The Shekinah team gathers for prayer
in the chapel each morning. |
J. David Ford and his family live between Huntingdon
and McLemoresville on land that is surely an example of
some of God's best artistry. Locals will remember the
lush, green pastures sloping gently into pristine ponds
and lakes as the property formerly known as Bobo Lakes.
The waters are still stocked with catfish, though the
grounds have undergone changes, their purpose evolving to
support the family’s mission.
Arched above the paved drive, with white fences
stretching along either side, the white-painted, wrought
iron entryway to the property hints that what lies beyond
has great purpose: "Shekinah Lakes", the words proclaim,
"To God be the Glory." David explains Shekinah means "the
manifested glory of God".
Beyond the fences, dwellings dot the landscape,
connected by well-paved roads bearing the names "Shekinah
Lane", "Charity Lane", Faith Lane", "Joshua Lane" and
"Mission Lane". Motor homes are clustered in one locale,
and a tiny chapel, carefully landscaped with bright spring
flowers, sits beside a beautiful, sprawling lake where
ducks take an afternoon swim. Benches along the bank offer
a peaceful place for rest or meditation.
Beautiful, but what is this secluded community nestled
in the heart of rural West Tennessee? One finds Shekinah
Lakes is many things, with each branch finding root in a
ministry that began generations ago in the Ford family.
"My grandfather was a lay minister and my
great-grandfather was a circuit-riding preacher in the
Methodist church," David relates. His own father, O.C.
Ford, was also a minister, who in 1933 co-founded the
Evangelistic Messenger's Association, a ministerial
alliance that was purposely planned without ties to any
denomination.
"My father really felt the need for an
interdenominational ministry that could go anywhere in
the world and preach Christ and Him crucified in any
Bible-believing church anywhere," David says.
Dr. J. David Ford points out the site
of the teams latest visit: Nigeria. Red and yellow
dots mark sites where the Evangelistic Messenger's
Association has ministries and Bible schools. |
David has been ministering himself since the age of five
when, alongside his father, he shared in a radio ministry
and revival services. When he was a teenager, it was in
church that he met his wife, Rose.
My mother said, "There's this pretty girl you need to
meet,'" David recalls. He attended the service where Rose
was the young people's leader. "She actually preached that
day," he says, "Her first words to me were, 'wouldn't you
like to come and pray at the altar?'" He did, the couple
began dating, and married in 1967. After completing Bible
school in 1970 (David's credentials now include a Bachelor
of Theology from Christian Bible College and a Masters and
Doctorate in Theology from Andersonville Baptist Seminary)
David and Rose began straightaway to walk the path of
service to God.
Continuing the work begun by David's ancestors is just
the beginning of the work the Fords carry out with
incredible efficiency, assisted in their efforts by a
small staff that includes long-time co-worker Iona Halsey,
Ron and Carlina Chandler of Carroll County, and by the
Ford children in various capacities according to their
ages and abilities.
The Ford family: Rose, Joshua, David, Faith and
Charity |
Charity, the couple's oldest child at 19, is involved
full-time in the family's endeavors. Faith, at 15, works
three hours a day to help keep up the various web sites
that are an important part of the family's mission and
business enterprises. Joshua, at 12, takes an active role
in keeping the grounds in good order.
"Through God's mercy and grace a handful of people are
reaching the world," says David concerning the awesome
amount of work being done at Shekinah Lakes.
The family's ministerial works include the Evangelistic
Messenger's Association, the More Than Conquerors School
of Theology and Glorious Gospel Ministries. Recently, a
radio ministry has been added Monday through Friday at
2:00 p.m. on 93.1 WGGM.
To support their efforts, David says, Shekinah Lakes
does not actively seek donations. "We've always just
worked," he explains. Their current enterprises are
impressive. Through Shekinah Sales, the family offers
reasonably priced motor homes to a clientele that
stretches across the United States. David picks up
customers at the airport in Memphis or Nashville and
transports them to Shekinah Lakes where they pick up their
motor home.
Customers who buy motor homes are able to take free
overnight advantage of the resort atmosphere that is a
second means of support for the mission. Other customers,
such as church groups, individuals and family groups, can
partake of the Christian-centered atmosphere of Shekinah
Lakes as a resort or retreat from the fast-paced world.
Fishing, paddle boating, and horseback riding are a few of
the attractions of staying in Shekinah Lakes' chalet or
executive housing units.
Visitors may be surprised to learn that several of the
dwellings at Shekinah Lakes are either prefabricated or
modular homes, a third means of support for the mission in
a division known as Shekinah Homes. Shekinah Homes offers
a variety of floor plans at considerable savings over
traditional home building.
The enterprises at Shekinah Lakes, however, are hardly
the essence of the work they accomplish. The collective
hearts of the workers lies in the mission field, both
stateside and internationally.
"To me the amazing things about how this has grown is
its international scope," says David. The Evangelistic
Messenger's Association has touched 49 states in the U.S.
and nearly as many foreign countries, with 35 Bible
schools in Romania alone. Their purpose is "discipling
men", David says, setting up schools to educate men and
women in "practical theology" through the "More Than
Conquerors School of Theology."
Their methods are also practical, utilizing the
leadership already set in place by God's own hand. "The
pastor becomes the teacher and the congregation becomes
the students," he explains. E.M.A. provides the curriculum
at no charge to students in third-world nations. Teachers
are also formed from stateside volunteers with audio and
videotapes available to enhance study guides.
Through their Glorious Gospels Ministries, the family
shares publications ranging from journals to pocket-sized
booklets proclaiming Biblical principles.
Ms. Iona Halsey, who joined the E.M.A. team 10-11 years
ago as a volunteer, stresses the scope of the work to be
done may be as near as one's own doorstep. Addressing
prospective students, she says, "The challenges we face as
God's ministers are many. First and foremost, we must die
to self. Then, we are challenged by our Heavenly Father to
go forth into the harvest fields of the earth. Your
outreach challenges may be within your own household, your
own family, your workplace, the next-door neighbor, or
others in your community."
The opportunities are equally exciting at home as they
are in foreign countries; however, David took particular
pleasure in being able to spread the gospel in places
where once the doors were closed to Christianity.
"In Moscow, Russia, I was honored to be among those of
the 'first wave' who walked the streets around Revolution
Square," he says. "What a joy it was to give thousands of
booklets of the Gospel of John to a people who had been
deprived of God's Word for over 75 years! My heart was
touched by the multitudes who, with tears in their eyes,
pressed forward to receive the Word of God."
In the Ukraine, he recalls "the tremendous noise" the
theatre seats made as "almost 100% of the people in the
former communist auditoriums responded, night after night,
to the Gospel of Jesus Christ."
Recently, however, a visit to Nigeria - where great
things were accomplished - nevertheless required the
constant protection of armed soldiers to ensure the team's
safety against those opposed to Christian teachings, a
sign that the work to be done is far from over.
Perhaps that is why literature from the E.M.A. is
peppered with the phrase, "...for such a time as this", a
reminder from the Book of Esther that there is no better
time than the present to do the work that God has placed
before all Christians, and that the risk of life is no
more true through action than inaction.
To summarize the story of Esther, after the young woman
became queen by virtue of her beauty (her Jewish ancestry
unknown to the king), an evildoer named Haman convinced
the king to issue an edict "to destroy, to kill, and to
cause to perish, all Jews, both young and old, little
children and women, in one day."
This sentence was sought by Haman after Esther's
foster-father, Mordecai, refused to bow to Haman as others
did in obeyance of the king's decree. Beside himself,
Mordecai begged Esther to intervene for her people.
In reply, Esther explained that anyone who approached
the king's inner court without invitation by law would be
put to death unless the king chose to spare his or her
life. As 30 days had passed since she had been called into the
presence of the king, she feared she would not be
accepted.
"Do not think that because you are in the king's house
you alone of all the Jews will escape," Mordecai replied,
"For if you remain silent at this time, relief and
deliverance for the Jews will arise from another place,
but you and your father's family will perish. And who
knows but that you have come to royal position for such a
time as this?"
The wisdom and courage with which Esther approached the
king and saved her people is worthy reading as exciting
and thought provoking as any novel. But the bottom line
for Esther and the people of her time and for the world
today is that she was in her position - and perhaps you
are in your's as well - for such a time as this.
Workday mornings at Shekinah Lake begin with a
gathering of the staff in the lakeside chapel for prayer.
David and his family would love to welcome others into
that fold, citing the tremendous need for more workers in
every aspect of the mission field, from curriculum
development to general office work to yards and grounds
and much more.
The Fords are also hopeful to meet more people from the
surrounding communities. "We're happy to share it with the
community," David says of Shekinah Lakes. "We'd like to
get acquainted with more people here."
The mission moved to Carroll County three years ago in
a series of happenings that has been a blessing in many
ways. "We love it here," says Rose.
As the Evangelistic Messenger's Association gets ready
for "a big move to Latin America", this could be an
exciting time for both individuals and churches who would
like to team up with the mission.
For more information about the work being done at
Shekinah Lakes, visit their websites (parts of which
remain under construction at this time) at:
www.shekinah.com, www. shekinahlakes.com, and www.
morethanconquerors.org/international, or call Shekinah
Lakes at 731-986-8133. |
