Rev. Dr. Mark Dotson
Pastor Mark Dotson is a native of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, who has recently completed his seventh year in senior pastoral ministry. He accepted the Lord as his savior at the age of ten years old and was baptized, believing in the faith his mother had taught him. In 1986, his family joined the Lincoln Ave. Church of and at age 16, he again made his confession of faith, this time with increased understanding and a greater sense of personal commitment. Since his childhood,
he has always been a participant in the performing arts, and every sport that was available for him to play throughout his school years.
In 2002, he earned his bachelor’s degree in legal studies, from Point Park University, after which he intended to enter law school. It was at this time that he sensed the call of God on his life to ministry, and he put out a fleece before the Lord, which when answered by the Lord led him to immediately enroll in the Reformed Presbyterian Theological Seminary. He graduated with his Master of Divinity in 2008. Over the next nine years, the Lord would prepare him for ministry through many roles, including Sunday School Teacher, Youth Ministry Leader, Praise & Worship Leader, Chairman of the Church Evangelism & Growth Committee, Associate Minister, and member of the State Leadership Team for Southwestern Pennsylvania Ministries of the Church of God.
He was ordained within Church of God Ministries, Anderson, IN, in 2016, and accepted his first Pastorate at the First Church of God, Champaign, IL, from August 2017 to April 2023. During which time he served as a Coach for Leadership Focus, Church of God Ministries preparation tool for ordination candidates, from 2022 to 2025. In May of 2023 he graduated with a Doctor of Ministry degree from North Park Theological Seminary, Chicago, IL. He then relocated to serve as the Pastor of Hillside Church of God, South San Francisco, CA, from April of 2023 to January 2025.
As a minister, his passion is for evangelism and teaching and training the body of Christ to walk in the fullness of God's covenant blessings. He teaches that a vibrant relationship with Jesus is the foundation to an abundant life. As a Man of God, his passion is simply to worship God in the beauty of holiness. He is the father of one son, Geoffrey, who is 32 years old.
One of his favorite Scriptures is Job 22:21-30, which says:
“21 Acquaint now thyself with him, and be at peace: thereby good shall come unto thee. 22 Receive, I pray thee, the law from his mouth, and lay up his words in thine heart. 23 If thou return to the Almighty, thou shalt be built up, thou shalt put away iniquity far from thy tabernacles. 24 Then shalt thou lay up gold as dust, and the gold of Ophir as the stones of the brooks. 25 Yea, the Almighty shall be thy defense, and thou shalt have plenty of silver. 26 For then shalt thou have thy delight in the Almighty, and shalt lift up thy face unto God. 27 Thou shalt make thy prayer unto him, and he shall hear thee, and thou shalt pay thy vows. 28 Thou shalt also decree a thing, and it shall be established unto thee: and the light shall shine upon thy ways. 29 When men are cast down, then thou shalt say, There is lifting up; and he shall save the humble person. 30 He shall deliver the island of the innocent: and it is delivered by the pureness of thine hands.”
Pastor Mark Dotson is a native of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, who has recently completed his seventh year in senior pastoral ministry. He accepted the Lord as his savior at the age of ten years old and was baptized, believing in the faith his mother had taught him. In 1986, his family joined the Lincoln Ave. Church of and at age 16, he again made his confession of faith, this time with increased understanding and a greater sense of personal commitment. Since his childhood,
he has always been a participant in the performing arts, and every sport that was available for him to play throughout his school years.
In 2002, he earned his bachelor’s degree in legal studies, from Point Park University, after which he intended to enter law school. It was at this time that he sensed the call of God on his life to ministry, and he put out a fleece before the Lord, which when answered by the Lord led him to immediately enroll in the Reformed Presbyterian Theological Seminary. He graduated with his Master of Divinity in 2008. Over the next nine years, the Lord would prepare him for ministry through many roles, including Sunday School Teacher, Youth Ministry Leader, Praise & Worship Leader, Chairman of the Church Evangelism & Growth Committee, Associate Minister, and member of the State Leadership Team for Southwestern Pennsylvania Ministries of the Church of God.
He was ordained within Church of God Ministries, Anderson, IN, in 2016, and accepted his first Pastorate at the First Church of God, Champaign, IL, from August 2017 to April 2023. During which time he served as a Coach for Leadership Focus, Church of God Ministries preparation tool for ordination candidates, from 2022 to 2025. In May of 2023 he graduated with a Doctor of Ministry degree from North Park Theological Seminary, Chicago, IL. He then relocated to serve as the Pastor of Hillside Church of God, South San Francisco, CA, from April of 2023 to January 2025.
As a minister, his passion is for evangelism and teaching and training the body of Christ to walk in the fullness of God's covenant blessings. He teaches that a vibrant relationship with Jesus is the foundation to an abundant life. As a Man of God, his passion is simply to worship God in the beauty of holiness. He is the father of one son, Geoffrey, who is 32 years old.
One of his favorite Scriptures is Job 22:21-30, which says:
“21 Acquaint now thyself with him, and be at peace: thereby good shall come unto thee. 22 Receive, I pray thee, the law from his mouth, and lay up his words in thine heart. 23 If thou return to the Almighty, thou shalt be built up, thou shalt put away iniquity far from thy tabernacles. 24 Then shalt thou lay up gold as dust, and the gold of Ophir as the stones of the brooks. 25 Yea, the Almighty shall be thy defense, and thou shalt have plenty of silver. 26 For then shalt thou have thy delight in the Almighty, and shalt lift up thy face unto God. 27 Thou shalt make thy prayer unto him, and he shall hear thee, and thou shalt pay thy vows. 28 Thou shalt also decree a thing, and it shall be established unto thee: and the light shall shine upon thy ways. 29 When men are cast down, then thou shalt say, There is lifting up; and he shall save the humble person. 30 He shall deliver the island of the innocent: and it is delivered by the pureness of thine hands.”
The Peace Dale First Church of God is a congregation of Christians affiliated with the Church of God, Anderson, Indiana. The Church of God emphasizes holiness and the unity of all believers on the New Testament basis of personal experience in the saving power of Jesus Christ.