TELL US YOUR EXPERIENCE AS A FEMALE IN MINISTRY

[Apostle Dr. Carol J. Sherman Ph.D, Th.D., D.D.]

I KNOW THAT SO MANY TIMES I HAVE BEEN APPROACHED BY MEN OF TRADITION OR CHAUVINISTIC WITH POINTS OF VIEWS AND HAVE TOLD ME FLAT FOOTED THAT GOD DID NOT CALL A WOMAN TO BE AN APOSTLE, BISHOP, PROPHET, PASTOR, EVANGELIST OR MINISTER. ONCE UPON A TIME SISTER'S IT REALLY DID BOTHER ME. AS TO I HAD TO REALLY CHECK WITH GOD TO MAKE SURE HE CALLED ME. BUT THANKS BE UNTO GOD FOR MY HUSBAND WHO HAS STOOD WITH ME THROUGH ALL THE PAIN AND ANGER I HAD TO DEAL WITH. I AM NOW FREE AND DON'T REALLY CARE WHAT OPINION A PERSON MAY HAVE BECAUSE I CAN BACK UP EVERY OFFICE IN THE BIBLE. INCLUDING THE 1ST FEMALE APOSTLES. SO I DON'T TRY TO PERSAUDE A PERSON TO BE IN AGREEMENT AS TO WHETHER GOD HAS ANOINTED, APPOINTED OR CALLED ME AND SET ME APART. I KNOW LONGER NEED MAN'S AFFIRMATION TO CONFIRM OR AFFIRM MY CALL OR POSITION FROM OR IN GOD.

IS THERE ANY OTHER SISTER'S OUT THERE WITH AN EXPERIENCE YOU'D LIKE TO SHARE AND MAYBE HELP A SISTER THAT IS STUCK BETWEEN THE WILL OF GOD AND THE WILL OF MAN.......................................................TELL YOUR STORY AND HELP SOMEONE THANKS APOSTLE DR. CAROL SHERMAN PH.D., TH.D., D.DIV.

[Judith]

Thanks so much for this . I was called by God in 2000 to the offices of Prophetess/Pastor. I remember when I set an appointment with my Pastor to share it qwith him. He told me that I did not hear God, and that God would never call a woman to preach, or be a prophetes. I was so hurt, and confused, I cried and cried. I went home and began a time of seeking God, and God informed me that he did call me. God even sent confirmation of my call through a guest minister who came to our church to preach. He called me out in front of everyone and said God called this lady to the office of prophet, you must receive her. My pastor still said it was not God. Even those God began to use me to give words there, my pastor would not receive my gift. He and some of the members at the church began to reject me, it hurt me badly. I still stayed there for seven more years, but nothing changed it only got worse. I finally left because I couldn't take it anymore. I am not a member of any church at this time. I am fasting and spending time with God for direction. I know without any doubt that I was called by God, but it is so sad that anyone has to go through what I went through. I encourage women to believe God, trust Him, and don't look for confirmation, affirmation and acceptance from man.

[Apostle Dr. Carol J. Sherman Ph.D, Th.D., D.D.]

First of all welcome to the council. You are absolutely correct it should never have taken you seven more years to follow the leading of the God. But due to your wanting to be obedient to your pastor you continued to take the abuse. I have found that it is during this time of rejection that builds God builds us in the Jer. Call.

I also understand your not being in a church right now, God is healing your bleeding heart. So when you do begin to minister, it won't be out of hurt, but love. The anointing and a wounded spirit can be a dangerous weapon when put together.

I thank you for sharing and I am so glad you did, maybe your story will help another sister out. Who is still stuck at where you were.

Dr. Carol Sherman

[Prophetess Sherri Thomas]

Greetings Sisters in the Name of Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

One cannot sit down on fire. I have had my share of rejection and even my share of being used.However, when God has called and chosen you to an assignment, you have been mandated by Him to fulfill whatever that assignment is because it is what He has designed you to do. There is no peace in disobedience because you will have to pay the price for defying the commission that God has given you. Yes, it does hurt and sometimes wounds your spirit when you are confronted by people who have placed God inside a box, and who have the audacity to try to diminish His authority to appoint whom He wills to do whatever it is He wills for them to do.

I realize that I am designed to do more than hang as an ornament on the arms of a man. When God designed me, He designed me to be a "help meet" not a "help mate" (See Genesis 2:18). That lets me know that I was designed to meet my husband on whatever level God designed him to be. It also lets me know that I have the capacity to help him reach his next level. The bible says in verse 20 of that same chapter that, ".... there was not found an help meet for him-- this is after God had created everything else. So that lets me know that out of everything God created, nothing that He created at the time had the potential to meet Adam at his level. Therefore, the bible says in verses 21-24 , "God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam, and he slept; and he took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh instead thereof; and the rib, which the Lord God had taken from man, made he a woman, and brought her unto the man; And Adam said, This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh: she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man; Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh. That means that even Adam did not know the potential that lay inside of his wife because he was asleep when she was being MADE! In Genesis 1:26-27, the bible says, "And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth. So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male AND female created he them.In verse 28, the bible says that, "God blessed them, God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth.That lets me know that even before God created the man, He knew that He was going to make woman. Out of everthing else God created, nothing had the capacity to WALK BESIDE MAN but THE WOMAN. That's why she was taken from his side (see Gen. 2:22). She was not designed to walk in front of him, behind him, under him, or over him. She came from the SIDE OF MAN. Before Adam knew that there was a EVE, she was already inside of him nurturing the vital organs that helped him to function. (Notice the purpose of a rib. It encloses (protects) the heart. What does the heart do? It pumps blood (life's source) throughout the body. I can walk beside the man in ministry because even when he is asleep, I am on the inside of him protecting his ability to feed the WORD OF LIFE to the sheep. The rib is also connected to the spine which is designed to help us walk upright. Spiritually speaking the spine could represent the WORD OF GOD because it is the WORD OF GOD that helps us to WALK UPRIGHT. That means while Adam was asleep, Eve was on the inside of him CONNECTED TO THE WORD OF GOD. In order to be connected to the WORD Eve had to have relationship with the Father as well. While Adam was asleep, Eve received her commission too. That is why God had to take her OUT OF ADAM in order for her to fulfill that commission. Woman is

[Prophetess Sherri Thomas]

In continuance, I believe that when God made the woman he had to put Adam asleep because what Eve was doing on the inside of him was important to his very existance. Adam had to pay the price for Eve to walk BESIDE him. He had to sacrifice her being drawn from his side in order for her to be beside him. Many people are not willing to make that sacrifice. It is less expensive to have Eve in the background or under their feet. Because in order for her to walk beside them they will have to fall into a deep sleep. Her worth to the body is something they can not understand because they have not been able to see what she was made out of. Woman is "a man with a womb". She has the capacity to give birth to the seed man places inside of her. In ministry she can give birth to his vision. Because she has relationship with God, she can also give birth to whatever God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit has deposited into her spiriutal womb. I am a daughter of the King. I have been commissioned by Him. Some people may not like it. Some people may not agree. But do not presume to know what God has placed inside of my womb. In the natural realm, when it is time for the baby, he/she will come one way or the other. Therefore, in the spiritual realm when it is time to deliver the seed that God deposits inside of you Women of God, the baby has to come regardless of what onlookers may say or think. My answer is YES to God. Those who do not agree, my answer to you is that I am pregnant with the Call of God. I am in labor and the baby is coming whether you like it or not. If you can't help me to push GET OUT OF THE DELIVERY ROOM!!!



With love and peace in the Name of Jesus,


Prophetess Sherri Thomas
Tabernacle of New Jerusalem
Apostolic International Ministries, Inc.
(A.I.M.)

[Judith]

Thank you so much sister! You don't know how much you have encouraged me. Let me tell you a little about my story. I was an active member of a church and I loved the people there so much.I was totally in love with my pastor and his wife. In 2000 while seeking the Lord He called me to the office of Prophetess. I was excited and scared to death all at the same time. I went to my pastor to tell him about what God hadsaid, and he totally rejected it. He said God did not say that to me because I was a woman, and if that was true he would have to ordaine me and he was not going to do that. I was so hurt his words wounded me deeply. God would continue to tell me that I did here Him and this was His purpose for my life. In December of that same year we had a guest Minister to preach, and at the end of the message I was called to the altar. The Minister said, "God wants this Body to know that He has put His words in this sister's mouth,and He has appointed her as His Prophetess" Even after that confirmation, my pastor still would not acknowledge my call. After the confirmation,God begangiving me words to give. My pastor would give me permission to do so, but then he would tell everyone that it was not God. This went on for seven years.I was rejected, talked about and even called a witch by the leadership. I cannot describe the abuse I went through there. Finally, 8 months ago I left. Iam now seeking God on His direction and path for me. I know that I am called by God, I just need to know where do I go from here. I welcome any advice or wisdom you can give me.

[Apostle Dr. Carol J. Sherman Ph.D, Th.D., D.D.]

THANK YOU FOR THE RESPONSE IT SPOKE VOLUMES OF LITERAL, FIGERATIVLY AND SYMBOLIC IDIOMS. I APPRECIATE YOUR WISDOM AND WORD FULL OF VALUE TO ENCOURAGE THIS SISTER.

[Apostle Dr. Carol J. Sherman Ph.D, Th.D., D.D.]

THANKS FOR THE WORDS OF WISDOM

[Apostle Dr. Carol J. Sherman Ph.D, Th.D., D.D.]

Dear Apostle I truly enjoyed reading your testimony. I am sure it will give much strength to all the other women that are in need of hearing it, to help stablelize all the fears of acceptance among women. I am sure the rejection had to pierce your heart as it did our precious saviors heart was pierced so may times during his time here on earth. Truly I believe you have the ministry of Jesus. I hope that many women read your challenge just to say yes to God. Why do we have to go through so much because of our gender, when the word states God is not a respecter of persons and there is neither male or female in God. But I am so in love with the fact that you have overcome by the blood of the lamb and word of your testimony. I bless you, forever do the will of God no matter what man thinks of you. Love, Live and Prosper Apostle Dr. Carol Sherman

[Apostle Dr. Carol J. Sherman Ph.D, Th.D., D.D.]

Sister, Sister,Sister, I am so proud of you. The stand you took for God it really encouraged me to stand by my convictions for God I live and for God I die. I am sure now even the more so that this too is your deepest convictions. Stay on the forefront for Jesus. I am truly proud of you that you step up to the cup of bitter herbs and drank from the cup of the great author and finisher of our faith God. Know that you are forever love by me. Love, Live and Prosper. Apostle

[Apostle Dr. Carol J. Sherman Ph.D, Th.D., D.D.]

You are so very welcome. Love, Live and Prosper