The Stephen and Ruth Dill Lecture Fund has been established to honor the Rev. Dr. Stephen Ford Dill and his wife, Ruth.  Steve served as senior minister of Dauphin Way from 1972 until his retirement in 1990 and has continued in active service to the church and to the community since that time.  Throughout Steve's long career, Ruth has also served ably as partner to Steve in ministry and teaching.  Both have provided spiritual, moral, ethical, and intellectual leadership to the greater Mobile community for over forty years.  In recognition of this service and on the occasion of the Centennial Celebration of Dauphin Way United Methodist Church, the Foundation created this designated fund as a legacy project to perpetuate the Dill's example of service within and beyond the doors of the church. 

We are extremely pleased to announce that the inaugural speaker of the annual lecture series will be the noted author and historian, Mr. Thomas Cahill.  He will speak at two events on September 28, 2014.  He will address the 10:30 AM Dauphin Way UMC service and will give a lecture at 5:30 PM that same day elaborating on his latest book, Heretics and Heroes.  After the evening lecture he will entertain questions from attendees, which will be followed by a book signing and reception.  Both sessions will be open to the entire community.

Thomas Cahill was Director of Religious Publishing at Doubleday, a division of Random House, prior to devoting his career to writing full time. His appealing approach to distant history has won the attention of millions of readers.  He is the author of numerous books including six volumes in the Hinges of History series.  His books have been bestsellers, not only in the United States but also internationally. Cahill is best known, in his books and lectures, for taking on a broad scope of complex history and distilling it into a remarkably accessible, illuminating and entertaining narrative. He writes history, not in its usual terms of war and atrocity, but by inviting his audience into an ancient world to commune with some of the most influential people who ever lived. Unlike all too many history lessons, a Thomas Cahill book or speech is impossible to forget. 

Other books by Mr. Cahill include:  Jesus Little Instruction Book, Desire of the Everlasting Hills, How the Irish Saved Civilization, The Gifts of the Jews, Sailing the Wine-Dark Sea, and Mysteries of the Middle Ages.