Dale Robinson may not fit the typical image of a pastor, with the large snake tattooed on his forearm, but he’s here to serve.
Robinson came to Sweet Home as the new pastor of The Church of Christ at 18th and Long in July after four years at a church in Cornelius.
Robinson, 46, who was born and raised in Hillsboro, said he came to his faith later in life and wanted to do something that could help him help others.
Before becoming a minister Robinson had done work in a cabinet shop, driven semis and worked as a garbage man.
“And way back in the day I was in the Navy” he said.
Robinson was 17 when he joined the service. He and his brother both entered the Navy together and both were stationed in Hawaii. He said they noticed that a lot of people in the Navy had tattoos.
“We just did what all the other guys were doing,” he said.
He said as a minister the tattoo is very noticeable and does not quite fit with his current position.
“A lot of people have already commented on it, and many are less than pleased about it,” Robinson said.
After he became a Christian, he was a member of a church but wanted to play a bigger part and do more than just attend church.
“I really wanted to make a difference, not for a lifetime, but for eternity,” he said.
“I saw that a difference could be made and wanted to make peoples lives better.”
He went to Lincoln Christian Bible College in 1992 for seminary and returned later for his masters degree. He was ordained after he attended Boise Bible College in Idaho during 1997, where he received his bachelor’s degree.
“I had over one hundred books for my thesis,” he said. “Before Bible College I thought a 10-page paper was a lot, and then I had to do a 75-page one.”
Robinson’s first pastorate was in Idaho, followed by a church in Illinois, and then another ministry in Tacoma, Wash., after which he took a four-year break from the ministry. After four years away from the church he decided it was time to come back and became a pastor in Cornelius for four years before moving to Sweet Home.
Robinson has been married to his wife Kelly for 19 years and has two daughters, Rachael, 5, and Sarah, 2.
Robinson said he enjoys Sweet Home.
“I enjoy the people and I really like the town €“ the area, the mountains, the lake, and on top of that the town is within driving distance of the ocean,” he said. “We love it here.”
In Sweet Home itself he has seen that one of the community’s main problems is drug use, and he would like to help those who are addicted to fight their addictions.
Robinson said he believes that the two biggest things that Christianity represents are simply to love God and love others. His favorite Bible verse is Luke 13:7: “For nothing is impossible with God.”
“We love God by serving others,” Robinson said.