| Don Wilson | |
|---|---|
| Born | Donald Wilson February 25th, 1949 Alta Vista, Kansas |
| Occupation | Theologian, Pastor |
| Nationality | American |
| Subjects | Leadership, Theology |
Dr. Donald Wilson (born 1949, Alta Vista, Kansas) is the founder and senior pastor of Christ's Church of the Valley in Peoria, Arizona, one of the largest churches in the United States, with an average attendance of 20,000 a week. Wilson also helped begin five other Valley-wide churches: Christ's Church of the Crossroads, Refinery Christian Church, Journey Christian Church, Christ's Church of Scottsdale, and Parkway Christian Church.
Contents |
Wilson attended Manhattan Christian College, Kansas State University, and earned his Ph.D. from the California Graduate School of Theology.[1]
Don is the founder of Christ’s Church of the Valley, which has been in existence since 1982; he began services in a rented movie theatre. Since that time, Christ’s Church of the Valley has held services in an elementary school, a strip mall, and a building known as ‘the castle’. In 1996, Christ’s Church of the Valley raised over $1 million in one day, purchased 50 acres (200,000 m2) of land in the northwest area of Phoenix for a permanent home. In 2006, CCV raised over $8 million on one weekend for the Ripple Effect campaign. This campaign is built two new buildings for Children and Youth ministries. These buildings opened fall 2008.
For the first four years on the new property, Christ’s Church of the Valley held services in a ‘sprung’ structure with seating for 1,100. After holding six identical services each weekend, in January 2004, Christ’s Church of the Valley moved into their new 3,000 seat multi-use structure on the 100-acre (0.40 km2) campus. Christ’s Church of the Valley has over 14,000 in attendance each weekend at four identical contemporary services and two identical alternative services.[2]
In the twenty-six years that Christ’s Church of the Valley has been in existence, they have assisted in starting fourteen new churches, four of which were started in 2004. In 2006, CCV started their first satellite campus in Prescott, Arizona. In late 2007, two additional satellites opened; one in Goodyear, Arizona and the other in Scottsdale, Arizona.
Don continues to have a heart for developing and mentoring new pastors and their churches. He is looking forward to planting a church in Sao Paulo, Brazil in the near future.
Don served as the President of the North American Christian Convention (NACC) in 2000. He has formerly served on the Board of Trustees at Manhattan Christian College and is a past president of the Arizona Christian Convention. Don is now serving on the Executive Committee for North American Christian Convention (NACC) developing plans for the 2009 NACC in Louisville, Kentucky and is teaching associate for John Maxwell’s EQUIP Million Leader Mandate.
Wilson married his wife, Susan on August 9, 1968, and has three grown children, Paul, Kelli and Kristi, all of whom are involved in full time ministry. Don also has eleven grandchildren, Madison, Russell, Riley, Marlee, Jacob, Garrett, Jenna, Suzanna, Mia, Whitney and Abigail.
Don and Sue currently live in Peoria, Arizona.