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Who We Are

Our Vision

Victory Dream Center

is on mission in the Heart of Southern Illinois

“No Neighbor Left Hungry”

Restoring Hope

Jesus came to earth restoring HOPE. He described Himself in Luke 4 declaring: “The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”

What does that mean for us today? Everything! He is alive, bringing hope into the most hopeless situations. He loves, and He cares. He is willing to meet each of us at our greatest point of need whether we are hungry, broken, broke, angry, confused, depressed, oppressed, addicted, wounded, or sick. Our mission at the Dream Center is to be His hands, feet, and voice to Restore Hope in our community.

Renewing Dreams

Life has a way of bringing disappointments, struggles and setbacks. But we do not have to be defined by our past! In Christ, we can dream again of a life that both glorifies Him and brings what Jesus spoke of in John 10 as the abundant life. We are a community of Christ followers who earnestly desire to help each other run the race of life in His truth and His power so that our families can flourish, and our individual lives bear good fruit.

Rebuilding Lives

We are a people excited to embrace change! God’s principles and ways work to restore our lives as His word gives us a firm foundation upon which to anchor our futures. No matter what age or stage of life, everyone can be free in Him to build lives that work. Today is a new day with new choices. At the Dream Center, we value all lives and strive to equip each individualwith the practical and spiritual tools necessary for their daily success.

Victory Dream Center

Our core values

01

Compassion

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God. 2 Corinthians 1:3-4

02

Service

Sitting down, Jesus called the Twelve and said, “Anyone who wants to be first must be the very last, and the servant of all.” Mark 9:35

03

Worship

O come let us worship and bow down; let us kneel before the Lord, our Maker! Psalm 95:6

04

Justice

This is what the Lord Almighty says: ‘Administer true justice; show mercy and compassion to one another. Do not oppress the widow or the fatherless, the alien or the poor. In your hearts do not think evil of each other.’ Zechariah 7: 9-10

05

Unity

I in them and you in Me. May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me. John 17:23

06

07

Freedom

So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed. John 8:36
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And do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased. Hebrews 13:16
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Our Pastoral Team

Nathan Cherry

Food Pantry Director Executive Pastor

Nathan started his work at Victory Dream Center before he could even drive. As a young teen he heard God’s call to ministry and dove into a life of devoted service. For the last 26 years he’s worn dozens of hats from Reality Youth Pastor to Worship Pastor to Financial Administrator to Food Pantry Director to bus driver to pallet jack operator. He currently serves as Executive Pastor of New Room Global Methodist and Food Pantry Executive Director of Victory Dream Center and is pursuing seminary training at Asbury Theological Seminary. Over the years his gifting has been shaped by his passion to see the lost found, the broken healed, and the hungry fed. With his educational background in business administration, Nathan has also built a very successful landscaping business that keeps him in the great outdoors that he loves. He is a devoted husband to Tara and the proud father of Lilibeth, Ryan, Ben, Andrew, Rosemary, and Tiffany. When life threw this couple a curveball with three precious special needs children, Nathan and Tara have found God’s grace to be magnificently sufficient even in trying circumstances. It is from these trenches of real life suffering, they offer the hope, encouragement, and love of Jesus to all they meet.

Doug Cherry

Founding Pastor

Doug grew up a Carbondale Terrier. All those years ago you would find him shooting hoops in the gym or sweating it out on the track. However all that athletic passion would pale in comparison to His ultimate first love: Jesus Christ. His call into pastoral ministry came after his years of working as a CPA and a financial planner. After completing his Masters in Practical Theology from Oral Roberts University, it came as no surprise when God called him and his family to plant a church in the hometown he loved. Serving alongside his wife, Lisa, and their ten children has been a great joy. Doug was ordained in the global Methodist Church in 2026 after attending further studies at Wesley Biblical Seminary. Watching God bring New Room GMC alongside the vision of Dream Center has been a great adventure. He looks forward to many more years of faithful service to the Lord as he ministers with compassion to his community, his church family and his 25 grandchildren who call him Grampy.

Lisa Cherry

Transitional Lead Pastor

Lisa was born into a long lineage of pastors’ families. She met Jesus as a child and was called in her teen years into those ministry footsteps herself. However, she would not have been able to anticipate in those early years how unconventional her path of ministry would proceed. As a busy mom of ten she learned tenacity, compassion and organization. The Lord would put those skills into use as she has faithfully served Victory Dream Center as Administrative Pastor. In recent years, she was called back to complete the seminary training started before all those children came along. Lisa completed her masters at Wesley Biblical Seminary and was ordained and elder in the new Global Methodist denomination in 2026. She currently serves as Transitional Lead Pastor for launching New Room Global Methodist church in Carbondale, Illinois. She loves ministering God’s word to those needing hope and healing. Her creativity and passion make her do crazy things like camp cross country in her van to explore the wilderness of Montana. She counts it an honor to serve alongside her sweetie of 45 years, Doug. Together they find great joy passing on a legacy of faith to their 25 grands who she claims are the best grandkids ever.