Maurice L. Autrey
July 2008
My call to the ministry started many years ago. I have been sitting in the pews from the time my feet couldn’t even touch the floor. I would like to make them swing back and forth as if I were walking in mid-air. But, that behavior was short lived because I was also taught to respect the House of God. Respect and honor are the southern values that I am proud to say that were instilled into me. Most of the memories I have as a child are of being in the church. So, if I were to title my call it would be as a “Faith Builder”.
Over the years I have been prophesied to any number of times. I would be told that I am or would be a preacher and/or Bishop. I have no doubt that this anointing is on me and God has called me to do this. But for years I never felt that I was ready. One of the reasons I was not ready is because I was leaving a life as best explained as “one foot in and one foot out”. I believed in God. I had faith in God. I knew God as all powerful and Omni present. I knew that if God were to come back and I was not where I should be in God. As Mother Moore, A mother at a church I attended would always say “Its heaven or Hell saints”. I knew I would go to hell. Some of the children and members of the church would laugh at her when she said that. They thought that what she was saying was comical. But, reflecting on the lives of some of the kids that were laughing. Sad fully they have turned out to be bank robbers, Gangsters and pimps. Things in there lives are not so comical any more. But those words still ring true. Those words always were within me and I knew the consequences of my actions but still I continued not to fully commit to Christ.
I think a large part of the problem with me and others in my situation are that we ...