Page 27 - 2018 Annual Report | Catalyst Magazine

STEPHEN MANLEY2018 ANNUAL REPORT | CITYLIGHT.ORGSTEPHEN MANLEYmerely a few minutes each morning in devotions and prayer.As a way to develop such a habit of focus, Stephen decided every time the school bell rang he would pray: “Thank you Jesus for living inside of my life.” This became so much fun he decided every problem he had, he would bring to Jesus and allow Him to be a part of the solution. Soon, he involved Jesus in every good thing; desiring His involve- ment and activity moment-by-moment throughout the day.During these formative high school years, Stephen devoured every book he could get his hands on about the depths of intimacy with Christ. It was then he discovered he did not invent the concept of “practicing God’s pres- ence,” but found great encourage- ment by those who had written about such a life long before his own. This concept became a growing aspect in young Stephen’s life. He was con- stantly growing in intimacy and one- ness with Jesus in an attitude of sur- render and dependency.None of his reading compared to his desire for the Word of God, which be- came the bedrock and platform for Stephen’s life. Stephen found that as he dove into the written Word (Bible) he was diving into the Living Word (Jesus). The Bible was not a drea-ry book to study in order to prepare sermons, it was an exciting avenue through which he could experience the living Person of Jesus, develop deep intimacy with Him, and be con- tinuously pressed and transformed by Truth (Jesus). As he is so fond of say- ing, “We do not handle the Word of God; it handles us.” Even now, some fty years later, the Word continues to become more precious and important in his life.At age seventeen, now attending Tay- lor University and pastoring a local Methodist church, Stephen met, and two years later, married Delphine Ol- iver. For the next ve years, Stephen and Delphine ministered in the pastor- ate of both the Methodist and United Missionary Church Denominations.While in the pastorate, the Manley’s adopted their rst child, Stephen Christopher Manley, in March 1967. The following year, July 1968, they ad- opted their second child, Evangeline Faith Manley (Vangie). The expansion of the Manley family came at a criti- cal time in Stephen and Delphine’s call to ministry. After pastoring for sev- en years, Stephen, now twenty-four, made the leap into full-time itinerant evangelism, which became his call for the next forty-one years.For his rst four years in evangelism,27