Dale Lee Rains

Pastor Dale L. Rains left the earth Thursday, June 27, 2024. He was born August 19, 1954 in Orange California to Edna Wallingsford Rains and William Melvin Rains. He grew up in Fullerton CA in a house on Ash Street his father had built when he returned from Germany after his stint with the occupation forces after WWII. Dale enjoyed an idyllic childhood nurtured by love of family and fun with many playmates in the neighborhood. His grandparents Lola and Paris Rains lived several blocks away. They had a profound influence on his life when they began picking he and his sisters up at a young age and taking them to church Sunday mornings. So much was the impact of that first spiritual exposure that his mother got a phone call from his grandmother one day saying Dale had just showed up at her house on his own, to stare at a “light up” wall hanging of Jesus his grandmother had recently purchased. He was only three or four! Later when he visited the La Habra Pentecostal Church of God with his mother who gave her life back to the Lord, Dale’s path to serve and dedicate his life to God began there. However, it wasn’t until at the urging of his grandmother Lola when his father Bill went back to church with them, that Dale at age nine, made his lifelong commitment to the Lord. “I waited till Dad walked the aisle to the alter and then I got saved too” he often said. Dale’s life reflected most typical Southern California kid’s lives attending school, having a paper route, playing baseball….ohhh baseball! As with his dad and grandfather before him, baseball became his life long obsession. Trumped only by his love for God’s Word. Like his dad, his team was the Braves! First The Milwaukee Braves, then the Atlanta Braves. He used his earnings from his paper route to send away for a Braves hat, and jacket…what we call merch today. His dad and grandpa would occasionally take him to the then newly built stadium at “Chavez Ravine”. We all know it today as Dodger’s Stadium. There he was able to see the greats play including Warren Spahn, Eddie Mathew’s, Stan Musial, Ted Williams, Yogi Berra, Henry Aaron, Don Drysdale and even Roberto Clemente. He often recalled walking to visit his grandparents at the their home and finding his grandfather in their screened-in porch or his old garage with his ear cocked to the transistor radio as he listened intently to “the game”. As Dale grew his commitment and love for the Lord grew with him. He once pointed out the exact spot at the former Bethel in the Hills campground where he received the “infilling of the Holy Ghost” with the evidence of speaking in tongues at age 10 during junior camp. In high school he was the Sports editor for the Buena Park High newspaper. He “lettered” on the tennis team and won several trophies. He made life long friends he retained throughout his life with one (Brian Hutchins) even standing as a groomsman at his wedding to Rose. Dale felt the call on his life to preach the gospel as early as age 15. In a powerful church service, the visiting evangelist after having observed him weep beneath the piano bench, asked him when he was going to preach his first sermon? He knew then this was confirmation for what he’d been feeling. His childhood plans to become a policeman quickly vanished and he made plans to attend Bible college upon graduating from high school. In 1972 he loaded up the used car his dad bought him and made the two- day trek to Houston Texas to attend the Pentecostal Church of God Southern Bible College. Dale often said he went to SBC at the prime of their existence because the teachers and professors were top notch. To quote him, “I learned [best] how to study the word.” He loved college and any challenge to learn, but since his parents still had four school-aged daughters at home, he also needed a full time job. Dale got a job at a local chemical plant the first week he was there and carried a full load at school while earning good grades the entire time. His drive to succeed was unshakable even as a very young man. Like most of his classmates, by his senior year he married his college sweetheart and quickly had their first child, a son Alan. After graduation, he accepted his first pastorate in Erie Kansas. A tiny church where they struggled daily to make ends meet. While pastoring there, another child was born, a daughter Becky. Dale mentioned often how his shooting skills improved significantly while in Erie because he had to hunt levees and wooded areas for squirrels, rabbits and ducks for food. Dale persevered for the gospel in spite of poverty and challenges those early years. He knew God was driving him to carry on and he braved every obstacle to make that happen. While in Kansas, he served as Youth Director for the PCG Central District, putting on rally’s and camps. Later he took a job at his home church in La Habra California where he helped start a Christian grade school. When vision for the school faltered, he was again without a job and heard about a church available in a place he’d never heard of. The Central Valley town of Lindsay. As preachers do, Dale and his family drove to Lindsay to “try-out” for the church, by preaching for one of their services. He was invited to have dinner and spend the night with church elders Harold and Billie Bittle. The church voted to accept him as pastor where he remained until his passing. Meanwhile life took turns as it does and Dale found himself single once again. His kids both now grown and pursuing their own lives; when during a turn as Lindsay Ministerial Association President, he stepped into the Lindsay Gazette office to submit a press release for publication. There he met for the first time, unbeknownst to him, what was to become the love of his life. Rose had “blown into town” as the new city and school beat reporter for the Gazette and though after that meeting they only saw each other professionally. She had a boyfriend and neither of them were looking for any kind of romantic entanglements with each other. When Rose’s mom passed away, Dale served at the officiating minister due to Rose’s Pentecostal background and beliefs. Several years went by and as the Lord often does, He found a way to bring them together, Rose and Dale married in October of 1999, and as the story goes, they “lived and pastored together” happily-ever-after. They served as co- pastors of the re-named New Beginnings Family Fellowship church for 24 years with Rose receiving her ordination with the Pentecostal Church of God in 2019 and now remains as lead pastor of the church. After having served as Success Sectional Presbyter for several years representing the foothill section churches on the Central Cal Pentecostal Church of God District Board; he was elected as District Secretary Treasurer in March of 2018 where he served with first, Bishops’ Rob and Robbie Culver, then Chad and Danette Buttrey. Dale and Rose loved serving at the district level while retaining their church. Their time working with Bishops to promote district events and run board meetings have been some of the best times of their ministry together. Dale was re-elected into office this past March with a 107 to 1 vote. Dale is preceded in death by his father Bill Rains, his precious boy Johnny Rains and many dog rescue “kids” as he called them. He is survived by his beloved wife Rose, his son Alan and daughter-in-law Betsy Rains and daughter Becky Rains. Four grandchildren: Trevor, Caden, Jacob and Monique, and one great-grandchild. His mother Edna Rains; Sisters: Joni, Jill, Janie and Judy. His siblings in-law: The Rowlands, the Delgado’s, the George Renteria’s , the Jesse Renteria’s, David Renteria, Henry Renteria and many, nieces and nephews both in California and Oklahoma/Arkansas, all whom loved him dearly. In addition he is survived by the Lathrop family who have served faithfully with him in his church for 34 years and were instrumental in his care and supportive to both he and Rose in his last days. Also the rest of the New Beginnings Family who have rallied both in prayer and support throughout this time for them Dale had the uncanny ability to draw people in with the huge light of love he possessed. He radiated God’s love from his core and those around him basked in it. He leaves behind too his beloved Lindsay community and California’s Great Central Valley where he spent not only time in ministry, but also with great joy, time as an Ag irrigation mechanic. He contracted with a local irrigation company and spent some of his happiest hours traveling the back roads and levees of the “West-side” maintaining diesel booster pumps and “twisting wrenches” as he’d say with a grin. Men like Dale Rains come along only once in a lifetime. Those of us who were blessed to call him, “Husband, Pastor, friend, dad, brother or uncle” are so much better for it; and if his life can inspire anyone to seek Jesus and His salvation, Dale would say that is the greatest legacy he could ever leaves behind. 

To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Dale Lee Rains, please visit our floral store.