News of Jesus Christ to people all over the world, literally changing the world one person at a time.
A native of College Park, Georgia, Creflo Dollar received the vision for World Changers Ministries Christian Center in 1986. He held the church’s first worship service in the cafeteria of Kathleen Mitchell Elementary School in College Park, with only eight people in attendance. Over the years, the ministry grew rapidly, and was later renamed World Changers Church International. The congregation moved from the cafeteria to a modest-sized chapel, later adding a weekly radio broadcast and four services each Sunday. On December 24, 1995, WCCI moved into its present location—the 8,500-seat sanctuary known as the World Dome. At a cost of nearly $18 million, the World Dome was built without any bank financing. The construction of the World Dome is a testament to the miracle-working power of God, and remains a model of debt-freedom that ministries all over the world emulate.
A former educational therapist, Creflo Dollar received a bachelor’s degree in education and both a master’s and doctorate degree in counseling. He was awarded an honorary Doctor of Divinity degree from Oral Roberts University in 1998. He is the publisher of CHANGE online magazine and The Max, a bimonthly resource newsletter for ministers and ministry leaders. His award-winning Changing Your World television broadcast reaches nearly one billion homes in practically every country in the world.
A much sought-after conference speaker and best-selling author, Dollar is known for his practical approach to the Bible, and has encouraged thousands to pursue a personal relationship with God. Creflo Dollar and his wife, Taffi, have five children, and they live in Atlanta.
The Organization
There are many aspects and affiliates of World Changers Church
International that meet the diverse needs of people around the globe.
The church arm of the ministry is situated in metro-Atlanta but has members
who commute from several surrounding states, such as Tennessee, South
Carolina and Alabama. Dr. Dollar is known all over the world for his dynamic
yet practical teaching style that impacts people in such a way that they
will make the drive. Creflo Dollar Ministries (CDM) hosts annual conventions
in cities across the United States and serves Vision Partners in all 50
states and in almost every country in the world.
The Social Services arm of WCCI makes a daily investment
in people's lives by meeting their physical, financial, emotional and
spiritual needs through some 60 programs and ministries. Some of the innovations
this visionary has implemented include the Career Development Center,
where people receive the information, encouragement, training and practical
assistance they need to obtain and maintain suitable employment, and where
some 50 percent of referrals are hired; a food distribution facility,
which provides over 60 tons of food to needy families annually; and the
Joseph Project, a male-mentoring program that provides a pathway out of
despair for men with troubled pasts.
Dr. Dollar is the president of Creflo Dollar Ministerial
Association (CDMA), a covenant fellowship of affiliated ministries that
strives to assist ministers, pastors, and churches large and small in
the fulfillment of their God-given visions. Members have access to a long
list of benefits, support services and ministry resources designed to
optimize their effectiveness, including Web site development, workshops
and conferences on the "how-tos" of ministry, organizational structure
and logistical support, and opportunities to network with like-minded
men and women of God.
Humble Beginnings
Although he was "raised in the church," Dr. Dollar did not
become born again until the summer after his freshman year in college.
While visiting a Bible study on the campus of an Atlanta-based university,
Dr. Dollar gave his life to Christ. It was never Dr. Dollar's desire to
become a minister; instead, he planned on becoming a professional football
player. "There was never any doubt that one day I would [play pro ball],"
he says. "God, however, had a different course for my life. I ended up
getting injured and sitting on the bench for much of my college career."
Having put his plans on hold while his injury healed, Dr.
Dollar decided to witness to students on campus. "I witnessed to a guy,
and he became born again. Afterward, he brought back 10 more people. Before
I knew it, Ken (his best friend and college roommate) and I were running
a Bible study in our dorm room." This weekly Bible study was known as
"World Changers Bible Study." The teachings captivated the attention of
students who were in search of answers to life's questions, and attendance
quickly grew to over 100 people. One of the students Dr. Dollar led to
the Lord was Taffi Bolton, who became his wife five years later. He graduated
in 1984 with a B.S. in Education and promptly went to work at Brawner
Psychiatric Institute in Atlanta. Dr. Dollar also has a Master’s and Doctorate
Degree in Counseling. Although he was successful at counseling those in
his care, Dr. Dollar knew that God had given him a clear assignment—to
teach the Word with simplicity and understanding.
In 1986, a year before he left Brawner to enter into full-time
ministry, Dr. Dollar officially founded World Changers Church International,
then known as World Changers Christian Center. Its first worship service
was held in the cafeteria of Kathleen Mitchell Elementary School with
only eight people in attendance. The location held a special significance
for the budding ministry, as Dr. Dollar had been the first black male
to integrate the school, where his mother once worked on the staff. They
adopted Proverbs 4:7 as the church motto: "...In all thy getting, get
understanding” (NKJV), and Dr. Dollar perfected his gift for taking the
complex language and principles of the Bible and converting them into
a practical form that simplified things for the listener. Within two years,
the cafeteria could no longer hold those who attended the services, so
the ministry began its search for a new location. It negotiated for and
purchased the former Atlanta Christian Center Church in College Park,
Georgia. World Changers Christian Center held its first service in that
facility in 1988.
The ministry continued to grow at a rapid pace over the next
few years and had to hold four services each Sunday to accommodate the
explosive membership growth. In 1991, World Changers Christian Center
broke ground to build a new sanctuary. Four short years later, on December
24, 1995, the leaders and members of World Changers Christian Center moved
into the 8,500-seat dome-shaped sanctuary now known as the World Dome.
It was then that the church changed its name to World Changers Church
International. Unlike any other structure in the community, this magnificent
building was built by faith, at a cost of close to $20 million, and without
one dollar of bank financing. To this day, the ministry continues to extol
the virtues of debt-freedom, trusting God to initiate and complete new
projects without the added burden of debt. The construction of the World
Dome, by a growing church with only a few thousand dollars in the bank
when the project began, remains a model that ministries all over the world
continue to emulate, and a testament to the miracle-working power of God,
when you trust Him as your Source.
The church now has a congregation approaching 25,000 people,
and approximately 400 employees staff the ministry’s facilities both at
home and abroad. Within the six buildings on the main campus are: a state-of-the-art
television studio; a computer graphic design suite; a publishing house;
a high-tech music studio; a food distribution center; a large banquet
facility; commercial cooking facilities; a daycare center; a bookstore;
an audio and video duplication center; and a professionally-staffed fitness
facility. The spiritual growth experienced by WCCI members, employees
and the hundreds of thousands of CDM partners worldwide proves that clarity
and simplicity are still the hallmarks of Dr. Dollar's ministry. "Nothing
blesses me quite like the testimonies of people whose lives have been
changed by our ministry," says Dr. Dollar. "We have been entrusted with
an awesome responsibility to share the Good News with those who need it."
A Household Name
Dr. Dollar is a much sought-after conference speaker and
a best-selling author, with hundreds of books, CDs, audiotapes and videotapes
in worldwide distribution. He has written books that cover a variety of
topics, including debt-cancellation, healing, total-life prosperity, prayer,
marriage, parenting, the Christian family and victorious living. Many
of his past works, including The Anointing to Live, Understanding God's
Purpose for the Anointing and The Divine Order of Faith, have been added
to the curriculum of Christian colleges across the United States. His
latest releases, Not Guilty, Love, Live and Enjoy Life and No More Debt!
have received very positive reviews both nationally and internationally.
Dr. Dollar has also collaborated with his wife of 18 years,
Taffi Dollar, on a comprehensive reference book for the 21stcentury family
entitled The Successful Family. Divided into six sections with an exhaustive
list of recommended resources and six corresponding study guides for individual
or group study, it tackles the most common problems facing families and
provides them with sound, practical solutions and proven principles for
success. In addition, Dr. Dollar is the publisher of CHANGE magazine,
a monthly publication with over 125,000 subscribers.
A Leader Among Men
Recognized for his cutting-edge revelation and humorous,
pragmatic approach, Dr. Dollar received an honorary Doctor of Divinity
Degree from Oral Roberts University (ORU) in 1998 and serves on the Board
of Regents there. His teachings have enabled thousands to experience restoration,
healing and financial breakthrough as a result of applying simple biblical
principles to their lives.
In addition to his ministry accomplishments, Dr. Dollar has
also experienced success as a businessman and entrepreneur. In 1998, he
assisted his wife in establishing a gospel music record company, Arrow
Records, where she serves as Chief Executive Officer. The goal of Arrow
Records, whose motto is "Music that Pierces the Heart," is to promote
gospel music with strong, scriptural lyrics in a variety of musical styles.
Award-winning artists on the label include Canton Jones and the Changing
Your World Mass Choir.
Dr. Dollar can be seen and heard worldwide via the dynamic
Changing Your World broadcast, now the most popular ministry program on
television. He also maintains an extensive schedule of partner meetings,
conventions and speaking engagements in locations that span the globe
each year. "When I see all of the people in this world who are hurting,
it just motivates me to do more," he says. "The job is not done until
every single person on the planet has been exposed to this gospel." With
offices in the United States, Australia, South Africa, Nigeria and the
United Kingdom, and several more scheduled to open in the next few years,
Dr. Creflo A. Dollar is truly setting the standard for excellence in ministry,
and making a mark in the lives of millions that can never be erased!
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DR. DOLLAR