BVOV Magazine 2013 - present

In time Brent got dating and the proposal right. He and Hollie were married and ended up moving to south Fort Worth as pastors of Bethel Family Church. Everything had been good. The church was growing, and so was their family. Although they didn’t have much money, Brent and Hollie decided to start a day care. The payments on the building seemed astronomical. It was open from 6 a.m. until 6 p.m., five days a week. Hollie drove her children to the day care on dark wintry mornings, and through the sweltering summer heat, where she worked long hours. After closing, the facility had to be cleaned and restocked for the next day. She arrived at home weary, only to cook and clean again before putting the children to bed. If the hours weren’t bad enough, something always needed fixing. The buses needed repairs. The air conditioning went out. They didn’t have the money or resources they needed, much less the help. The marriage was deteriorating. So many things began to unravel, and Hollie decided to move out. One Word From God During one of Brent’s weekends with his children, they were in a church meeting when his 5-year-old daughter stood and gave a prayer request. “I want you all to pray that my mommy and daddy get back together.” Everyone just wept. “There was no question that Hollie and I were headed to divorce,” Brent admits. “I didn’t want that, and I didn’t want to leave the church. Yet my friends were telling me I needed to divorce my wife and leave my church. “Everything looked bleak, and I didn’t have any answers. But I knew God had told me not to do either of those things. I loved Hollie, but we weren’t speaking. I would have begged her to come home, but I didn’t want to say anything to make her angrier. I’d prayed everything I knew to pray. I knew God was able, but I didn’t see an answer. Things continued getting harder and darker.” Hollie and the children were attending church in Irving, Texas, where Tudor Bismark, a visiting minister from Africa, was preaching. Andrew, their 9-year-old son, loved Bismark. Andrew had a growth on the side of his nose that was affecting his vision. Calling his father, Andrew said, “Dad, there’s this man from Africa who’s preaching tonight. I’m going to have him pray for me, and I believe God’s going to heal this growth. I want you to be there. Would you, please?” “Of course!” Brent found a seat on the same pew as his family. The children sat between Hollie and him. When Andrew went forward for prayer, God healed him from the tumor. After service, as Brent talked with his children, Bismark introduced himself to Hollie, then sat down beside her. “Hollie,” he said, “you need to go home. Your husband loves you very much, and you need to go home.” Hollie burst into tears. “How did you even know that?” “Listen, God is going to give you everything—double for your struggles. I know that,” he said. A Supernatural Connection Wiping her eyes, Hollie walked up to Brent. “This is the hardest thing I’ve ever done,” she said. “I’m going to obey God by faith. Let’s get back together and make this marriage work. We’ll do it by faith.” That night, Brent followed Hollie home in his car to her house in Saginaw. The next day, he put the house in south Fort Worth up for sale, so the kids could stay in their school. Later, Hollie’s mother moved from New Hampshire to Texas. In January 1999, while talking with Brent and Hollie, she said, “You guys live close to KCM, and I really want to see the property. I watch Brother Copeland on television.” On Tuesday, Brent loaded Aaron into his car seat and drove Hollie and her mother out to Eagle Mountain, north of Fort Worth, where Kenneth Copeland Ministries was located. They were surprised to find the parking lot full of vehicles. “I wonder what’s going on,” Brent said. “I’m going to find out.” 14 : BVOV

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