Tim Dilena is an American pastor, author, and speaker serving as senior pastor of Times Square Church in New York City.
He’s the third senior pastor in the church’s history, following founder David Wilkerson and Carter Conlon. Dilena stepped into the role on May 5, 2020, after nearly four decades in pastoral ministry across Detroit, Brooklyn, and Louisiana.
He’s known for direct, practical preaching and for a family story that’s tied to Times Square Church since before he was born.
Tim Dilena At a Glance
| Personal | |
|---|---|
| Full name | Tim Dilena |
| Born | Date of birth not publicly disclosed |
| Nationality | American |
| Spouse | Cindy Dilena |
| Children | Four (reported names: Christian, Anna, Grace, Lauryn) |
| Father | Paul Dilena, former NYPD police captain |
| Education | |
| Schools | Baylor University; Wayne State University; Moody Bible Institute |
| Degree | B.A. in Corporate Finance |
| Further study | Apologetics coursework at Oxford University, England |
| Ministry | |
| Title | Senior Pastor |
| Church | Times Square Church, Manhattan, NYC |
| Denomination | Interdenominational |
| Senior pastor since | May 5, 2020 |
| Career | |
| Author | The 260 Journey: A Life-Changing Experience Through the New Testament One Chapter at a Time |
| Net worth | Not publicly disclosed |
| Salary | Not publicly disclosed |
Early Life and Family Background
Tim Dilena’s story with Times Square Church didn’t start with him. It started with his father, Paul Dilena, a New York City police captain who appears in David Wilkerson’s bestselling book The Cross and the Switchblade.
Paul Dilena also served as treasurer of the first Teen Challenge chapter, the addiction-recovery ministry Wilkerson founded in the 1960s.
That family connection meant Tim Dilena grew up inside the world Wilkerson built, long before he ever preached from a Times Square pulpit. His birth date, hometown, and childhood details haven’t been made public.
Several sites publish a specific birth year for him. Times Square Church’s own staff page and multiple independent profiles all say the same thing: his date of birth isn’t public record. This article won’t guess.
Education
Dilena studied at Baylor University, Wayne State University, and Moody Bible Institute. He earned a Bachelor of Arts in Corporate Finance, not a theology degree, before moving fully into ministry.
He later completed extended studies in apologetics at Oxford University in England, work that shows up in how he handles tough questions from the pulpit.
Ministry Career
Detroit: Revival Tabernacle
In 1984, Gary Wilkerson asked Dilena to come to Detroit for what was supposed to be short-term help planting a church. He stayed.
Dilena founded Revival Tabernacle in a former 900-seat XXX movie theater, turning it into a multi-ethnic, international congregation that’s still active today.
It’s the kind of detail that sounds like a sermon illustration because it basically is one: a building built for one purpose, repurposed for something else entirely.
Brooklyn Tabernacle
In 2010, Jim Cymbala invited Dilena to join Brooklyn Tabernacle as associate pastor. He spent five years there, deepening the same themes that mark his preaching today: prayer, honesty about struggle, and grace that doesn’t excuse sin but doesn’t crush people either.
Our Savior’s Church, Lafayette
After Brooklyn, Dilena became lead pastor of Our Savior’s Church in Lafayette, Louisiana. He led that congregation until an invitation came that would bring him back to the city where his ministry roots began.
Return to Times Square Church
Dilena had been a frequent guest speaker at Times Square Church for more than 25 years before he ever held a title there.
On May 5, 2020, in the middle of the pandemic, he became senior pastor, taking over from Carter Conlon, who moved into the role of General Overseer. Dilena is the third senior pastor since Wilkerson founded the church in 1987.
Times Square Church meets at the Mark Hellinger Theatre in Manhattan and draws thousands of people from more than 100 nations each week. Under Dilena, the church has also expanded its reach through hundreds of home-based satellite fellowships around the world.
Rise to Prominence
Dilena’s reputation didn’t build overnight. It built over four decades of unglamorous, on-the-ground pastoring: an inner-city Detroit theater, a Brooklyn congregation known for its choir and its prayer meetings, a mid-size Louisiana church.
By the time he took the Times Square Church pulpit, he’d already spent 25-plus years earning trust with that specific congregation as a guest preacher.
He’s also a regular chapel speaker for NFL and MLB teams, and he travels internationally with Gary Wilkerson and Nicky Cruz for World Challenge, the ministry David Wilkerson founded, speaking at pastors’ conferences around the world.
Books and Publications
Dilena is the author of The 260 Journey: A Life-Changing Experience Through the New Testament One Chapter at a Time, a devotional built to walk readers through the New Testament a chapter at a time.
He also wrote the foreword to Kevin Ramsby’s A Fight to Forgive, a book about surviving a violent attack and choosing to forgive.
Worth clearing up here: several sites list additional titles under Dilena’s name, including Run Baby Run. That book is Nicky Cruz’s classic conversion story, written with John Sherrill, and it has no connection to Dilena. It’s a good reminder to double-check anything you read about him online, including this article.
Theology and Ministry Philosophy
Times Square Church describes itself as interdenominational, and Dilena’s preaching reflects that. He doesn’t lean hard into one theological tribe’s talking points.
His sermons circle back to a few consistent themes: prayer as the engine of everything else, honesty about depression and discouragement, and grace that meets people mid-failure instead of waiting for them to clean up first.
He’s direct without being harsh. If you’ve heard him preach, you’ve probably heard him name a struggle plainly, then pivot straight to what the Bible says about it, no long windup required.
Personal Life
Dilena is married to Cindy Dilena. Published profiles report they have four children, named Christian, Anna, Grace, and Lauryn.
Beyond that, the Dilenas keep their family life fairly private, and there’s no confirmed public information about events like weddings or milestones involving their children.
Influence and Legacy
Dilena now leads a congregation with a specific weight to it. Times Square Church was built by David Wilkerson as a symbol that the Gospel belonged in the middle of a city that plenty of people had written off.
Carter Conlon carried that vision for nearly two decades. Dilena’s job is to carry it into a new generation without losing what made it work.
His path through Detroit, Brooklyn, and Louisiana also makes him something of a bridge figure. He’s pastored a repurposed XXX theater congregation, a landmark Brooklyn church, and a mid-size Southern church, and he’s carried lessons from all three into one of the most-watched pulpits in American evangelicalism.
Controversies
There’s no widely documented controversy tied to Tim Dilena’s ministry or leadership at the time of writing. This section will be updated if that changes.
Net Worth and Financial Information
Tim Dilena’s net worth and salary aren’t publicly disclosed. Times Square Church doesn’t publish individual staff compensation, and Dilena hasn’t spoken publicly about his personal finances.
Any specific dollar figure you see attached to his name online is a guess, not a documented fact, and this article won’t add another one to the pile.
Interesting Facts
- His father, Paul Dilena, appears in David Wilkerson’s The Cross and the Switchblade and helped launch the first Teen Challenge.
- He founded a church in a former 900-seat XXX movie theater in Detroit.
- He spoke at Times Square Church as a guest for over 25 years before ever becoming senior pastor there.
- He holds a business degree in Corporate Finance, not a theology degree.
- He’s a regular chapel speaker for NFL and MLB teams.
Timeline
- 1984: Moves to Detroit at Gary Wilkerson’s request; founds Revival Tabernacle.
- 1994: Joins Times Square Church’s pastoral staff as associate pastor.
- 2010: Joins Brooklyn Tabernacle as associate pastor under Jim Cymbala.
- ~2015: Becomes lead pastor of Our Savior’s Church, Lafayette, Louisiana.
- May 5, 2020: Becomes senior pastor of Times Square Church, succeeding Carter Conlon.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Tim Dilena?
Tim Dilena is the senior pastor of Times Square Church in New York City, a role he’s held since May 5, 2020. He’s the third senior pastor since the church’s founding in 1987.
How old is Tim Dilena?
His exact age isn’t public. His date of birth hasn’t been disclosed, despite some sites publishing specific (unconfirmed) dates.
What happened to Pastor Tim?
If you’re asking about his current status: nothing happened. He’s actively serving as senior pastor of Times Square Church and preaching regularly.
Who is Tim Dilena’s father?
His father was Paul Dilena, a New York City police captain who appears in David Wilkerson’s book The Cross and the Switchblade and served as treasurer of the first Teen Challenge chapter.
What is Tim Dilena’s denomination?
Times Square Church is interdenominational, drawing members and leadership from across Christian traditions rather than affiliating with one specific denomination.
Is Tim Dilena married?
Yes. He’s married to Cindy Dilena, and the couple has four children.
What is Tim Dilena’s net worth?
It isn’t publicly disclosed. No verified figure exists.
What is Tim Dilena known for?
He’s known for leading Times Square Church, for founding Revival Tabernacle in Detroit inside a former adult theater, and for direct, practical preaching on prayer, grace, and honesty about struggle.
