Richard lived his life with unbridled passion in all things. The joy of the Lord Jesus was his strength. Characterized by boundless energy and a teachable spirit, he taught himself to do just about everything from carpentry to oil painting but he relied on “my coach, the Holy Spirit” for his inspiration and direction. An untold number of people were touched by Richard’s life, fulfilling what he wrote when asked why he wanted to go to seminary, “I love God and I love people and I just want to bring them together.” Dority served as a priest in the Episcopal Church from 1958-1987 in Summerton, Pinewood, Manning, Columbia, Darlington, St. James on James Island and St. John’s (Oakland) in Charleston. He founded James Island Christian Church to emphasize biblical principles without denominational traditions and to yield to the supernatural work of the Holy Spirit in our day.
