Prayer Tower Ministries
Our Church History
Prayer Tower Ministries is a Bible-teaching church with over 70 years
of rich history. Through the years, God has allowed our ministry
to make a positive impact on the community and the world.
Our church history begins in the year 1952 in a borrowed army tent, located in the city of Lockport, Illinois under the leadership of our late founder and pastor Robert L Dorris and his wife Mattye Lee Dorris. As winter approached that year, pastor Dorris moved the church into the basement of his home. Later, the church moved from his basement into a small house.
Several years later The Lord spoke to Pastor Dorris and said, “Build Me a House” so the pastor and members went to work. In 1957, the white block church was finished and dedicated by the late Bishop John O. Mason. Pastor Robert Dorris and First Lady Mattye Dorris worked as a team and the Lord blessed and added to the congregation. They used wisdom and the leading of the Lord to organize the different departments in the church; The Music Department, which consisted of the Shinettes, Junior Choir and Senior Choir, was organized by First Lady Dorris, She also started 6:00 am morning prayer, as the church progressed, the prayer hour was changed to 9:00 am
As the Lord added the church, there became a need for a larger facility to worship in. In 1971, Pastor Robert Dorris was led by God to purchase a building at 454 E. Cass Street, Joliet, IL. In less than four years the ediffice was paid in full. God blessed his faithfulness!
First Lady Mattye Lee Dorris passed away on December 11, 1975. After her death, Pastor Robert Dorris married Sis. Jeffie Dorris and she worked by his side faithfully for twenty-seven years, serving as choir president, church secretary, she served as teacher: prayer and bible band Sunday School. Mother Jeffie Dorris, currently serve on the Mother’s Board, and was the caregiver to Pastor Robert L Dorris during his illness until his death.
Robert L Dorris passed away on July 30, 198 after forty six years in ministry. Under his leadership many souls accepted Christ, sick bodies were healed and his roots spread north to south and east to west. He was truly a pastor with vision.
On August 4, 1998, after the passing of the late Pastor Robert L. Dorris, Bishop Cody V. Marshall appointed the assistant pastor, Elder Warren C. Dorris, Sr. as pastor Warren joined Prayer Tower in 1952 when the church was founded and was a devoted member working by his brother’s side with his wife Margaret Dorris. He served as a choir member, deacon, trustee and assistant pastor, while Margaret worked as president of the senior choir and on the fundraising committee, youth ministry, pastor’s aid board and Mothers Board, where she served until her passing.
Pastor Warren Dorris, Sr. had his own style of preaching and proclaiming the gospel. His work was not only at Prayer Tower, it also took him outside the walls of Prayer Tower, serving in several state and district positions. He served faithfully as pastor for seven years. After seven years of dedicated pastoral leadership, he assumed the position of pastor emeritus and his son, Warren C. Dorris, Jr. was appointed pastor of Prayer Tower Church of God in Christ. Warren C. Dorris, Sr. passed away on December 27, 2010 after fifty-eight years of dedicated service to Prayer Tower of God in Christ.