BVOV Magazine 2013 - present

That wasn’t what Shaun wanted to hear. He’d walked away from a career in business in 1998 because of his heart’s desire to minister the gospel. Almost five years later, that still hadn’t happened. Then he heard another minister talk about ministers he’d known over the years. “Most of the ones who went straight into their own ministry are no longer in it,” the man said. “The ones who worked for another man’s ministry until God released them were able to stick it out.” Upon Shaun’s graduation from ORU in 2002, his father told him a story he’d never heard. “When I was 10 years old, I accepted the Lord while watching Oral Roberts on television. God spoke to me and said, 'Like Oral Roberts, if you will follow the call on your life, I’ll make you respected worldwide.'” He went on to explain that he’d grown up, gone into business, married and had three daughters. At that time the denominational mindset was that God would keep a minister humble and the church would keep him poor. Shaun’s father didn’t see how he could minister and support his family. His father had prayed, “Lord, if You’ll give me a son, I’ll dedicate him to You to fulfill my call.” Shaun had been the answer to that prayer and his father had dedicated him to the Lord at birth. Shaun was stunned by the story and amazed that his family had come full circle, right back to ORU. Not fulfilling his call was his father’s deepest regret. Shaun didn’t want to make the same mistake. He and Amy felt certain they knew what God had in store for them. They believed God had prepared them to minister to marriages on a global scale. However, Shaun prayed, “Lord, what do You want me to do for the rest of my life?” 'Pastor.' “I cried,” Shaun admits. “I’d never wanted to be a pastor. I couldn’t imagine coming up with a new message every week for the rest of my life! In fact, during my first college speech class, I got up and couldn’t remember anything!” Instead of launching their ministry, the Lord told them to apply for jobs at KCM. In 2003, Shaun and Amy moved to Texas and went to work for KCM. Shaun worked in purchasing. Amy did makeup in the television department. “We loved working at KCM,” Amy says. “Our positions allowed us to see Kenneth and Gloria behind the scenes. They were the same people we knew from the pulpit. Shaun later applied for two pastoral positions at KCM, but didn’t get them. He was happy and upbeat, but underneath his congenial exterior there was a deep sadness in him. Every year seemed to take him further from his call.” The hardest thing in Shaun’s life was the waiting. With each passing year, the concept of faith and patience grew thin because his heart ached to minister to the lost. He felt as though his call was just beyond his grasp. Then one day Keith Moore spoke in chapel. “It’s your job to be faithful where you’re at,” he said. “You be diligent and God will promote you when He sees you’re ready.” When Shaun walked out of chapel that day, every shadow of sadness was gone. “That message set me free,” Shaun remembers. “My responsibility was simple: Be faithful right where I am. It allowed me to cherish what God called me to do each day and live in the present.” *****article continues on p. 18***** ******ADVERTISEMENT******** “Partnership with KCM opened a whole new world to us, teaching us how to obtain victory in situations that look impossible.”—Shaun partner with us today! kcm.org/partner 1-800-600-7395 ********************************** BVOV : 17

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