"And I sought for a man among them that should make up the hedge, and stand in the gap before me for the land, that I should not destroy it: but I found none." - Ezekiel 22:30
HOW EZEKIEL'S CHARGE WAS BIRTHED
In the late 1990s, Sandra Thomas Brown began to hear the Holy Spirit say, “Ezekiel”. She knew He was speaking of the Old Testament prophet, Ezekiel, but was unclear as to what it meant concerning her. She pondered it but did not share her questions about it with anyone. As time passed, she would read the book of Ezekiel ;and later study it more intensely. Sandra knew she was to watch & pray, and faithfully minister God’s Word, in general. She knew she was to focus on and emphasize certain matters or topics God would alert her to at times. She also knew she that she was to pray for the people and nations whom God would prompt her about; but knew there was a greater depth of revelation as to what Ezekiel meant to her. Along the way, numerous others, including Sandra’s former pastor, told her that she called by God to be a prophetess, in addition to other ministerial offices. In one instance, a man of God, who had never met her, even called her[ an] “Ezekiel”. As time progressed, Sandra came to a fuller understanding regarding this facet of her calling.
Ezekiel was a Jewish priest who was taken captive and carried away to Babylon during Judah’s exile. He was called to be a prophet several years after he himself was carried to Babylon as a captive. God used him to speak truth to His people in the midst of lies and delusion, yet to inspire hope in them about Israel’s future restoration and redemption in the midst of hopelessness and despair. Even though the book of Ezekiel was written during the exile of the Jews in Babylon (due to their idolatry and disobedience to God in general) it holds parallels with the church of our era, and contains lessons which can be applied to bring both correction and encouragement to the Body of Christ in perilous and trying times, such as these.
ABOUT THE FOUNDER, SANDRA BROWN
As a child, Sandra Thomas Brown felt the Holy Spirit wooing her to Christ. Sandra’s dad, James Thomas, who was an executive with the Boy Scouts of America, would take her with him when possible on many occasions to visit and enlist the help of different community organizations, including churches. One day when she was about 7 her father took her to a (Catholic ) church; she felt the presence of the Lord in an overwhelming way, even though she did not accept Jesus as her Lord and Savior until a number of years later. As a child, on numerous occasions she would watch Billy Graham crusades on television, and have similar experiences, to the point of weeping when the altar call was given. Sandra’s paternal grandfather was a Baptist pastor who died just a few months after her birth. The family kept his Bible after his death, and placed it on the coffee table. As a little girl, Sandra was drawn to his Bible, and would try to read and understand passages in it beginning at a very early age. But it wasn’t until she was a teenager that she gave her life to Jesus Christ. After receiving Christ as her Savior and Lord, Sandra embarked on an intense study of the Word of God and not many years later, the Lord called Sandra into the ministry. In March of 1990, Sandra was ordained as a minister of the gospel at Center of Faith Church in Atlanta, GA.
Today, Sandra is an ordained and licensed minister of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. She holds a B.A. in Religion and Christian Worldview from Luther Rice Seminary and University. For over 25 years, she has served the Body of Christ in various capacities which include prison and general gospel outreach, radio Bible teacher, Bible-Studies Coordinator and in various facets of pastoral ministry. Sandra has been the wife of her husband, Leonard (Len, also a minister), for 43 years, with whom she serves in pastoral ministry. She is also the mother of 3, and the grandmother of 3.
