Michael D. Dixon – Testimony

Last Updated on November 12, 2023 by Rocklyn Clarke

My Testimony

Rev. Michael D. Dixon PhD.

 

I often tell people I was saved by Afro Sheen and love and that is the start of my Testimony journey.

I grew up in a home where I went to an Episcopal Church on occasion (where my mom attended at times), I especially remember Easters and I loved Midnight mass at Christmas eve because we got to open presents after coming home in front of the fire place.   My memory of Christmas was focused on the gifts and family gatherings which were great, but not really anything deeper than that. 

My dad went to the neighborhood AME church on occasion and my sister was married at an AME church.  I remember him crying when she came down the aisle.  My sister was a strong influence on me and my faith after she went to college and found faith for herself.

My sister went to Northeastern and she joined campus Crusade.  She was all in, and she even did a summer project with them going to inner city projects to share the gospel.  They had a closing party for the project at our house, and I was responsible to clean up the yard and for some reason, I stayed on the back porch and watched them interact, not the normal thing for a 13 year old to do, but they intrigued me.  They came from all sorts of backgrounds and seemed to really know and care about each other.  One thing they did was pair up secretly and give out presents like Secret Santas for each other even though it was summer.  There was one young girl who was white but was well known for spending a good amount of time dealing with her hair everyday.  The gift her secret gift giver gave her was some afro sheen.  When she opened it, it was perfect, it showed how well they knew each other, how they could laugh with each other even beyond and including differences and that love was something that stuck with me, and that was something I wanted after seeing that.

My sister and I sometimes differ on the next part of the story, but I recall that it was after the party my sister shared the 4 spiritual laws with me.  It wasn’t about a tract or some laws, but about the love I saw and that was when and how I accepted Christ into my heart and have not looked back.

One thing about me was I was a light skinned (High yellow) guy living in inner city Chicago.  I was respected by my peers, but on occasion I might be told by someone who didn’t know my family or was new to the neighborhood, to get out of their neighborhood.  My identity was as an African American, and I went to an all black elementary but to an integrated high school.  I was not always accepted by white students and white teachers, but finding my identity in Christ first was something I learned to do despite the challenges I faced finding my voice growing up. I was also finding out I loved Science and Math that often left me feeling isolated from many of my peers as well. I found my voice in humor often to isolate the loneliness I sometimes felt.  I also gained many new people I was able to fellowship with at Mt Calvary Baptist church.

My love for science ended up bringing me to  Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), and though some folks in my neighborhood thought I was going to work for the phone company, it was there I was able to find my voice, my challenges and even my wife Crystal.   I participated in the Black Christian Fellowship, Gospel choir, went to Mass Ave Baptist Church. 

 

After College, the Lord kept pulling on my heart, and I even got ordained and became an assistant Chaplain at an episcopal school.  That launched other visions my wife and I had including going to grad school and supporting and leading an urban Christian School in Boston Parkside/ Cross Factor.  Academies.  We launched many students into their academic and general careers, but we did struggle financially and had to shutter the school in 2017.  My goal since then, and even before then was to spread the Gospel and love for STEM (Science Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) in the urban environment and by doing so let people find their voice and identity in places that often get overlooked in the City.