OUR PASTOR
Pastor Lafayette R. Dorsey, Sr. was born in Memphis, Tennessee as the eleventh of twelve children born to Willie Dorsey, Sr. and Pattie Dorsey, and he has five other siblings born to his father. When he was 7 years old, he traveled on a Greyhound bus with his mother, seven siblings and one nephew to relocate to South Central Los Angeles, California where he spent the remainder of his childhood.
Basketball became a dominant force in the life of Pastor Dorsey as he developed a passionate drive for the sport. He began playing in elementary school and was a standout throughout his high school years receiving various accolades and awards. He received a basketball scholarship from Pepperdine University where he played for two years, and later transferred to St. Martin’s College in Washington State where he continued to be a commanding force. After graduating from college and with hopes of one day becoming a professional basketball player, Pastor Dorsey traveled to different parts of the world, including Switzerland, Israel, and the Philippines, to demonstrate his basketball prowess. He has played in several different Pro Leagues around the city of Los Angeles, and also tried out for a couple of professional basketball teams; however he did not succeed as God had another plan for his life.
In addition to his basketball career, Pastor Dorsey has achieved some success in the entertainment industry as an actor. His acting career includes prominent spots on commercials, television, theater and film. Although he now only plays basketball on an extracurricular level, he has continued his acting career while holding fast to his godly principles.
Pastor Dorsey was born and raised in the church and has always been involved in various aspects of ministry consisting of community outreach, the music department, serving as a deacon, and performing janitorial duties to make sure the church was clean for Sunday morning. He accepted his call to the ministry in 1991, and the Lord honored his request and took his drive for basketball and replaced it with a passion for the gospel of Jesus Christ. He is the former youth pastor at West Angeles Church of God In Christ under the leadership of Bishop Charles E. Blake Sr., presiding bishop of the Church of God in Christ International.
Young people have consistently been a focal point in the life of Pastor Dorsey. In addition to his formal leadership role at West Angeles, he
previously volunteered at the California Youth Authority, Camp David Gonzalez, the YMCA and other juvenile camps. Although he has a vision is to reach the youth of the community, his primary focus is on men. Pastor Dorsey’s goal is to build a facility that is conducive to the youth in the Los Angeles community, while yet serving the entire body of Christ.
Pastor Dorsey desires to one day obtain a Master’s Degree in Divinity. To achieve his goal has taken courses at West Angeles Bible College and Azusa Pacific University. He also wants to take courses in psychology to further enhance his ministry.
Pastor Lafayette Dorsey is married to the former Chelesa Corbin whom he lovingly refers to as his “good thang” according to Proverbs 18:22. They met while he was attending college in Washington State and have been married since 1993. They are the loving and devoted parents of two beautiful children – a son Lafayette Jr. known as (R’Jai) and a daughter Adoriah (Daddy’s Pudaruda). The family currently resides in Los Angeles, California.
See Pastor Dorsey in action: 'He Saved Me'