James Ernest "Jim" Dyson (17 May 1950 – 28 October 2020) was an American minister and teacher serving primarily in the city of Largo, Florida.

Dyson's university career during desegregation of the American Civil Rights movement inspired his outreach in minority and low-income communities.

[3] He would later move to Largo, Florida in 1974 outside the low-income community of Ridgecrest, where he established an Urban Young Life in the area to support the local youth.

[1] In 1998, Dyson would be named Vice President of Multicultural and Urban Ministry for the Central Southern Division of Young Life.

[6] That year, the Principal of Ridgecrest Elementary School, Michael Moss, stated that students who participated in the program saw significantly increased reading scores.