Inspiring Through Education: Edlyne Dickson

We’d like to introduce you to a longtime volunteer who has served with us since the beginnings of our organization:  Edlyne Dickson.

Edlyne comes from humble beginnings and a way of life that few of us today have experienced.  Born in rural Tennessee, she grew up on her family’s farm, selling fruits and vegetables to make a living.

In 1950, Edlyne attended Belmont College in Tennessee, then later felt the call to attend seminary at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, where she met the man who would become her husband and the father of her two sons.  Unfortunately, for reasons beyond her control, her marriage did not last, and she dedicated herself to serving the youth of Fort Worth as a high school teacher.  

During these years, Edlyne spent two summers living on a college campus in East Asia.  There she trained local English teachers who were teaching in the countryside.  When political unrest rocked the country, she learned of the sweet comfort of Christian fellowship in difficult times, finding refuge in a small gathering of believers. In 1994, at the age of sixty, upon retiring, this adventurous woman returned to East Asia where she served for a year teaching high school students.

Back in the United States, Edlyne became more involved in ministry to internationals through her church at the time, University Baptist Church.  She served by picking up international students from the airport and participating in monthly dinners and a Bible study for those interested.

Around that time, Ms. Dickson got to know Harry Wilson, who had just started an ESL ministry at her church.  As she became more involved in ESL, she made the decision to get an ESL teaching certificate at UTA.  The learning, tools, and materials she gained from her training served her on trips back to East Asia.

When a group from University Baptist decided to start a new church plant, Edylne was there to help start their ESL program, and the Agape Baptist Church ESL program was born.  Edlyne enjoyed teaching ESL at Agape for many years.  She looks back fondly on the relationships she built there with a wide variety of people from diverse backgrounds, including a group of Korean women from Lockheed Martin and a woman from a Muslim background who had a daughter with congenital health problems.  She still keeps in touch with many of them. 

HOPE Literacy celebrates Ms. Dickson’s service and her contribution to the development of our organization.