Jesus Sent Them Out Two By Two

 Greetings Brothers and Sisters! My testimony is long and strong and reveals God’s grace, love, mercy and forgiveness. Here is a SNAPSHOT of the transformational timeline that God’s grace carried me through as a single and married woman. The SPECIFIC details of our testimony are shared in person. Be blessed as you serve the Lord! 

Apostle Denise Thomas

I was an entrepreneur and educated business woman in corporate America for over 20 years. My secret lifestyle involved alcoholism, abuse and other destructive lifestyle choices with men. Eventually I lost all property and turned the care of my two children over to others in 2007. Walked the streets of Hartford CT day and night. Tried to go off the grid due to shame and guilt. One Sunday I wandered into a small chapel service held at the CT Department of Corrections. Thankfully the pastor and her ministers prayed and God led them to help me redirect my steps. With no place to work or live, I entered a substance abuse recovery facility and finished in 2008. New employment came. Reunited with children and local hands-on training in ministry in 2009. Pursued formal ministry education in New York. Received a degree and ordainment; 2010-2012. Sent to an all-male recovery facility in New York as a pastor to preach, teach and counseling. Met my husband in New York and was married in 2013. Returned to Connecticut and faced many unwanted trials that led to a series of events. We stayed in a hotel, rooming house and shelter. No steady employment for my new husband Mantwan until 2014. I experienced rumors, rejection, ridicule and severe depression. We sought out professional counseling and God’s light was still leading me to seek other ministry opportunities while my husband worked full-time.

As I condense this testimony here is God’s continued grace upon our lives while my husband was working full-time employment. We found housing! Assisted several churches and ministries to develop our spiritual gifts to serve God’s people. I continued with pastoral care assistance, counseling, street evangelism and substance abuse recovery teaching. Counseled women and created a mobile coffee, tea and conversation to encourage women. Over a span of 19 years, the Holy Spirit inspired me to self-publish 15 books, create multiple podcasts and social media accounts. Established several registered free ministries in CT. Developed creative mission projects during different seasons to share God’s Word. Hosted people at public restaurants and in our home. We served on the board of directors for other ministries. The list goes on! The apostolic call (apostleship) on my life was dreamt about long ago when God gave me that clear vision. All of the trials and training was leading to another phase in my life. I quietly kept the call of apostleship to myself for a time; fought with God and then repented and gracefully received the call. For I knew the next phase of warfare that apostleship was going to bring! It was prophesied by several others. It was confirmed by other spiritual leaders along with my spiritual mother and mentor; Elder Scruse. 

During this new season of my husband’s lifechanging events; he is also an ordained preacher. His full-time employment ended over two years ago. He is an army veteran and faces challenging but manageable health issues right now. He has his own substance abuse recovery testimony and a testimony of serving in his family church earlier in life. We still face obstacles to overcome, but God is using our lives as mobile apostolic leaders in a new way. When we are able; we share our testimonies with veterans, substance abuse recovery people and anyone who will listen. We have advised younger couples and married them as well as walking them through their difficulties in marriage. We freely serve others in local places preaching, teaching, praying and testifying. We use a teleconference line at designated times to preach and teach together. God has allowed me to mentor and ordain others. We have mission Bible teaching along with our ROWS (Recovery Outreach Workshop Sessions); at designated times in public places. The continued apostolic focus is on establishing the gospel in distressed communities. The mission is about connecting PEOPLE to the FOUNDATION who is Jesus.

Our journey together does not consist of always being in the spotlight for various reasons. We continue to overcome jealousy from others, rumors, deceitful sabotage and difficult trials. We got through the interference in our marriage and ministry assignment. There are times when I have asked God to remove us from the social media spotlight for a season and just let His light shine through us as we travel about in every day ordinary places serving Him. We have never asked for donations or asked for money to speak. Truthfully there is NO MONETARY PRICE that can be placed on prophesying, testifying and sharing the gospel! The Bible gives Believers in Christ a clear blueprint on how to conduct the work that Jesus started by reaching lost souls. We need to speak what Jesus said and do exactly what He did. Then our small part in communities across the world, will enlarge the global mandate that is mentioned in the Great Commission. Matthew 28:18-20.

We are not recognized as apostolic leadership to everyone; nor do we care. We continue to PLEASE GOD! But the groups of people whom we serve at designated times; we serve with love and respect. We are grateful to say yes to God to help them as He continues to send folks in our path! I am sure that God’s transformational timeline in our lives will have more to share as we move forward in this apostolic call. We encourage you to seek God. Serve people. Share the good news of the gospel of Jesus. People are waiting for you. Amen