Happy Pastor Appreciation Month!
To start off, I want to gush about Pastor Jill Dillon. She’s a mother, sister, teacher, day care owner, wife, friend and pastor carrying His might. We met each other 25 plus years ago in high school. You see, her husband and mine were brothers, but the amazing part about it was we were friends before any of that every happened. Fast forward to the present, we’ve grown so much. This Daughter of the King has grown her family from two to six. She received her degree in Early Childhood Education and is now passing what she has learned educationally and spiritually to others in the class room. She actually started our first Rocking Chair Child Care business and right now there is a waiting list. You see, Jill has wanted to be a mother her whole life. She has wanted to be a wife and she has wanted to educate her children well. And, all three she has accomplished with excellence.
She is one of the smartest people I know. I can’t remember her ever not getting an A (while, I can’t remember ever getting an A). She was one of the first in our circle of friends to get married and have babies. Now, with a freshman in college and 20 years of marriage under her belt, she has bloomed into a beautiful person. When she got married, not only did she marry her childhood sweetheart, but she married into a family of ministry. Pastor Jill, along with her husband, has taken over the position as lead pastors for the past six years, but they were a vital part of the ministry team for many years before that as well. Since this transition, all the church has seen its growth. God knew what He was doing when He put them in charge. They are movers and shakers, not only in the natural, but in the spiritual. They have improved everything the church owns since they took over. Room by room, they have accomplished a lot.
As you know, two years into his pastoral role, Pastor Danny and Jill lost a brother. To say it was a blow is an understatement. Yet, as people of faith seem to do, we pulled up our boot straps and got down to business. For them, they felt it was time to build the Ben S. Dillon Life Center. Pastor Jill stood by her husband and the leadership team to see this building come to completion. She has the ministry of helps. Whenever there was a need, Jill was there to complete it or get someone who could. These last four years have been some of the toughest of our lives, yet her faith has not wavered. Jill is very resourceful. She is willing to learn and try just about anything.
So, I have talked about Jill as a mother and the wife, now let’s talk about the pastor who carries His might. When Pastor Jill gets on the stage to speak, it’s a word in season and it’s powerful. Her voice carries not only His presence, but an anointing, for this is a woman who has been through some fires in her life and seen God pull her out. The future has felt more scary these past four years, and yet His presence has felt more near. I say all this to say, Pastor Jill, thank you for leading with passion. Thank you for your commitment to the role as pastor, but also to your family as a mother. You take family very seriously and serve your family at the highest level. Thank you for being a kingdom educator. The treasures you share with these kids, I pray, will stick for a lifetime. So much has happened, and yet it feels like we are just getting started. I stopped trying to figure out the future, but one thing I know for sure, your voice matters. Keep sharing the God stories you carry. He has brought you through so many life moments and those stories will impact generations to come.
Thanks for being a kingdom server. Thank you for being a special friend for over 25 years. Thank you for all your prayers. I’m thankful for the many adventures we have been through throughout our years together. And finally, thank you for fighting the hardest battle, yet in the spirit we’ve done it together. If we only knew all that happens in the heavens by the tears, prayers, worship, and service to each other, I think we would humbled.
That’s it for now. Tune in next week for more about our leadership team that’s been taking ground in this great place called Franklin, VA. Amen and Amen.
Until next time,
Stay Tender.
Connect to the Mender.
Be a Sender.
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