Our Story
I was about 9 years old when my parents first noticed that I could not see perfectly. A trip to the eye doctor tried to fit me for glasses, but prescription lenses wouldn’t correct my vision. A parade of ophthalmologists and specialists finally diagnosed me with Stargardt’s Disease. The degenerative condition attacks the macula of the eye, slowly robbing my vision over time. There is no cure.
By 15 years old, I was legally blind. Raised in a Christian home, “Walk by faith, not by sight,” proved more than just a spiritual metaphor.
I will have to save the longer story for another day, but feeling God’s call to the ministry I headed to college. I graduated from Mississippi College in Christian Studies, and received a Master of Divinity with Biblical Languages, a Master of Theology in Old Testament, and was pursuing a Ph.D. in the area of Old Testament/Hebrew from New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary when hurricane Katrina hit the gulf coast (August 29, 2005). Setting my formal education aside, I directed Rebuild Lakeshore, a decade long relief, recovery, and rebuilding ministry on the Mississippi Gulf Coast.
I have served as pastor of Lakeshore Baptist Church since 1994.
Many people have asked, “How does a legally blind, print disabled, person do that much schooling, pastor a church, and all those other things?” My answer has to simply be, “the grace of God.”
By God’s sweet providence, He blessed me with a wonderful wife who serves as the most tremendous help anyone could ever imagine.
I also rely heavily on modern technology to overcome my print disability. I read a lot and want to equip others, with visual impairments, to do the same.
Who is John L. Dagg?
John Leadley Dagg (1794–1884) stands as one of the most influential pastors, theologians, and educators in Baptist history. His Manual of Theology (1857) was the first comprehensive systematic theology written by a Baptist in America. He served as one of the early leaders in Southern Baptist life, the President of Mercer University, as well as several pastorates. Dagg was severely visually impaired and nearly blind. We thought it fitting to name the resource center in his honor as an inspiration to what God can do through individuals despite apparent physical disabilities.
The Dagg Center
We launched the Dagg Center in early 2020 to help those with low vision and print disabilities to have access to good theological books and materials. That mission will involve pointing low vision individuals to accessible resources, working as advocates for the blind community, placing good material into accessible formats ourselves, highlighting assistive technology, and other things. Check out our Current Projects and how you can Get Involved.