Dexter B. Gordon Oral History Interview
Scope and Contents
Oral history interview with Dexter B. Gordon in which he describes growing up in Jamaica, his family, social conditions on the island, the role of Sunday school, in his life and the community, his conversion, spiritual mentor Amy Lord, his participation in sports, his and his parents involvement in politics, love for oratory and preaching, Jamaican worship, work in Youth for Christ, evangelism among young people, his work as an air-traffic controller, the role and influence of the church and Rastafari movement in Jamaican society, the church's response to the 1988 Hurricane Gilbert, the strengths and weaknesses of the Jamaican church, theological training at Jamaican Theological Seminary, Youth for Christ's ministry in Jamaica, and his desire for culturally relevant outreach. The time period covered by the interviews is 1955-1990.
Dexter Gordon was interviewed by Robert Shuster on October 5 and October 25, 1990, at the Billy Graham Center Archives at Wheaton College.
Dates
- Created: 1990
Conditions Governing Access
There are no restrictions on the use of this collection.
Biographical Information
Full Name: Dexter Barrington Gordon
Birth Date: June 22, 1955
Birth Place: Old Harbour Bay, St. Catherine, Jamaica
Family:
Parents: Murrel and Eutedra Gordon
Siblings: Seventh of fourteen children
Marital Status: Married Joan (nee Fearon) in January 1977
Children: Donja-lee (b. 1979), Janelle (b. 1984), Le Var (b. 1986)
Conversion: In 1973 at age 18, through influences of childhood involvement in church and a Sunday school teacher, Mrs. Amy Lord
Education:
1973 Graduated from St. Jago High School, Jamaica
1980-1984 Jamaica Theological Seminary (graduated as valedictorian)
1990-1992 Wheaton College Graduate School - M.A. in Communications
Career:
1974-1975 Assistant to the Clerk of Courts in a Resident Magistrate's Court
1975-1985 Air traffic controller
1984-1985 Part-time assistant to his pastor
1984-1985 Part-time Director of Ministries with Jamaica Youth for Christ
1985-1990 National Executive Director for Jamaica Youth for Christ (YFC)
Extent
4 Audio Tapes
180 Minutes
Language of Materials
English
Accruals and Additions
The materials in this collection were given to the Billy Graham Center Archives by Dexter Gordon in October 1990.
Accession 90-110, 90-116
June 27, 1997
Paul A. Ericksen
M. Congdon
- Children -- Jamaica -- Religious life.
- Children -- Jamaica.
- Children. -- Jamaica -- Social life and customs.
- Christian life.
- Christianity and culture -- Jamaica.
- Christianity and politics -- Jamaica.
- Church and social problems -- Jamaica.
- Church work with students -- Jamaica.
- Church work with youth -- Jamaica.
- Conversion -- Christianity.
- Cults -- Jamaica.
- Disaster relief -- Jamaica.
- Discrimination -- Jamaica.
- Evangelistic work -- Jamaica.
- Families.
- Gordon, Dexter B., 1955-
- Indigenous church administration -- Jamaica.
- Jamaica Theological Seminary.
- Lord, Amy.
- Missionaries -- Appointment, call, and election.
- Missionaries.
- Music -- Religious aspects.
- Preaching.
- Prejudices and antipathies.
- Rastafari movement.
- Religious institutions -- Jamaica.
- Sports -- Jamaica.
- Sunday schools -- Jamaica.
- Theological seminaries -- Jamaica.
- Worship.
- Youth -- Jamaica
- Youth -- Jamaica -- Religious life.
- Youth for Christ, Jamaica.
- Title
- Collection 437 Oral History Interview with Dexter B. Gordon
- Author
- Paul Ericksen
- Description rules
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Roman Script
Repository Details
Part of the Evangelism & Missions Archives Repository