Building People in West Dallas Since 1982
Dallas First Church sits on West Illinois Avenue in the heart of West Dallas, a working-class neighborhood just west of downtown. The church's self-stated vision is short and direct: "Building people by healing hurts, meeting needs, and building dreams in Jesus Christ." Pastors Tom and Gayla Foster moved to Dallas from West Monroe, Louisiana and were voted in as pastors of Dallas First Church in 1982, and the family has continued to grow around that calling ever since. Today the campus includes a main sanctuary, an Activity Center, Kidstown on the second floor of the main building, and Hayden Hall, a secondary building that houses the youth ministry.
Sunday Mornings in Two Languages
Dallas First Church is one of the few congregations in West Dallas that runs two distinct Sunday services each week in two languages. The English service begins at 10:00 a.m., and at 1:00 p.m. the building is reconsecrated for DFC Español, the Spanish-language ministry led by Pastors Jacob and Isabel Arceo. The Arceos, both children of pastors themselves, joined Dallas First Church in 2017 to serve under Bishop Tom Foster's direction and now pastor the Spanish congregation. The bilingual rhythm is celebrated with the line "Celebrando 7 años de la bondad de Dios," marking the seven-year milestone of the Spanish ministry.
For families, the 10:00 a.m. English service runs alongside Kids Church in the Activity Center for children ages two through eleven. The DFC Español Facebook page (also tagged #DFCESPAÑOL and @DFCESP) keeps Spanish-speaking members connected throughout the week, and a Spanish phone line (469-563-9009) handles ministry questions.
Wednesday Nights at Dallas First
If Sunday is the front door, Wednesday at 7:00 p.m. is the living room. A midweek service gathers the whole church, and around it Dallas First Church runs an entire network of age-specific classes that meet simultaneously throughout the building. Kids in first through sixth grade head upstairs to Kidstown, a dedicated second-floor space with age-specific classrooms and hand-painted murals. Junior high and high school students gather in Hayden Hall, the secondary building, for youth nights focused on fellowship and connection to Jesus. Young adults split into two groups: Hyphen for ages 18 to 24, and Young Adults for ages 25 to 30, both meeting on the second floor west wing of the main building. Singles meet in the Sanctuary, and married couples gather in the Activity Center for an uplifting teaching geared to strengthening their relationship.
What Dallas First Church Believes
The church teaches a classic Oneness Pentecostal faith. Their statement of beliefs names one God who has revealed Himself as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, with Jesus Christ as "God manifested in flesh." The Bible is treated as the infallible Word of God and the authority for salvation and Christian living. Salvation is described as a gift of grace through faith, based on the atoning sacrifice of Jesus Christ, and is preceded by repentance - "the first act of faith where we recognize our sin, confess it to God, and willfully decide to forsake it."
Baptism is taught as part of the new birth experience, performed by immersion in water in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins. The baptism of the Holy Spirit is also central: the church teaches that speaking in tongues is the initial physical evidence of receiving the Holy Ghost, and that God promised His Spirit to all who ask, believe, and obey His Word. The doctrinal anchors are shared with the United Pentecostal Church International, whose site is linked from Dallas First Church's resources.
Family Ministries from Toddlers to Retirees
The church organizes nearly every stage of life under one Family Ministries umbrella. Kids Church and the Wednesday Midweek Class welcome children ages two through eleven. Kids Pastor Dalton Dismore, a Urshan University graduate who was raised in the church, oversees the children's wing.
The youth ministry is led by Youth Pastor Julien Hunt, a Vanguard University graduate in Music and Psychology who joined the staff in July 2021 with his wife Gracie. Youth nights are full of fellowship and connection, and the program includes a fall retreat at Mount Lebanon Retreat Center in Cedar Hill, Texas. The youth program also partners with regional events such as the South East Section Youth Rally.
For college-age young adults and singles, two parallel ministries run concurrently. Hyphen serves ages 18 to 24 under Camron and Valerie Goodman, with monthly gatherings, local events, and conferences. The 25-to-30 Young Adults group meets for prayer meetings, monthly Bible studies, and fellowship. Singles of all ages are led by Dennis and Kim Long and meet midweek in the Sanctuary, with additional small groups and special events.
Family Pastor Anthony Oliver, together with his wife Suzie, directs the Married Couples ministry. The married program offers midweek classes, seasonal outings, Bible studies, small groups, and an annual Married Couples weekend. The mission is straightforward: "Building strong Marriages and Families on the foundation of the Word of God."
Small Groups That Stretch Your Faith
Outside the two weekly services, Dallas First Church runs two small-group networks. Care Groups meet the second weekend of every month in homes across the DFW metroplex, with the staff working to place members in groups that are geographically close. Each gathering includes Bible study, real-life conversation, and fellowship.
Connect Groups run in 13-week semesters in the spring and fall and are organized around shared interests. Recent offerings have included a bird-watching group, a Steps of Faith run club, a Life After Addiction support group, Grief Share, a campus prayer walk called Conquering the Campus, Game On board-game nights, Kingdom Fit exercise, Singing Through the Years, a Biblical Prophecy study, Graceful Transitions for widows, and a women's evening walk called Walk by Faith. New groups launch each semester with leader sign-ups opening in advance.
Music, Mission, and Prayer
Worship at Dallas First Church is led by Music Minister Bethany Easter, who joined the staff in February 2026 after a decade of music ministry in Nashville. Services are livestreamed on YouTube for those who cannot attend in person. The church also supports missionaries and churches around the world through its giving program, and a prayer team receives requests online, with confidential requests seen only by the pastoral staff.
Everything the church does is gathered under the three-word mission: Grow, Fellowship, Serve. Members are encouraged to grow spiritually through prayer, study, and fasting, to fellowship consistently by opening themselves to friendships in the body, and to serve passionately by using their God-given gifts to care for others - in their own church, in West Dallas, and beyond.