Beloved, longtime pastor Dale White’s life was about choosing joy

Joy. Positivity. Love. The legacy of a man who believed that each day was a good day.

“This is the day the Lord hath made. Let us rejoice and be glad in it,” were the late Rev. Dale White’s powerful words — straight from the scriptures — that greeted his congregation each Sunday for more than 50 years.

This encouraging declaration was joined with the hope that each person present would feel a lightness in their heart from the moment they entered this house of worship. A belief that real joy could be found in Jesus.

Pastor Dale, as he liked to be called, felt so strongly about joyfulness that he changed the name of his church, Cathedral of the Desert to Cathedral of Joy.

He died Feb. 17 at home with his family at the age of 91. He stepped down from leading the Richland church in 2008 but continued to minister. In all, he served the community for 63 years.

For him, it was being “all in” every single day, choosing joy no matter what life may be handing him, or anyone walking through the church doors.

“It’s who we are already; it’s who we really are,” Pastor Dale told the Herald in February 1997, after announcing the name change during weekend worship services.

A feeling of joy and God’s presence was tangible. To enhance it even more, this warm, country-style preacher had a sense about focusing on nature as a tool to lift one’s spirit, see beauty in the day, and rejoice in it.

At the front of the auditorium, open curtains across the wide span of glass revealed a landscaped scene of boulders, grasses, and a cascading waterfall. Even beyond the church walls, quiet, shaded gardens beckoned — another way to tend to one’s soul.

To emphasize Jesus as the source of this joy, Pastor Dale commissioned the re-creation of a painting, the “Laughing Jesus.” It required an artist to stand on a tall ladder each Sunday during worship services to complete the huge work by Easter morning.

Cathy Manderbach, a women’s ministry leader back then, remembers how the joy of the Lord came to be her strength.

“We were amazed at the image developing before our eyes,” Cathy said. “The image of Jesus laughing comforted us during (our daughter) Cienna’s heath situation. We have a small print of Pastor Dale’s ‘Laughing Jesus’ which represented hope and joy like the name of the church, Cathedral of Joy.”

Pastor Dale wanted his church family to hold onto that joy.

Sunday’s message would ripple through the week ahead when parishioners held onto a small, colorful, laminated card within the pages of their take-home publication. The 2 x 3-inch rectangles had quotes designed to inspire and encourage: “Be very careful who you let set the limits for your life or place a lid on your dreams!!” or “We preach the good news and if needed use words!”

Sometimes the thought was a Bible verse like Jeremiah 29:11 reminding that God has plans for each person — a hope and a future.

His love for others, and his commitment to help each person have the best life possible, had been learned at his father’s knee, a preacher himself.

“My dad grew up knowing that being a shepherd was the most important thing about being a pastor,” said the oldest of his four sons, the Rev. Tim White, lead pastor at Washington Cathedral in Redmond. “That it’s not just about preaching, or teaching, or being a scholar, or anything else. You need to love people if you’re going to be in ministry. He loved the Tri-Cities and he counseled people the whole time, people who weren’t even going to come to church. He loved them and cared for them, and encouraged them in whatever they were going through.”

That love for people stretched wide.

Pastor Dale reached beyond the Tri-Cities to bring joy to children who lived in a Guatemalan dump. He, and church members, dreamed big to fund a school that would provide clean uniforms and lunches for each boy and girl. For them, a school day in a safe environment was a very good day — an opportunity for happiness.

Working hand in hand with Mercy Corps, Outreach International and World Vision, he led Cathedral of Joy in a group effort to feed the hungry.

“He used to like to say, ‘No starving children.’ That was his dream for our planet.” Tim White said.

Throughout his lifetime, Pastor Dale was in the business of changing lives — at home and far away — inspiring dreams, and helping people find God’s love … sometimes with something as simple as his wife, Jane’s warm cookies served before Saturday night worship. A career nurse and known as “Grandma Jane” to children at Cathedral of Joy, she worked faithfully for years as part of the team.

Cheryl Stephens, a longtime member, said, “I have a precious vision of thousands gathered in heaven to welcome Pastor Dale White home with Jesus in the center, his arms stretched wide, saying, ‘Well done my good and faithful servant.’”

A great day ... and unending joy.

Lucy Luginbill is a Tri-City Herald columnist in national distribution, religion editor and retired public television producer and host. Her popular Light Notes column reflects inspirational and faith-focused stories. She’s been working in journalism for more than 30 years.