Meet Josh Dorrell | Executive Director / Galveston Urban Ministries

We had the good fortune of connecting with Josh Dorrell and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Josh, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
We wanted to develop a new way of serving that changed the way individuals being “served” were a part of the process and the solution. Many times we see those in need and make them recipients, instead of mutual partners. We knew that starting programs that developed relationships allow both parties involved to grow, learn, cultivate change and have a larger and longer term impact.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
Having grown up in an impoverished community, I was able to see and learn first hand, what many only saw on the nightly news. While my family intentionally moved into a community to help it develop, through Mission Waco, a holistic ministry that serves the marginalized, homeless, addict, etc. I was involved from an early age, and learned through experience the value of relationships and cross-cultural relationships. After attending Waco High, and then on to Baylor University, I began leading “King’s Club” a backyard club for children at local housing projects. We started with two locations, and within two years we had grown it to 8. It was so much fun training and launching new sites. My wife and I bought our first house in the community i grew up, only blocks from my parents house to continue to live intentionally in a low income/diverse community. After a couple of years in inner-city work in Waco. My wife and I moved to North India to serve and cultivate relationships. It was an amazing experience. After a two year missions term there, we came back to the US, where I worked on my masters degree at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School just outside of Chicago. After completion, we moved to Galveston to launch Galveston Urban Ministries. We have now been working her for 10 years.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
The Galveston Seawall, harbor and Offats bayou to kayak and paddle board. We would eat at many of the fantastic restaurants all over the city with amazing views. Yaga’s Downtown, The Spot with an outdoor overlook at the Gulf of Mexico or Jimmy’s on the Pier. We would go on the ferry to Bolivar peninsula to Dolphin watch, and go to Moody Gardens or Schlitterbhan to play!

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
Mission Waco/Mission World helped us launch, coached us and mentored us along the way. The GUM staff are also the champions to celebrate. Their hard and dedicated work, is the reason GUM is/has been successful. We have had 100’s of volunteers, donors, churches, foundations and the list goes on and on of those who have stood in the gap with us to make this a reality. We are beneficiaries of their generosity and hard work.

Website: www.galvestonurbanministries.org.

Instagram: @emptynesting2035

Twitter: @GalvestonUrban

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/josh.dorrell.94

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AT_MsKdJZ9w; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fOrrBxT7vP8&t;

Other: www.SegeraMission.org– Our newest addition to the work we do in Kenya. https://www.facebook.com/galveston.urbanministries

Image Credits
Brandon Williams