Preparation for Ministry
Joyce and I can truly say: “Living by faith and walking in the Spirit, even with its many challenges, has been an exciting, fulfilling, high adventure with God.”We can remember our days in Bible School, our many years in Christian Book Store management, including managing the largest chain of Christian book stores in the Western United States, and being the major distributor to all Christian bookstores in the Southwest.
Being Filled with the Holy Spirit
We remember the day in 1972 when we were both filled with the Holy Spirit and how miracles began to happen through our hands everywhere we went. We remember with excitement those days as we ministered in so many Miracle Services with our dear friends, Charles and Frances Hunter.
Our First Ministry Trip
We remember our first missionary trip as we ministered with both the Hunters and Dr. Lester Sumrall in Hong Kong and The Philippines. We remember our exciting days in the midst of the Charismatic Renewal and the awesome miracles we experienced every week at Melodyland Christian Center in Anaheim, California where I was Administrative Assistant to Pastor Ralph Wilkerson.
Taught by Others
God then took us back to my hometown of Houston to work with the Hunters. It was during these days that we became close friends with Pastor John and Dodie Osteen. And then we had the privilege of working closely with the Osteens at Lakewood Church (now pastored by their son, Joel) as it was going through its first dynamic growth stage. Pastor John Osteen taught us about faith and I had the privilege of traveling and ministering with him both in Houston and in the nation of India. Those were exciting days as we started the Intern Pastor’s Program and I was the Founding Director of Lakewood Bible Institute.
Stepping Out of the Boat
All during those times our vision for the nations of the world kept growing. In 1983 God spoke to our hearts to step out of the boat and start going to the nations of the world.
Our vision was to develop and provide a practical, Jesus-centered, life-changing Bible School Curriculum that was strong in faith and taught in the power of the Holy Spirit. We started Gill Ministries and began writing, producing and distributing the much needed tools to start Bible schools as we began to step out in faith, going to the nations of the world.
In many of those nations we have done major “Healing Explosions” where we train the believers on how to minister healing to the sick, and then let all the miracles happen through their hands in the big evangelistic meetings. Some of the greatest miracles we have seen have been through the hands of the believers that we have trained in the nations of the world. We have preached to crowds of hundreds of thousands of people and have witnessed so many healing miracles that words cannot begin to express how overwhelmed we are with God’s awesome power that is being manifested in the nations today. How thrilling it is to see fires of miracle evangelism being lit through our ministry that has now taken us to 81 nations.
Writing and Teaching
My first book, God’s Promises for Your Every Need, in its various editions has now sold over fifteen million copies. Through our ministry travel and the distribution of our many books, manuals, audio and video teachings, God is now touching almost every nation of the world. Our teaching on Supernatural Living Through the Gifts of the Holy Spirit as part of the ISOM is now reaching 141 nations in 65 languages in over 10,000 Bible schools with close to 250,000 students and graduates. We have personally ministered to the leaders of nations and are now known as “Papa and Mama Gill” to churches and ministries around the world.
Our Three Life Verses
When we began our ministry, God gave us two verses:
Ask of Me, and I will give You The nations for Your inheritance,
And the ends of the earth for Your possession (Psalms 2:8).
Look among the nations and watch – be utterly astounded!
For I will work a work in your days which you would not believe,
though it were told you (Habakkuk 1:5).
We can truly say: “We have asked for the nations and have seen God’s faithfulness as He has worked a work in our days that has astonished us with His awesome power.”And now in our seventh year and approaching our 50th Wedding Anniversary (this November 16) God has given us another scripture found in Psalm 71:17 and 18:
O God, You have taught me from my youth; and to this day I declare Your wondrous works. Now also when I am old and gray-headed, O God, do not forsake me, until I declare Your strength to this generation, Your power to everyone who is to come.
A New Challenge
We have no plans to retire or slow down, but as the demand for our ministry keeps increasing, we are asking God for more effective ways to accomplish the task that He has given us. We are now in the process of acquiring a building at Big Bear Lake where we can begin an Apostolic Equipping-Training Center -- a place where we can bring leaders from the nations of the world, to mentor them and impart into their lives. Then, they will go back to their nations with the tools and anointing to raise up apostolic training centers where leaders can be prepared to plant churches in their own nations. God has shown us that this is to be a place where believers from all backgrounds can come together to have an encounter with Him.At a time when many are talking about slowing down, God is challenging us to raise $300,000 to complete this project. We have been working on a new manual on faith and God is challenging ours.We need help. We cannot fulfill this vision by ourselves. And we are asking you to pray about helping us with this project. One of the definitions of faith God has given us is having a joyful anticipation at what He is going to do. We know that God will speak to those whom He has chosen to help us in this way. We believe that this project will make it possible for us to see the vision He has given us fulfilled while being able to cut back on some of our exhausting international travels.
Ministry in Asia
I returned in early May from another month of ministry in Asia. We are still overwhelmed with all that God did in the nations of The Philippines, Malaysia and Indonesia. One of our spiritual sons, Phil Cannavo, accompanied us on this trip.
The Presence of the Lord in Malaysia
One night at The School of Acts in Malaysia, after I had ministered on “Breakthrough Worship” and Phil was leading in powerful worship, the power and glory of God filled the building. It was almost impossible to stand. One by one, those who needed healing began to take my hand and step into the power spot at the front of the room. As they did, they were slain under the power of God and received the manifestation of healing in their bodies. The power and presence of God was so awesome, that soon almost everyone had been touched and slain under the power of God.
The Presence of the Lord in Indonesia
This same thing happened as I was teaching over three-hundred students at The School of Acts in Semarang, Indonesia. On the first morning as I was teaching on The Love of The Father, the students began to weep uncontrollably and as I hugged them one-by-one, they fell under the power of God, overwhelmed by the great love of our Father God. These were both awesome weeks and God gave supernatural strength as I taught all of the day classes and the night classes during this time. I have been teaching the opening week at The School of Acts in Malaysia since its beginning thirteen years ago.
God is Moving in the Moslem World
When I began teaching at The School of Acts in Indonesia six or seven years ago, the church had about two hundred in attendance. Since that time God has blessed this church in an overwhelming way. This year they are completing their new auditorium that is designed to seat twelve-thousand people. However, they have already held four meetings there with attendance of up to eighteen-thousand. God has given them a Christian radio station that is covering all of central Java. They also have a Christian Television Program and will soon have their own Christian Television Network that will reach all of Indonesia which is the largest Moslem nation in the world. How great is our God! My last two days in Indonesia were spent in teaching the leaders and then speaking at the large main church pastored by our good friend, Dr. Jimmy Oentoro. On Sunday morning many were healed and the whole front of the church was lined with those who came for salvation. They are now approaching their goal of having planted 1,000 churches in many nations. And God is now speaking to them to expand this number to 5,000 churches.
The Ministry Through ISOM continues
It was thrilling to meet so many of the ISOM students that have been through our teaching on Supernatural Living in these nations. We have done ISOM graduations in so many nations. The reports continue to come in about how believers and churches have come-alive with the power of God after completing our teaching. Lisa Gilfillan, the wife of Berin, was visiting one of the Children’s Homes in Asia they support. She sent this report: After viewing our series on Supernatural Living where 73 of the 150 children had taken my course, things began to change. In the past during the rainy season the children had become sick with colds, flu, malaria and other diseases. This rainy season after going through my teaching, when the other children began to get sick, they began to lay hands and minister healing to one another. Everyone was healed instantly and the whole place is now walking in Divine health! How thrilling it is to receive reports like this. We give God all of the glory.
Moving On
During the month of June, we are ministering and doing Healing Explosions in Switzerland, Italy, Belgium and Great Brittan. During July, we will be ministering in London, Ontario, Canada, in three churches and conferences in Michigan and in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, Canada. We are also looking forward to a week-long family gathering in New Hampshire the first week of August to do the wedding of our oldest daughter, Kathryn. In October, we will be doing week-long Healing Explosions in both West and East Malaysia and our annual Minister’s Conference in Cambodia. In November, we have also scheduled a family get-together to celebrate our fiftieth wedding anniversary (November 16).
God Is Faithful!
It’s hard to write about all that God has done. We have not written this in pride. As we have left one ministry and gone to another, there have been times of heartbreak – of lost friendships – of uncertainty. There have been times when we have been discouraged as God led us away from one place, and it seemed to take so long for the next step to become clear. But we have proved the faithfulness of God over and over. And we have had the privilege of learning from so many men and women of God. Now, we are overwhelmed with all that God is doing as we keep going as your missionaries to the nations of the world.
We Are Not Alone
We know that we could not do any of this alone. Your faithful partnership with us by your fervent prayers and sacrificial giving is a tremendous encouragement and blessing to us.
Your missionaries to the world,
A.L.’n Joyce
A.L. & Joyce Gill Ministries |