KEYS TO A FAMILY-FRIENDLY CHURCH
An interview with James Dobson
Dean Merrill and Marshall Shelley
January 1, 1986
America's premier spokesman for the family is the son, grandson, and great-grandson of pastors. His voice is now heard by more people each week (on eight hundred radio stations, thirty minutes daily) than his three forebears probably addressed in their lifetimes.
But James Dobson began his career with a Ph. D. in child development from the University of Southern California, and then served on the attending staff of Children's Hospital of Los Angeles for seventeen years. He was also associate clinical professor of pediatrics at the USC School of Medicine for fourteen years.
His commitment, however, was to families. He has written over a dozen books on family topics, and his 1978 film/video series "Focus on the Family" has been seen in countless churches. A six-part sequel called "Turn Your Heart toward Home " is being released this month.
LEADERSHIP Senior Editors Dean Merrill and Marshall Shelley went to the Focus on the Family offices in Arcadia, California, to explore Dobson's roots in the church and his ideas on how churches can minister to families.
As a preacher's kid, you grew up in the church. Was that experience positive or negative for you?
I have very positive recollections. The church was the center of our social life, and I felt loved and accepted by this extended "family." That little body of believers provided an unshakable foundation of values and understandings, which I still hold firmly today. I was three years old when I voluntarily knelt and gave my heart to the Lord, and I'm still grateful for the teachings I received in those early years.
Having experienced life in a small church, what are its advantages? Is family ministry more effective in a larger or smaller church?
Each has its own contribution to make. ...
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