Page 37 - July 2014 Catalyst

If you were a pastor, it didn’t matter what Christian denomination you were, you were treated like royalty. e old sisters in the church would compete to see who could out-cook and out-do the others in providing hospitality for the pastor and his family. I loved it when it was my mom and grandma’s time to show out.
As a believer one of the most di cult things I’ve encounter has been determin- ing and accepting the will of God for my life. Others seem know the path God has for them. Some hesitate to follow it. And some quickly determine the Will of God and immediately follow it. I have heard
sage about the wages of sin scared us to death, all of the young sinners and a few desperate, back siding, older sinners went to the mourners bench to pray, repent and tarry for the Holy Ghost. I went to the mourner’s bench, as instructed by my grandma, but nothing happened. With all of the congregation members whooping and hollering, clapping and singing over me, I fervently panted, prayed and begged God to save our souls. I felt pressured and bothered by the noise. I couldn’t jump and shout like the others because I knew just enough about the Bible to fear God. Needless to say I didn’t receive the Holy Ghost that night; I was consid- ered unsaved and was not allowed to join the church that following Sunday. is caused me to become very critical towards church folks. God reminded me of that day in my backyard when I gave my life to Him at the tender age of nine. I felt I had nothing to prove.
One Sunday morning several years later, God chose to lift me very quietly and un- expectedly from my pew, walked me to the front of the church to stand, dedicating my life to Him, making a public statement. Not long after I dedicated my life to the Lord, I realized that my inclination was to be a Bible teacher. I knew much less about the Bible then than I do now, but I sensed the Lord leading me in that direction. God has allowed me to be a Bible teacher for over 15 years and has opened doors for me in that regard. He has allowed me to speak at women’s conferences and a orded me the opportunity to sit at the feet of many great Christian teachers and leaders, one of them being my husband, Bishop Redfern, II.
I have heard several pastors, evangelists, missionaries, and ministers from a broad cross section of society over the past few years deliver countless messages. From a visiting missionary’s “one night stand” to an evangelist’s summer “revival”, camp meetings, Bible conferences, and re-
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several preachers tell of their being called to preach. Most of them admitted that not long after their salvation they became aware of a burden in them to “preach the word,” but because of their past lifestyle they resisted even the thought of it. e esh told them they were not worthy. e Lord never gave up.
I can identify with this. I became a be- liever as a child. To be honest, I didn’t re- ally understand salvation. In my church it was tradition to go to the mourners bench during the summer weekly revival at the age of twelve. After over an hour of singing and the visiting preacher’s mes-
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