The Heart of Our Ministry is God's Word!

We are Pastors Willie J and Mary Barnes of the International Church of Faith. Mary and I have been married for twelve years and between us we have been in ministry for over 40 years.  We are the parents of three grown children and have three grandchildren.  We both are from very large families, my wife's parents had twelve children and my parents had sixteen children. Some people have told us that this is why we love people - because we had so many people in our lives when we were growing up.

As a young boy I always would attend church and my mother used to tell me that I was born to be a preacher.  As a young man I thought I had a personal relationship with the Lord until I started dating a young lady from my church.  This person introduced me to a life of sin that almost destroyed my life.  As the Senior Pastor of this church I know what it means to be free.  Before I came to know the Lord, I was a homeless person, my life had been turned inside out.  I know what it means to have nothing - to go from a life of luxury to poverty.  I was a person that had no hope - no direction - ashamed of who I was and what I had become.  I know what it is to be a slave to sin.  As I minister the Gospel, I minister what I know and where I came from - I've been there!  I thank God for His grace and mercy.

My wife's experience is quite different from my own although she didn't experience the things that I went through she was still lost in sin.  God has given us to one another and we appreciate the anointing He's placed in our lives.  Our hearts reach out to people and the compassion and love we have for them is genuine.

The Lord has allowed Mary and me to be the pioneers of this new work.  We would like to share with you what the Lord has shared with us about how we shall successfully succeed in ministry.  God spoke very strongly to us about His integrity and character.  He has revealed to us that anyone that has a successful ministry has it because of their love and devotion for Him and His people.  Jesus illustrates this point in John 15:12 -13, "This is my commandment,  That ye love one another, as I have loved you.  Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends."

God shared with us the importance of His servants having His character, integrity and love for people.  God revealed his character to mankind by allowing His only Son Jesus to die for our sins.  As you can see from this example God is all about love.  He further illustrates His love for us by always being concerned about what is best for our life.

Because of God's love in our life we have listed the following reasons why we preach the Gospel:

• God called us and ordained us as Pastors - although we are licensed Pastors our call for ministry came from God.
• To touch the lives of lost people with His love.
• To lead people to a personal relationship with Him.
• To break the bondage of sin in man's life.

We are God's mouth-pieces here on earth and we proudly proclaim the Gospel of our Lord and Savior.  We are bold soldiers and we don't have problems with preaching the uncompromised Word of God.  God has many servants and we are just two among many who He's called to help break the bondage of sin in the lives of men.  The Word of God has been designed so that it will convict men of their sins.

As Pastors we are aware of our responsibilities to God's people.  We know that on Judgment Day we shall be held accountable for those things that we did or did not do as it relates to the people of God.  In Jeremiah 23:1,2 and 4 it reads, "Woe be unto the pastors that destroy and scatter the sheep of my pasture: saith the Lord.  Therefore, thus saith the Lord feed my people, ye have scattered my flock, and driven them away, and have not visited them: behold, I will visit upon the evil of your doing, saith the Lord: and I will set up shepherds over them which shall feed them: and they shall fear no more, nor be dismayed, neither shall they be lacking saith the Lord."

As we walk in the integrity of God we must love people and we cannot measure their worth by material things.  A true servant of God does not worry about whether a person is Black or White, Jew or Gentile, rich or poor - none of this really matters.  We don't judge a man by the size of his wallet or what he has in it.  We know that all people are created equal in the eyes of God.  If you love the Lord and you are doing all that you know how to do to serve the Lord - what a person thinks of you shouldn't really matter.  If you are walking in the character and knowledge of God - His character will shine within you.

Mary and I are fully aware of the fact that God is the pattern that we must follow.   The Bible says that we were created in the likeness and image of Him.  Jesus walked in integrity, He never took advantage of anyone.  Just as children try to imitate their parents, Pastors should be no different, we ought to imitate God our father.  When it comes to imitating the attitude and nature of God, we are to walk in the highest of standards.  This doesn't mean that we should think that we are more than anyone else - for we are nothing in the eyes of God.  As servants of the most High God we are called to be a blessing to others.  I hope that this doesn't mess with anyone's philosophy - we are servants of God.

As Mary and I precede to walk in this calling that God has placed upon us it is important that we invest our lives in people.  At the end of our journey here on earth we want to receive our incorruptible crown and hear the Master say, "Well done thy very faithful servants -enter my kingdom."  Mary and I have received our marching orders from 1 Corinthians 9:25 - "And every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things.  Now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible."