By Wiley Henry (Tri-State Defender Online) | Published  09/24/2009

Pastor Linwood Dillard Jr. has been preaching the gospel since he was 15 years old. His youthful exuberance and faith-walk led to the founding of the Citadel of Deliverance Church of God in Christ in Germantown, Tenn., and his crowning achievement as the president of COGIC’s International Youth Department.

On Friday evening (Sept. 18), a contingent of clergy from COGIC’s Tennessee Central Jurisdiction and others from across the country joined Presiding Bishop Charles E. Blake in saluting the newly-installed youth president at Greater Community Temple COGIC on Winchester.

Dillard succeeds Pastor Michael Hill as the 10th president to head the international youth department. Several hundred people celebrated Dillard’s accomplishments.

“I’ve seen him grow up in the jurisdiction. I’ve seen his commitment and so many other gifts,” said Bishop-designate Brandon B. Porter, the 8th president of the international youth department and host pastor.

Dillard has served in various capacities in church ministry since his youth: Vacation Bible School Director, pastor’s aide, minister of music, minister of evangelism, program coordinator, YPWW president and more.

He also served as youth department president and chairman of the Jurisdictional AIM Convention for the Tennessee Central Jurisdiction COGIC under the late Bishop W.L. Porter and currently serves the jurisdiction as director of Events Planning and Administrative Support.

In 2006, the late Presiding Bishop G.E. Patterson appointed Dillard as the assistant secretary of the COGIC National Tithing Fund Commission. Dillard also served as a regional director and the executive secretary of the International Youth Department.

Since his presidential appointment in January, Dillard has developed a strategic plan that focuses on education, juvenile crime prevention and reduction, recreation and organized sports commission, information technology, spiritual empowerment, college and career preparatory, and college campus ministries.

Dillard matriculated at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga with a bachelor’s of science degree in engineering with chemical and environmental concentrations. He also graduated from the W.L. Porter Bible Institute, which is accredited by the Evangelical Training Association.

Dillard is employed by Shelby County Government as an engineer. He has received many awards and honors including being featured in the February 2006 edition of Ebony Magazine as one of 30 young leaders under the age of 30.

Dillard and his wife, Stephanie, are the parents of three children – Faith Marie, Joy Marie and Linwood III.