Wow has life been going by! Recently, Janalee and I celebrated 45 years of marriage and Forerunner Ministries 43 years.

Over the next few months, or however long it takes, we want to share with you stories and testimonies from this 43-year journey, remembering what the Lord has done and is continuing to do; giving testimony to the faithfulness and goodness of the Lord.

Janalee and I were married June 1981, in Detroit Lakes, MN, and were involved at Northern Lights Missionary Outreach, Pastor Fred and LuAnne Soyring. In 1983, after much prayer, fasting, and counseling, we accepted the call of God on our lives; to live a life of faith in God for our provision and to minister to His people.

During our time seeking the Lord as to what He had for us and what we felt He was calling us to do, my mom shared a scripture verse, Zechariah 4:10, about not despising the day of small beginnings. Looking back this was a foundational scripture along with Revelation 3:8, “I have set before you an open door, and no one can shut it…”

There’s another story behind walking through the open door of ministry opportunity and trying to make things happen, but eventually we were free to launch out.

In June of 1983, we gave up our apartment, put what we had in storage and headed out to what seemed like the unknown.

Our first stop was Baudette, Minnesota, where our friends Pastors Dave & Mary Lee Gens pastored Church of the Living Water. We had known them from our days in Detroit Lakes and our very first recording, “There is a Beauty”, was recorded in their living room. They were Forerunners in answering their call to Northern Minnesota to start a church. So it was very special to make our first stop in Baudette.

The church met in an old barn with no electricity. We don’t recall everything from our first meeting/concert, but do remember there was a sweet spirit there that night and we knew the meeting was over then we were invaded by the local mosquitoes!!

Our first summer on the road full time as Forerunner Ministries, took us as we like to say, “coast to coast with the Holy Ghost”! We covered nine states with meetings and concerts at camps, youth groups, home meetings, Full Gospel Business Men’s meetings, and churches ranging from interdenominational, Lutheran, Baptist, and Mennonite.

One of the foundational works the Lord did in us that summer was introducing us to street evangelism. It all started in New York City with Pastor Harley & Jan Swartout and Redemption Ministry Center. I had attended Compassion Bible School with Harley & Jan in the 70’s before they headed to New York City to start a church.

I’m sure there have been times when you have called and cried out to the Lord asking for help now! New York City was one of those times for me when Pastor Harley asked me to close the street meeting one night. I needed boldness, love, and the gospel message now! People had been drinking and dancing to the music going on, but when I gave the invitation, they came forward. I remember being led to just say, “put your cigarettes and drinks down and come and receive Jesus”. And they did! I tell folks they got saved and I got delivered from fear and launched into street ministry.

Thank you Pastor Harley & Jan for throwing us into the battle and launching us to the streets!

In Southern California the Lord connected us with Soldiers for Jesus, run by Ken & Bill Henderson, two muscular, bold, and anointed men of God. The Lord connected us with them over the next eight plus years doing evangelism in Southern California and around the country.

I remember once in Seattle, Washington, we were at Pikes Place Market doing praise and worship and preaching the gospel. The police came and told us we could sing but not preach. We needed a song that would preach. Brother Bill and I looked at each other and we both got a simple Caribbean style tune to John 3:16. We’d sing the verse then our chorus was spelling out eh name of J-E-S-U-S with Bill calling out things like “you’ll be saved” in between. It became our anthem street song over the next few years.

Thank you Ken & Bill and Soldiers for Jesus, for taking us in and continuing to build on the foundation of street evangelism the Lord had established.