Alsip Church Gives Away Half A Million Dollars During Pandemic

ALSIP, IL — In early March, Rev. Dan Willis saw a black cloud on the horizon. Sensing a lockdown amid the coronavirus outbreak. "Pastor Dan," as he is known to the more than 6,000 members of the Alsip-based Lighthouse Church of All Nations, started giving money away.

“I knew from the first week that this was going to be a mess,” Willis said. “It’s going to mess with people’s money and people are going to be off work. So let’s bring all our programs to a screeching halt and instead of talking about it, let’s be the church that God wants us to be.”

Through online worship, drive-thru communion and outdoor worship services, Willis started handing out $1,000 to a randomly chosen online viewer of the church's live-streamed services. Within a few weeks, the amount increased to $2,000 during Sunday services. When in-person worship was allowed again, attendees were each given a free raffle ticket for a chance to win several thousand dollars during Sunday services — no strings attached. In October, 11 people each received $10,000. The monetary gifts are generated from the congregation’s offerings.

“I took a 75-percent salary cut and gave it back to the church during the pandemic,” Willis said. “I have 52 employees, many I didn’t let come on campus for eight months, but they were paid every week. So we kept giving money away after the bills were paid.”

The church has also donated thousands of dollars to Country House Restaurant, also based in Alsip, which has provided countless seniors and veterans with free meals throughout the pandemic. Through it all, the church’s Open Hands Food Panty continued to provide food to 1,300 community residents per week.

“We’ve blessed senior citizens, we blessed a church that was in a terrible situation by paying their bills,” Willis said. “We surprised businesses, waitresses, single moms, single dads, families, college students.”

As of Sunday, the church has given away $494,100 in 2020. On New Year’s Eve, the church will cross the $500,000 threshold — all without selling a single ticket to a member or visitor, or holding a Queen of Hearts raffle.

“I thought it would last three weeks, and here we are ten months later. We haven’t missed one Sunday,” Willis said. “I never dreamed we’d give away half a million dollars.”

Lighthouse Church of All Nations, 4501 W. 127th St., Alsip, boasts the largest multi-cultural congregation in the Chicago area, with 6,000 members representing 72 nations, some driving from Detroit, Mich., to attend Sunday services.

“A church is supposed to be a leader in the community. People look at the pastor as the shepherd, but the church is the shepherd of the community.” Willis said. “This year we made it our business to be the shepherd and take care of the sheep in the community. It has been my greatest joy to watch it unfold.

The church is planning to give away the balance — $5,900 — during its annual New Year’s Eve party on from 10 a.m. to midnight Thursday, Dec. 31. Community members are invited for a family-friendly evening of cotton candy, popcorn and music, including a spoof of “The Masked Singer.” At midnight, 6,000 balloons will drop from the ceiling. Face masks are required. The party is FREE and will be streamed live on the Lighthouse Church of All Nations Facebook page.

Asked if he will continue to give money away to randomly selected people in 2021, Willis said if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.

“I don’t know how I can stop,” he said. “After the pandemic we’ll go back to our regular lives and programs.”