The Journey I received my call into the ministry at the tender age of 8 years old. I devoted and dedicated all of my youth to the Lord. There was a time in my life where I knew I wanted to become a Pastor but what I did not know was it happening so soon. Before I turned 30 years old God was ready for me to take the mantle. I was prepared to preach the Gospel, but I now had to be prepared to lead the sheep. It hasn’t always been easy however God has been faithful this entire journey. Being favored of the Lord I was blessed to travel and preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ throughout the United States. However, in 2019 my aunt received a devastating call that she was diagnosed with cancer, and it aggressively attacked her body and as a result she went home to be with the Lord. It was at the demise of my aunt the late Apostle Shawna Branch I was called into a meeting with five members and there was a vote held; three voted yes and two voted no. It was after this meeting I met with my pastor and then later called the five individuals to my home church for a meeting with my pastor for him to hear their request of me to serve them. After the meeting and a time of prayer I agreed to take the ministry and within three months the church membership went from five members to sixty members. Numerous souls have been saved and baptized in our ministry. Within this journey of four years numerous families have been impacted by the ministry and lives transformed. Many sons and daughters have been raised in the ministry under the New Birth Church of Baltimore. However, as I mentioned before Pastoring is no easy job that one can just breeze through. It takes a lot of Praying, dedication, motivation, and perseverance to push through. Not just good days but especially when those days come when you are feeling like you are doing it all by yourself. As I started this journey the building of the church was a task, but I believe God
sent his people right into New Birth to get what they needed. We went from 5 to 60 in a matter of a few months. God is faithful to His words and those who diligently serve Him. Many nights I stayed at the church just being thankful and grateful for being allowed to serve at a higher calling as a Pastor. Much different from being a traveling evangelist, I was responsible for souls. Not an easy task I must say. I had to fast and pray to make sure I was hearing from God to lead the people down the right path, taking my assignment as serious as possible. Things were looking good at the New Birth Church; I couldn’t have been happier. Leaders were in place, the church was at its peak, we were well on our way to serving the needs of the people-uniting people in holy matrimony, outreach in the community with prayer, baptism of many souls. Building the church ministry is one of the best highlights of being a Pastor, letting the community know this is a safe place to serve the Lord. One of my greatest joys is seeing my peers coming to Christ and walking away from the streets and turning their hearts towards the Lord. Also showing people the altar is still Holy and you can cast your worries, fear, and all to the Lord. Being a Pastor doesn’t mean everything is going to go well all the time. I consider myself a holiness preacher and I’m passionate about helping people embrace the true essence of being a believer. I’ve learned this on my journey that the enemy is always on his job to get you off track and cause you not to be faithful to the Lord. Pastoring also comes with many challenges and some traumatic experiences. Within my first year of pastoring tragedy struck my family pretty hard. While preaching one Sunday I received a note handed to me in the pulpit saying a call had come saying my little cousin had been murdered in the streets of Baltimore. All while grieving the death of my cousin, the day after I buried him, I received a call Continued on page 10 Grace&Glory 9
