Jim Dickinson, Director of Programming

Jim Dickinson, Director of Programming, is committed to helping thousands upon thousands of people in the community to come to know, love, and serve Jesus Christ. That’s why our motto at Gateway, “Connecting people to God and others…” is so important to him.

Creativity and fun go together, which is why I’m so grateful to God for the joy of serving in a creative capacity. I want the services at Church at the Gateway to be “fun, engaging, and helpful” and make it my mission to help realize that dream.

I was first involved in Creative Arts Ministries at Gateway as a volunteer serving along with my delightful wife, Lynne, on the production leadership team for the first production of Celebrate Christmas in 1987. After serving for six years, Lynne and I started training for cross-cultural ministry culminating in a summer internship in Moscow, Russia. From Moscow we moved directly to Romania, and then Hungary, offering training in mime and dance for outreach from local churches for eight years. With our students, we have performed and taught in schools, orphanages, prisons, churches, parks, and on the streets in 11 countries.

I earned a BFA in modern dance composition and performance at Ohio University graduating Cum Laude in 1979. Although we were already working in mime,  Lynne and I received training in performance and “mimeography” from Todd and Marilyn Farley through an intensive course in 1993.

In 2002, we returned to NYC to join the senior staff at Church at the Gateway. With a combination of spiritual, creative, and administrative emphases, I oversee a variety of areas requiring creativity, including Promotion/Graphics, Tech Teams, and Staging, while working with Rev. Dr. Daniel Mercaldo and Rev. Timothy Mercaldo on the Creative Service Planning Team.