About
The Man Behind the Message
Pastor. Co-Founder. Author. For nearly 40 years, serving the inner city.
Pastor Eldred & Jeanmarie Sawyer
His Story
From Pleasant Grove to a Nation
Eldred Sawyer grew up in Pleasant Grove, Dallas, Texas — where he witnessed firsthand the struggles of poverty, addiction, and broken families. Those experiences broke him and led him to repentance that became the foundation of a calling.
In 1986, in the middle of the crack epidemic ravaging East Dallas, Eldred and Leonard Brannon co-founded CareCenter Ministries with a simple conviction: no one is beyond redemption. What began as a small act of faith — opening their lives to those everyone else had written off — has grown into a ministry that has raised up and birthed other ministries in Texas, Mississippi, Tennessee, Arkansas, and Missouri.
Over more than 40 years, Pastor Sawyer has planted ministries to the poor in other locations, led Hilltop Church in Dallas as Pastor and National Director, founded the Kaleo motorcycle ministry, and co-founded Truth Academy — a private Christian school in Pleasant Grove that opened in fall 2023. He serves on the boards of four separate nonprofit organizations and was appointed to the City of Dallas Planning and Urban Development Advisory Committee.
His memoir, In Spite of Me, is the story beneath all of it — a confession of how the Lord built something he never could have established on his own.
“I grew up in Pleasant Grove, where I witnessed firsthand the struggles of poverty, addiction, and broken families. These experiences shaped my heart for discipleship and fueled my passion to bring true restoration through Jesus Christ.”
— Pastor Eldred Sawyer
In His Own Words
A Message from Pastor Sawyer
“I grew up in Pleasant Grove, where I witnessed firsthand the struggles of poverty, addiction, and broken families. These experiences shaped my heart for discipleship and fueled my passion to bring true restoration through Jesus Christ. Over the past 40 years, I have dedicated my life to mentoring, guiding, and planting ministries in communities that need it most.
At CareCenter Ministries, we believe that no one is beyond redemption. We have seen lives transformed, families restored, and hope reignited in places where it once seemed lost. Our mission is simple — to serve, disciple, and empower individuals to step into the life God has called them to.
As we continue expanding across cities and reaching more lives, my prayer is that every person who walks through our doors finds healing, purpose, and the unwavering love of Christ. Together, we can change lives and rebuild communities, one transformed heart at a time.”
— Pastor Eldred Sawyer, National Executive Director, CareCenter Ministries
Timeline
Nearly 40 Years of Ministry
1986
CareCenter Ministries Founded
Eldred Leonard establishes CareCenter Ministries in East Dallas during the height of the crack epidemic, opening faith-based recovery homes and serving the neighborhood’s most vulnerable.
2006
Expanding Into Pleasant Grove
After East Dallas is genetrified, the Care Center team finds the zip doe with the highest crime rate and poverty leves and moved its location to the 75217 zip code. The Basket food pantry launches, serving dozens of families weekly. Recovery programs, youth outreach, and sidewalk Sunday school multiply.
2015
National Expansion
CareCenter Academy of Inner-City Missions begins to raise, train, and send out urban missionaries across the nation.
2023
Truth Academy Opens
Truth Academy, a private Christian school for low income children, opens on the CareCenter campus serving Pre-K through Kindergarten, with vision to expand through high school.
2026
40th Anniversary & Book Release
CareCenter Ministries celebrates its 40th anniversary in October 2026. Pastor Sawyer releases In Spite of Me — a memoir of surrendered will, relentless faith, and what God can build through a willing life.
Continue the Journey
Read the book. Book him to speak. The story isn’t finished.