“That person is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yield it’s fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither – whatever they do prospers.” Psalm 1:3 NIV
This is my unfiltered real-life story of how God apostolically called, discipled and developed me for ministry – and the story is still being written!
I grew up in a conservative Baptist church in East Los Angeles known for its influence and historic role in the civil rights movement. It was a legacy I found great pride in. As a child, I was a scrawny, buck teeth, insecure, underachiever with academic learning challenges in subjects such as Reading, Writing, and Arithmetic. These were my worst subjects, and they made me the object of teasing and ridicule as a child and for most of my life, I never understood why academics was so challenging for me. As a result, I never really felt loved or good enough for anything and deeply unsure of myself. So, to escape my pain, I turned to toys, cartoons and my imagination (up to the age of 12, when it became too embarrassing to continue lol). For me, it was a world that was beautiful, loving, happy, kind and felt safe and accepting to live in. As a teen and young adult, I secretly suffered from insecurities about my appearance to such a degree, that I hated taking pictures and avoided looking in mirrors or my reflection in store windows when out in public. From early childhood to young adult, I was the object of bullying and criticism. Thankfully I had a few talents that were notable and found a level of acceptance from them. However, it wasn’t until the age of 30 that the Holy Spirit got a hold of me and began to teach me why I was being bullied and sharply judged by those I cared about. This is what I call my “First Awakening.”
I married at 24, passionately in love so I thought, and needing to escape complex circumstances at home where I felt unheard and insignificant. I found a sense of understanding and salvation in a man whose struggles were much like my own. In this sense, we were soul mates, yet in reality, our souls were tied to a common brokenness. He struggled with a need for acceptance from his mother and siblings and in time I found myself in a marriage where both of us were too immature and broken to understand our issues. Consequently, my history of bullying manifested into my marriage with physical abuse, and abandonment, where we later divorced. For the next 6 years, I was content with life, even while struggling as a single mom with twins. Oddly, amidst all my insecurities I believe, I was always a person of conviction. This deep sense of truth made it difficult in this season of life for me to idly commit my life to something or someone for the sake of money or comfort without a sense of sincere purpose. Although marrying for comfort seemed to be the smart thing to do for someone like me according to my family and peers. However, I found greater contentment in my growing relationship with the Lord, my singleness and I greatly enjoyed being a mom. Looking back, I believe this was because God was busy planting seeds that were transforming my heart, mind, and spirit, and I was enamored by His love and presence during this season of my life. Oddly, while I genuinely felt a deep spiritual calling on my life, the traditional ministry platforms and church leadership images that I saw in the Pentecostal church that I now attended (reverend, evangelist, missionary, pastor) were somehow hard for me to identify with. They were suited down and uniformed or old fogey, and if considered fashionable, it was the absolute extreme…flashy, blinged out and over the top. So, where did I belong? This was the season of my “Second Awakening.”
It was then that I discovered God had a Jeremiah 29:11 plan for my life and considering what I sensed He was showing me, I also knew it would be truly up to Him to bring it about. My natural gifts and talents such as singing, songwriting, and dancing were certainly something I greatly enjoyed and each showed some degree of potential to develop into a ministry of its own, but my personal insecurities limited my freedom to adequately grow in them, so I knew these were not my primary calling. Although, because I was a worshiper at heart, I can see now that God chose to begin developing my call to ministry through what I was already good at and came fairly easy for me… Singing! So, this would begin a journey that would cultivate my leadership skills which included ministry in singing, worship dance, and training praise and worship teams.
Ministry of this kind would consume my life for approx. 15 years until God’s next divine shift. At the time I didn’t fully understand what He was shaping in my life, all I knew was I was doing what I loved, using what He gifted me with, and it was apparent my music ministry was a blessing to others. My worship lifestyle began to lead me into deeper prophetic waters. The first sign of this was expressed in my interest in the believer’s Hebraic Heritage and God’s end-time generation. During this season I also began having countless dreams/visions and divine encounters. While enjoying embracing my Jewish heritage, I began living a semi-messianic lifestyle and sharing the blessings of my joy and knowledge with others. Understand, this was the mid 90’s so I was learning this on my own because there weren’t many Christian ministries teaching such things as they are today. I didn’t realize it then, but this was the beginning of a spiritual movement in the body of Christ and the Spirit of God had swept me up in His current. Little did I know, it would take years before these seeds of teaching and training ministry would come into full bloom.
Then, unexpectantly, the most life-changing experience occurred in my life, and this would be my “Third Awakening.” I began to notice that every time I would meet God in prayer, it seemed He would refer to me “by name,” although He was not speaking my birth name. This was a name I had never heard before, but I knew it was a name He was calling me by because of the way He used it during prayer time. The name was “Shetiyyah” and the Holy Spirit would say, “My Shetiyyah,” whenever He spoke to me. When I first heard this word, I didn’t know what to make of it, let alone how to spell it, but all that would unfold in time. Perplexed by my encounter, I shared my experience with a handful of family members and a close friend. No one had answers so it sent me on a quest to discover it on my own.
After weeks of an exhausting journey researching and inquiring with Jewish authorities, I came up empty and I was greatly discouraged. What was I to think about my heavenly language? Is it real? Was this me? Is this from God? Questions filled my mind, and I remained without answers. Then, approx. 6 months later, at a time when I was just about to write off this encounter, the Holy Spirit led me directly to what I’ve been searching for. It was the Jewish holiday season of Rosh Ha Shana and while I was on my lunch break from work, I decided to go to the local library in Pasadena to research more on the Shofar. While browsing through the pages of the Jewish encyclopedia, I heard the Holy Spirit say, “Look up Shetiyyah.” The voice was profoundly distinct that it took me by surprise. I was almost hesitant to respond. I didn’t even know how to spell it! So, I simply sounded the word out… “SHE-THE-YAH.” To my amazement, I found something, spelled differently but phonetically, it was certainly the word. I fell into deep wonder as to what God was speaking to me about this name and how it pertained to my calling and purpose in life. In time it would certainly be made clear. The word was Hebrew, and it meant “FOUNDATION STONE.”
The stone on which rested the Ark of the Covenant was called “eben shetiyyah” = “the foundation-stone,” on which the world was based.
https://www.encyclopedia.com/religion/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/even-shetiyyah
Again, this was another layer about my spiritual calling amidst all that God was impressing upon me (power of prayer and worship, intimacy with God, sacredness of His word, prophetic revelation, and God’s end-time move) yet I was still unclear of His bigger picture and exactly what he was forming out of my life. Although, from that point on, my walk of faith would consist of God’s hand, chiseling away at my heart, character and personal dreams with deep intensity. This walk of faith would make me feel the spotlight of ridicule, rejection, and vulnerability once again that felt pretty much the same as when I was a child, but this time, it had a remarkably different impact on my life. It seemed now I would be ridiculed, judged and even rejected by family and a few friends in my normal circle who didn’t understand me, my encounters and my deep love for God. Family members felt that “I thought” I was more holy than they were, even while I said nor did anything to convey this sentiment. I found my friendships changing and I was being drawn more to people of prayer and who shared a passion for God’s word and intimacy with Him.
Surprisingly, while the spirit of revelation was flowing freely in my life there were still many yolks of oppression that needed to be broken off my life. God was indeed wooing me into ministry and in the most unconventional way. I mean, REALLY, where was I to go for education and training to piece together all my experiences for a work of ministry? My faith was greatly challenged, and I was compelled to simply walk in what I knew the best way I knew how and to trust that God would do the rest. Like any new endeavor, I spent the next several years defining my learning curve as a ministry leader. This was not an easy season as it came with poor leadership choices, personal judgement and mocking from those close to me, a lack of understanding from those I would share my vision with, limited funding, and the endless mental haunting that my calling was not real. Oh, how I wish I had someone in my life at that time who could tell me that my spiritual journey was real. Thankfully, God would not let me forget His encounters as He consoled me with the truth of His word and sweet presence. He caused me to be constant in hope and assurance that He had a plan for my life; a plan that in time, all the fragmented pieces of my experiences would come together with full understanding.
This next season of my life was interwoven with my second marriage. Learning from my last experience 10 years ago, the most important thing in my life now was to marry a man whom I believed God chose for me, loved Jesus, respected my love for ministry, and who would be a good father to my children. “Love” was secondary this time. So, my best friend and I decided to fast and pray for our mates, and I even sought counsel from seasoned couples in my church who shared their wisdom and experiences about marriage; what made it strong and how their walk of faith caused them to find each other.
It was then that I decided to also put my faith to the test. So, I shared my desire for marriage with my twins and like the testimonies I heard from others, I exercised a symbolic act of my faith. I laid out an extra plate at mealtime for my husband, whom I believed would one day join us and make our family complete. Then, zealously, I believed that between intercessory prayer with my best friend and demonstrated acts of faith, I would see the promise of the Lord manifested because, without faith, it is impossible to please God, RIGHT? So, I felt in my spirit this was the year, my husband was sure to come. Most profound during this time was the prayer encounter my best friend and I had one day. We were praying as usual (once a week) however, this time, after we prayed and shared what we experienced during prayer, Lo and behold, both of us had a vision…of the SAME THING!
The Vision: We saw two men, dressed in black suits, (business men) standing together with “shining stars” etched in their eyes. WHAT IN THE WORLD! We had no clue what it meant but felt confident our husbands would be professional men, and they were coming! Not even six months later my best friend met a man that would turn her world upside down and by the end of the same year I met the man who would do the same in my life and who I ultimately married and YES, both were believers and professional men. Now, I would love to tell you these men proved to be our ideal soul mates but in actuality, they were just the opposite, and my second marriage was worse than the first, this time with emotional and mental abuse. Looking back, and knowing what I know now, it is clear my second husband was a narcissist, and I experienced all the trauma and drama that comes with living with such a personality type. My marriage in 1994 ultimately ended with the death of my husband due to cancer in 2006. I cared for him to the end of his life and my final role was to make sure he was reconciled back to God before he passed away.
The greatest reward from this marriage was not the man but the seeds that God used the man to deposit in me. My husband was a young believer when we married although he severely fell away from the Lord during our marriage. I experienced God moving in profound ways prior to marriage that seem to signify our legitimate spiritual bond yet there were also clear signs that should have given me pause but I moved past them as I considered the other ways God was moving and what I thought was the “Bigger Picture.” Everywhere we would go oddly, people would question if he was a preacher. We would laugh but privately wonder if God was up to something much bigger than what we could see. I was mostly compelled by the way the spirit of God moved so harmoniously between us through answered prayer and how we worked through issues together. I can recall wrestling with God about my relationship with Him because it was so apparent that almost everything I needed or even desired something for my family (even while we were dating), God would convey my concerns to him and use him to get it to me. It was as if we were already betrothed in the spirit and it was something like I had never experienced before.
Now, my biggest critics were those in my inner circle (family and close friends) and whose marriages at the time, were not something to be admired and in general, not much better than mine. So, in all their criticism, I wasn’t sure they had my best interest at heart. I must give them credit though; they saw my relationship in the raw and were not a part of my spiritual bubble, so they judged my relationship practically and I chose to judge it spiritually and hope for the best. Considering all the pros and cons about getting married, I committed time to prayer that God would stop this courtship if he was not in it. Well, needless to say, I chose to move forward with the affirmation of my spiritual experiences however, I can admit, I did have clear reservations of uncertainty, but I simply resolved that they were fears that comes with taking a “Leap of Faith.”
I can clearly see now how our courtship season was interwoven with the “spiritual romance” that accompanies the discipleship work of God. You see, my husband was a fairly new believer, and I was indirectly discipling him as his friend. Growing in God alongside a romantic partner may seem beautiful and ideal however, I believe it merely makes discernment even more challenging. It is from this experience that I became a strong proponent of “men discipling men and women discipling women.” Some might debate me on this case, but this was the message that God chose to instill in me through my journey. Now, I see more clearly how these were fine lines to tread upon in the “ministry of discipleship” and it never occurred to me how relevant this principle would become in my life today. Nevertheless, this was at the heart of our courtship, and it led us to marriage.
Through our years together I would discover in the most profound ways how deeply God loves the sinner, how our brokenness is the seed for the miracle of God’s wholeness, how God desires His people to know His love intimately with ALL of their faults and hang-ups, how relentless and long-suffering God is with our brokenness, how humility and repentance is the key to deliverance and salvation over and over again. How to be an instrument of His prophetic voice in the midst of seasons of suffering, and of His unending mercy when we fall away. To be privileged by His abounding grace and the great lengths God will go through so no one would perish but have everlasting life with Him. My marriage was my primary training platform for my life in ministry that I walk in today. The deepest things I learned about God such as hearing His voice and following Him was cultivated through my marriages. It was from these life experiences that I realized that the blessings of God is not material excess, financial freedom or a life of luxury (while these are indeed treasures) but rather, the true and eternal blessing of God that He values most is a TRANSFORMED LIFE of his truth, goodness and glory in darkness and He knows exactly what it will take to bring it about in our lives if we are willing to trust and follow Him. This was my Fourth Awakening.
I was ridiculed for loving my husband in the way I did, mostly by my family, but what God showed me through this journey carried much more weight. You see, I learned that our valleys in life are not just for us to get through them, but rather, to “position us” to learn of God, about ourselves, about our relationship with Him, about the deeper realities of life and, to be affirmed by His truth. I learned the valleys in life will TRANSFORM us in beautiful ways if we let it and we have the power to endure the valleys so much more than we can imagine when we allow God to be our strength. I learned enduring isn’t easy and many don’t know how to do it because it’s lonely, raw, painful, scary and sometimes filled with ridicule and uncertainty about ourselves and the future. However, I have learned, it is far better to endure trials with an awareness of God than without him. I found it was literally during these tempestuous years that God was working a NEW THING in my life that would mature and equip my walk of faith like nothing else could and consequently propel me into His divine purpose for my life more effectively. I think James says something about this…
James 1:2-4
Trials and Temptations
2 Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters,[a] whenever you face trials of many kinds, 3 because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. 4 Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.
Wouldn’t you know it, the discipleship hand of God shaped my life for ministry through seasons of great storms (there are others I have yet to tell). In a nutshell this is what they mount up to. I endured two broken marriages, the death of my husband, I was a single parent of twins, gave birth to my third child twelve years later, my beautiful twin daughter became severely afflicted with lupus at the age of 11, lost her kidneys five years later and received a transplant at age 20. I was working 9-5 as a single parent while leading ministry, was divinely moved 300 miles away from family and closest friends for 10 years where I would care for my ill husband, establish my first Christian nonprofit discipleship ministry and to complete grad school. I learned how to tame my strong-willed child through God’s grace and power. I parented my youngest daughter’s boyfriend for three and a half years in my own home (when his mother and younger siblings became homeless) of which he would later become my spiritual son. During the launch of my discipleship ministry, I was afflicted with “Rupus” (combination of Lupus and Rheumatoid Arthritis) that ravaged my body for 7 solid years and would be the most devastating illness ever experienced in my life, yet I am living to tell the story. Through all this, I completed my BA degree (Organizational Leadership) and Masters degree (Peacemaking and Conflict Studies) by night while working part-time and serving as a ministry leader.
Looking back, I realize now that it was during the most painful and confusing seasons of my life that God did his greatest work in me. The most significant shift in my life came when God uprooted me from my comfort zone, the county where I was born and raised. All my family was there, yet at the same time I knew I needed distance from them. During this time, I sensed a change was coming but I didn’t know how or when. It took my husband getting a job in Fresno CA and it would be just months later that he would be diagnosed with Cancer. To my surprise, Fresno would become the place where the Holy Spirit would nurture, groom, develop and pilot my life in ministry. He brought order, meaning and significance to my calling. It was there that I realized my passion for discipleship ministry and the value of doing it well. I realized the lack of a clearly defined discipleship work in local churches (as expressed by fellow believers), the kind that transforms the whole person with evidence that brings about fruitfulness in all seasons of life. My heart was fill with passion to restore discipleship foundations to the body of Christ. Just as “Shetiyyah” was calling the ark of the covenant to be restore to its rightful place, I would be similarly inspired through the ministry of discipleship to restore a more authentic work of discipleship to the local church and believers globally through resources, training, mentoring coaching, spiritual parenting and small group ministries of various kinds.
KarenGaithersMinistries
https://www.karengaithersministries.org/discipleship
https://www.karengaithersministries.org/institute
So, what does life and ministry look like for me today?
I am a Southern California native and now calling Orange County, California, HOME. Today, my health is well managed, in remission and off ALL related meds. This season of major life altering transitions in life and ministry resulted in writing all my books, becoming ordained as a minister of the gospel, partnering with a global missions organization, facilitating a national intercessory prayer network, becoming a thriving Life Discipleship Coach, establishing nationwide discipleship book clubs, architect of one of the most profound God Encounters that defines the believers spiritual calling and imparts a spiritual mandate, host of “The Authentic Walk” podcast show, and co-creator of “The Peacemaker Project, ” an international research project to raise awareness about the Ministry of Peacemaking and establish a fellowship of church peacemakers. Truly by God’s grace, I believe I am an OVERCOMER on many aspects of my life considering how I grew up. With all the “hills and valleys” of my journey, I raised my children (in large part) as a single parent while developing in ministry and in spite of the odds, lack and challenges, my children – Rendle, Beth and Hollie, did not become a single parent statistic. My son married Rachel Gatdula in 2018 whom I simply adore and October 2023, they welcomed their first child and my first grandson, “Jairus Elijah.” I consider my children among my greatest accomplishments in life, as they are bright, beautiful, lovely human beings, and have a committed walk of faith in Jesus Christ. They are truly the pride and sweetest joys of my life.
Prophetically, I fervently believe my ministry call and spiritual gifts were uniquely designed to prepare the Bride of Christ for an end-time generation through, Apostolic Discipleship (grooming, sending out believers in God’s purpose, presence and power just as Jesus did). This is my ministry precedence and heart behind everything I do.
I am the author, of seven discipleship training curricula (2-are instructor manuals): Skills for Life, The Sum of My Call, Mysteries of the Kingdom-The Key to Life, Mysteries of the Kingdom – Discipleship Foundations, and The Vision Intercessor’s Handbook. All of these books are used as handbooks for discipleship or evangelism training. I consider myself God’s “Handbook Maiden.” I says that humorously because by nature, I really am a basic “How to Girl.” What I mean by that is that this is my personal reading style! I greatly appreciate reading material that has substance, provides clear content and easily GETS TO THE POINT. That’s what a handbook is, and I enjoy writing them. I believe the work of discipleship and mentoring needs such a tool to make learning interesting, exciting, relevant and applicable.
Professionally, I am an ordained minister of the gospel, Christian nonprofit director, a Life Discipleship Coach, author, educator and mentor and spiritual parent to many. This personal and professional identity rests at the heart of all my discipleship work. Becoming “Spiritually Skillful” is my motto that defines not only the ministry of reconciliation but all my discipleship work. I believe the believer’s true light and reflection of Christ can only be realized by genuine spiritual transformation which requires an authentic Christ-centered walk with God and humanity. The Bible calls the peacemaker the “Children of God” Matt. 5:9. This deeper spiritual identity is what my heart seeks for my own life and even more for the Body of Christ.
As an Apostolic Prophetic Leader, I humbly recognize that I am just one of many “Watchmen on the Walls” whom God has positioned for this generation to discern the seasons and minister His kingdom message of apostolic order, ministry, purpose, and spiritual identity to His royal bride. I courageously embrace the full life in Christ Jesus that the bible declares I am to live with love, power, discipline and spiritual authority while also embracing the sufferings that come with that call. Through Apostolic Discipleship, I believe I have been spiritually gifted to inspire, and transform lives through the power of God and the light of his truth. The biblically based five-fold leadership and discipleship model illustrated in Eph. 4:11-16 is my leadership model and foundation of a vibrant, healthy, authentic image of the Church of Jesus Christ. Through this unconventional Apostolic journey I testify, “I AM FREE,” not defined by denominations, religious routines, of culture or human philosophies. I am defined by the life and ministry of Jesus Christ, His word and the family He’s established. I embrace the Holy Spirit as my guide and find fellowship wherever and however God’s spirit and truth is genuinely celebrated, glorified and where His love abounds.
My Prayerful Life Legacy: These are the treasures in heaven and on earth that I desire to leave behind until Christ returns.
- A passionate and transcending love for my family – including spiritual children and “FRAMILY” (Family-like friendships)
- The various practical life principles I’ve personally learned in life Discipleship “seeds of faith” that I plant in the lives of my family and believers globally
- My various ministry resources
- My various spiritual life principles and ministry program models used in churches and other forms of discipleship ministries
- Those who have become a part of the family of God as a result of my personal witness and the witness of others utilizing the evangelism tool, “Mysteries of the Kingdom” Apostolic discipleship series.
- Through my loving relationships, gifts, talents, passions and ministry, I am a powerful light and salt in the earth, establishing God’s Kingdom on earth through my spere of influence and in all, store up eternal treasures in heaven and also on earth.
Matt. 6:19-21 NIV “Treasures in Heaven”
19 “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. 20 But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal.
21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
Karen Gaithers-Life Discipleship 