Dr. Claytie Odessa Searcy is the Founder and Pastor Emeritus of "The House of Love Church."

A native of Pittsburg, Texas, she still recalls the days that she was a "child of poverty." Accepting God as her personal Savior at the age of 12, Dr. Searcy says, "Through daily prayer and communion with God, He lead me to make wise career choices and investments that turned my life around. The power of God touches you and He does the work through you, as you surrender to Him."

As a mustard seed grows to a giant plant, so did the vision unfold in the mind, heart, and soul of Dr. Searcy.  Whether prompted by a childhood of poverty, or as a late blooming undergraduate at Bishop College, Dr. Searcy's yearning to aid her fellowman continued to grow immeasurably. Dr. Searcy has been a devoted servant to the community. She taught in the Dallas Independent School District for five years; served as Freshman Counselor and instructor in education at Bishop College. She was president of the Bishop College National Alumni Association for seven years. During her tenure she was appointed chairperson of the women's division to raise funds for relocating Bishop College from Marshall to Dallas, Texas.

She entered the University of Texas at Austin, and in less than one year received a Master of Arts degree, becoming the first Black woman to receive a master's degree from the university. After graduating, she furthered her studies at Southern Methodist University and East Texas State University. Dr. Searcy became a certified counselor and earned a Doctorate in religion.

Dr. Searcy has been the recipient of numerous local, national, and international awards, honors, and citations. One of the most recent was an invitation from the Texas State House of Representatives 78th Legislature to preside as "Pastor of the Day" in the State Capitol. As Pastor of the Day, Dr. Searcy gave a memorable prayer. In appreciation and honor of her work, the House of Representatives presented Dr. Searcy with a resolution.  An official copy of the resolution has been archived to be viewed by generations to come. In 2008, she was written into the Congressional Record of the 110th congress. Also, on March 28, 2010 Georgetown College awarded her an honorary doctorate degree to her. The president of Georgetown College, Dr. Bill  Crouch, Jr. said "This honor and recognition come as a direct result of your incredibly effective Christian witness and your exemplary contributions to the cause of Christ and the work of His Kingdom."

Beyond her many accomplishments in life, the true test of Dr. Searcy's stewardship lies
in the positive impact she has had on the lives of children and families throughout the country. Always a trailblazer, Dr. Searcy responded to the need to enhance the spiritual life of youth in the Highland Hills community.

Living by the motto of "losing yourself in service to others," when asked what "life" means to her, Dr. Searcy responded by saying, "Life is about helping others discover who they really are."

Out of all that she has been blessed to achieve, Dr. Searcy says her life's greatest treasure is teaching and sharing the love and Word of God with people who really need Him.   When asked if she could live her life over what she would change, Dr. Searcy replied, " I would not change anything because God wanted to teach me through my own life experiences of joys, sorrows, and pain, how to love and serve others".