Prior to 1974, the Lindale and Garden Valley communities were no stranger to Christianity as there were plenty of churches in the area and there still are.
In 1974, David Wilkerson bought 400 acres of land near Garden Valley and relocated World Challenge ministry headquarters there from Dallas, said an old article in Tyler Morning Telegraph. Wilkerson had previously been in New York and California.
John Offutt, the senior teaching pastor at LifeSource Community Church in Lindale, spoke with AFN.
“They found that they could sell what they had and move to East Texas. Back then, land was extremely inexpensive, and they could get so much more area and land. It just started this migration of ministries coming to this area,” Offutt says.
Some other ministries that followed include: Calvary Commission, Keith Green's Last Days Ministries, Agape Force, Youth With A Mission (YWAM), Mercy Ships, Jesus Awakening Movement for America/All Nations or JAMA and Christian Artist Dallas Holm.
There is another Christian artist also hails from the area.
“Chris Tomlin is from Grand Saline. Chris and I had the opportunity back when he was still a student at A&M, back before he became The Chris Tomlin. We would do youth camps together when I was pastor at Prairie Creek back in the 90s. When Chris would come back into the area, he would attend our church,” Offutt says.
Offutt also said he loves that the area, with so many ministries, is a generous one and responds to those in need.
According to their website, LifeSource is a community where “faith is real, grace is abundant, and everyone has a place at the table.” They are committed to helping people encounter Jesus and discover his purpose for their life. They also want to help people connect with others and have communities for men, women, kids/youth and even young adults.
