Gregory Dickow

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Pastor Gregory Dickow, founder of the Chicago-based Life Changers International Church^[1], is host of Changing Your Life ^[2] — an international television ministry that reaches 625 million households weekly.

The 42-year-old father of five also hosts Ask The Pastor^[3] —a live radio and Internet program heard five days weekly, which gives callers the chance to obtain practical answers to everyday problems.

A native of Detroit, Michigan, Gregory Dickow was "born again" at age seventeen after attending a Bible study, a pivotal experience which ended the chaotic period of his youth. His spiritual journey continued at Western Michigan University, where he immersed himself in God's word and created an on-campus church. He later spent summers on the mission fields of Asia, sharing his faith, building churches, and training young men and women in Christian leadership.

Pastor Gregory and his wife, Pastor Grace Dickow, founded Life Changers International Church after breaking from Midwest Christian Center, now known as Family Harvest Church based in Tinley Park, IL, in 1995. The church initially started as a planting of Midwest Christian Center in 1993 with services held mainly in the gymnasium of Link Elementary School in elk Grove Village, Illinois. The non-denominational church grew rapidly and attracted a dynamic, ethnically-diverse congregation.

The break took place in 1995 during a dinner originally intended to raise funds for a new "Midwest Christian Center" located in Schaumburg, IL. Pastor Robb Thompson of the Tinley Park church and associate pastors were to preside, along with Pastor Dickow. When attendees arrived, the only pastor in attendance was Pastor Dickow, who announced that the dinner was going to be an opportunity to rename the church. Suggestions for the new name were taken, and on that evening the church was renamed "Life Changers International Church." No official reasons for the split were given.

In the fall of 2004, Gregory Dickow Ministries^[4] realized one of its dreams, opening its new world headquarters in Hoffman Estates, Illinois, a 160,000 square-foot facility located on 30 acres, incorporating a 3,000 seat sanctuary, a 400 seat World Prayer Center, a 1,000 seat multipurpose gymnasium, a leadership training center, and a fully-equipped radio and TV studio. It has been reported by members of the church that the pastor asked members to cash in their retirement accounts and donate the assets to the church in order to pay for this new building.

The $30 million campus also houses the Valeo Academy^[5], a day school from kindergarten through eighth grade.