BVOV Magazine 2013 - present

As Bill continued to meditate on Isaiah 48:17, his vision for the church grew into a Kingdom mandate. The Lord began revealing to him the roles of kings and priests in the kingdom of God. He realized that under the old covenant, when God wanted to build the Temple, He didn’t send the priests out to wash camels. They were never required to raise funds. It was the kings who provided the finances. King David gave Solomon all the money he would need to build the Temple. King Solomon bought the materials and oversaw the building project. The priests blessed it, dedicated it and ministered to the people. Sure, that was old covenant, Bill reasoned, but we have a new covenant built on better promises. Should priests/pastors suffer lack? Should they be trying to raise money? No, they shouldn’t—not in the Kingdom culture. “Who are the kings of the new covenant who have been called, anointed and appointed to bring finances into the Kingdom?” Bill asked God. The answer: 'Mainly, they are entrepreneurs and business leaders.' He’s One of Us! As his revelation grew, Bill expanded his ministry to include television. One day, Kenneth and Gloria Copeland were in Chicago when Kenneth saw Bill’s broadcast on TV. After listening to him, Kenneth said to Gloria, “He’s one of us!” Not long after that, the two men met and an enduring friendship was established. Not only did they share a love for God and His Word, but both were pilots, and pilots like hanging out together. Kenneth invited Bill to preach at his meetings, and Bill did the same. In 1999, Bill gave birth to his dream. He established Living Word School of Ministry, designed to train “priests” or full-time clergy for the Kingdom. He also established the Joseph Business School, which was designed for the “kings”—businesspeople who desire to be entrepreneurs. Classes are offered on Saturdays for nine months each year. Its goal is to take back the economics of the world and eradicate poverty wherever it is found. “Entrepreneurship is a calling, just like being called to the ministry,” Bill explains. “It is derived from a French word meaning, ‘one who creates something new,’ and is meant to bring growth and advancement to a community or nation. When God transforms a city or region for His kingdom, one of the things He does is set entrepreneurs and business leaders in place along with missionaries and priests. They both have a grace to turn the economy around and advance the kingdom of God.” The Joseph Business School was recently awarded national accreditation. In addition, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs has approved the school for qualified veterans to receive Montgomery GI Bill education benefits to pay for their tuition. But the church didn’t stop with business and ministry schools. “We bought a 33-acre shopping mall,” Bill says. “We needed a miracle, and the Lord directed me to sow a big seed, and we reaped big! We took ownership and now retailers are paying us rent, and providing over 400 jobs for the community. We also have a water-bottling plant. We’re working to make it portable enough to take to areas that need clean water. We deal in gold and silver through the Great Lakes Monetary Consultants company and we have Golden Eagle Aviation at historic Moten Field in Tuskegee. Through sales profits, we’ve contributed millions of dollars in taxes and helped boost the economy in our local community and state.” In Order to Go Up, Sow Up “Part of the reason things grew so quickly for me was partnership with KCM,” says Bill. “The law of association with successful ministers brings that same anointing on me. I’ve discovered that if you want to go up, you have to sow up, not just to the needy. Gloria’s book on prosperity ("God’s Will Is Prosperity") was another turning point in our lives. I believe Kenneth and Gloria’s integrity has made them both end time models for today’s Christian ministry.” Each year Bill Winston hosts two conferences: the International Faith Conference and the Missions and Marketplace Empowerment Conference, bringing kings and priests together. In addition, through Faith Ministries Alliance, he oversees more than 540 churches and ministries worldwide and teaches faith around the globe. What’s next? “We’re going to add a patent department to our Joseph Center because there is a tremendous explosion of new inventions that are about to be released to the Church,” Bill explains. “The kingdom of God is not just a government, but a new order of living by faith. It is not just a future hope, but a present-day reality where men and women are born into it, and empowered by The Blessing to transform the most devastated environment into a Garden of Eden. It is time to get excited, even radical, because phenomenal things are about to happen.” V 14 : JUNE '14

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