“I can count on one hand the number of stories that I have done that have made a marked change in my life. This is one of those stories.

This is a story about a church that does not beckon it’s worshipers by the sounds of bells – but rather by the sounds of cars whizzing above. This is a church without a steeple – a church without walls – a church under a bridge.

Jimmy Dorrell is the pastor of Church Under the Bridge. He has dedicated his life ministering to the homeless of Waco Texas. He says,
“People are people and it doesn’t matter if they are sleeping under a bridge or wearing a 3 piece suit. And so much of my past was in that middle class world that didn’t see past the beard and the sloppy clothes.” Jimmy goes on to say, “And once I began to get to know these guys – they became real people. They weren’t just guys on the corner. Now they had personality, background, friends, and pain. So once it became personal – it changed everything for me.”

Eleven years ago, Jimmy began his ministry by conducting a Bible Study for 5 homeless men under I-35 between 4th and 5th Street. Today, up to 1,000 people come to the same sight every Sunday for worship and fellowship.
Evan Holcomb and her husband Marvin have been attending the church since it started. They credit Jimmy Dorrell and the church for helping them get their lives back on track. Evan says, “We’ve been homeless and we’ve been addicts – we’ve shared a lot of experience. You feel comfortable here. It doesn’t matter what your past is, what you’re doing, what’re you’ve done – you’re welcome here, you’re loved here. And that means more to me in my times of need than anything.”

Jimmy Dorrell found a way to remove the same boundaries that keep most of us a safe distance from the homeless we see on the street corners. He approaches them without judgment and cares deeply for their well being.

Another homeless man, Robert, said it best when he said “A lot of us that have been though alcohol abuse, drug abuse, mental and emotional abuse, it’s a real joy to be able to come where that will be addressed as your still a normal person. That you didn’t do something that was so wrong that you have no where to go. And that right there means a lot to a bunch of us. That’s the first thing that most people want back – is a little bit of dignity. Because we’re already down on ourselves –and to have to go to church and be down on yourself. It’s not good. It makes you want to blame God. And how can you blame God when he loves you enough to still have us here. And that means that he has a purpose for us – and through this church and Jimmy Dorrell we have an opportunity and there’s hope and we can find that purpose.”