The Gaston Christian Center of Dallas is a forward looking ministry committed to serving ethic congregations and helping ministries in our area. The Center concept is an outgrowth of the historic Gaston Avenue Baptist Church’s commitment to missions--home and foreign. When Gaston Oaks Baptist church faced the reality of its aging membership and prime facilities. The church called Dr. Gary Cook, a
retired pastor and denominational administrator, to take on the leadership in the transition. In that role, Dr. Cook realized they were struggling to know how to keep their mission legacy alive. Cook patiently led the members to begin thinking in new terms. The Center provides lower than average rent and tenant services so ministries can use their dollars to do their work and not pay it all for space! The board felt a holistic ministry approach would most reflect the heart and history of the old Gaston Avenue, and at the same time would make room for innovation. In that spirit, the church first invited Healing Hands Ministry to move into the Greenville Avenue facility at the anchor ministry. Later Gateway of Grace to move their operations to the Gaston Oaks facility. This ministry reached out to refugees that includes resettlement, cultural orientation, ESL, and computer training. Soon other ethnic congregations accepted to join growing number of congregations, each congregation having its own area to meet and worship. The goal is to provide a secure infrastructure for diverse cross-cultural ministries, and nurture a donor base for long-term sustainability. Currently 6 congregations and 6 non-profits rent space and Irgun our building!
