Featured Preaching Woman

 Dr. Patricia Bailey-Jones: Being Heaven's Voice In the Earth

Perhaps you have heard the old adage that says, "Silence is golden?" However, is it always? There are times when silence is essential and even necessary. Conversely, there are also times when silence can be outright deadly, especially when it is in response to the millions of people all over the world who are hurting, hungry, and homeless amidst many other personal and socio-economic woes.

Since the beginning, God has ordained His people to be the tangible voice of Heaven in the earth. As there are so many people who are disenfranchised and do not have a voice, they are depending upon your voice to echo God's solvent voice in response to their muted cries. So, how will you respond? Will you be silent? Or, will you be Heaven's voice in the earth, demonstrating in word and deed the grace, goodness, and glory of Jesus Christ to those who are perishing and without hope?

Marked with an undeniable passion and anointing for imparting deliverance and salvation to countless thousands of people and people groups, the ministry of Dr. Bailey-Jones is highly regarded for creating tremendous global impact for over 32 years in over 134 countries. Going to places where many, even if it is in the name of missions ministry, will not dare to go, Dr. Bailey-Jones has diligently labored to be the eyes, hands, feet, and voice of the Lord, most pointedly in a spiritually impoverished region of the world called the 10/40 window, where the people are the poorest of the world's poor and are faced with less than a 1% chance of ever hearing the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

In response and in addition to personally traveling and addressing the concerns of "the least of these", Dr. Bailey-Jones and MTM have developed several training centers and ministry resources to ensure that all Christians, regardless of age, are empowered and well-equipped to fulfill the Great Commission by ministering to millions who are in the severest of need. Some of their ministry efforts include: GLTC (Global Leadership Training Center), a program designed to teach global strategies that will inspire leaders to impact nations, particularly training them in areas of foreign policy, international diplomacy, cultural etiquette and legal missions; Y.U.G.O. (Young Adults United for Global Outreach), an outreach ministry geared towards training children, age 13 and older, in missions ministry; and SEW (Sisters Empowering the World Intensive Training Center) which is a rigorous five day program designed to prepare and encourage women, with various challenges, to become vessels of honor ultimately transformed into "world changers" destined to impact nations.

As a 1982 graduate of New Life Bible College in Tennessee, and a 1984 Charter Class Graduate of Victory World Mission Training Center in Tulsa, Oklahoma, Dr. Bailey-Jones is an established expert and highly regarded missions consultant. She has developed several leadership programs around the world and currently serves as a missions strategy consultant to several growing churches, some of which have included Crenshaw Christian Center, pastored by Apostle Frederick K.C. Price; Living Word Christian Center, pastored by Dr. Bill Winston; Word of Life Church, pastored by Dr. Leroy Thompson. She has also served as a speaker for Bishop Charles Blake (West Angeles COGIC), amidst innumerous others and is a Board Member of Victory World Missions Training Center, founded by the late Pastor Billy Joe Daugherty.

Celebrated as a powerful and effective preacher of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, often with signs and wonders following, and a General in the areas of disaster relief and humanitarian aid, Dr. Bailey-Jones has been featured on the 700 Club; The Harvest Show; TBN; The Word Network; Daystar; and in Charisma Magazine as the premier missions' consultant of the 21^st century, in addition to other well-known publications. Likewise, Dr. Bailey-Jones has received many awards to include: The Esther Service Award bestowed by Prime Minister Perry Gladstone Christie of the Bahamas; the Church of God in Christ prestigious Charles L. Moody award, bestowed by the Presiding Bishop Charles Blake; and is a recipient of the Azusa Award for Global Leadership commemorating the historic Azusa Street Revival under the leadership of Charles Harrison Mason.

In addition to her missions work, Dr. Bailey-Jones and her husband, Dr. Darryl B. Jones, have served as consultants to Heads of States, diplomats, and other important government dignitaries in Uganda, Burundi, Congo, Western Sahara and countries in the Caribbean. Although God has given her the magnanimous assignment of reaching the world, Dr. Bailey-Jones will be the first to tell you that being the proud mother of Karim Israel Bailey, and the proud Yaya of her grandbabies Tia and Kingston Bailey, is one of her greatest missions of all.

Evangelist Nichelle Early (NE), founder of PreachingWoman.com, was moved with compassion and compelled to do even more as she spoke with Dr. Bailey-Jones (PB) regarding the importance of being responsible and obedient to being God's voice in the Earth as it pertains to the needs of others and now wants to share the conversation with you!

NE: Dr. Bailey-Jones, I am so honored to feature you on PreachingWoman.com!

PB: Evangelist Nichelle, the honor is all mine. Thank you for featuring me!

NE: Dr. Bailey, please share with us the mission and vision of Master Touch Ministries Global, Inc.

PB: Our vision and mission is a thrust and a focus towards equipping people to work and minister in a region of the world called the 10/40 window. That region is the most densely populated, with multiples of people from the entire planet living in it; they gather in that region. For those that may not be familiar with the 10/40 window, it is the area from 10 degrees to 40 degrees north of the equator, extending from western Africa to the very northeast tip of eastern Asia.  Every major Non-Christian religion is housed in that region of the world to include: Islam, Buddhism, Hinduism, along with indigenous religions and millions of people who have no beliefs at all; and therefore, they have very little of the Gospel going into that region of the world. In fact, a vast majority of the people are people of color, and particularly, 80% of the people are women and children who suffer the most, and have little to know access to proper health care and education. So essentially, they are not allowed to move forward; they are held back; their voices are not heard; and their cause is not rallied.

Therefore, I am mobilizing people, especially women here in the West that are as empowered as we are, to respond to the cry of the needs of those people. In fact, if we can get men and women to minister to that part of the world, it will cause dynamic changes there because 90% of all catastrophes, wars, disasters, famines, poverty, terrorisms, and other conflicts of the world all come out of that little window. So, we must be strategic, wake up, and work while it is day, and equip people to go, not just abroad, but also here stateside. In addition, it's imperative that we create awareness in order to respond to our great commission assignment to move the church forward...we should not just be interested in doing church, but in advancing the Kingdom of God.

NE: Amen, I totally agree!

Now Dr. Bailey, there are so many misconceptions about the definition of missions, missions ministry, or missions work, how do you define the work of missions?

My perspective of missions is developing nations, making them whole, and doing the entire holistic approach of the government; it is to be a sent one, sent on assignment as the political governing body in the earth to transform nations. When we look throughout the Bible we see countless examples, such as Esther, the three Hebrew boys, Daniel, Jeremiah, Abraham, Moses, and many others that were all sent on a mission. Their mission did not in any way exempt them from developing a nation. Again, we are called to transform nations. That is our mission-- that this Gospel of the Kingdom be taken to all the world, and then and only then, shall the end come. So with that said, our mission is clearly defined, which is to take the Gospel to the ends of the earth, so that we are able move into the next dispensation of what God has for His people, which is hedged upon the church.

NE: Dr. Bailey you are known as a Global strategist capable of empowering leaders to impact nations. How important is it today for our leaders, both political and spiritual to think strategically about world missions?

PB: Well again, the people who have been given the assignment to the transform nations and the world is us. The word ecclesia, in and of itself, means "the called out, separated ones." It also means the political and governing body of God. Psalm 115:16 (NASB) says, "The heavens are the heavens of the LORD, But the earth He has given to the sons of men." This is our earth. It is the earth that God has made us stewards over. So, in answering the question of the how important it is think strategically, the question really becomes, "How important is it for us to be obedient; how important is it for us to be responsible?" And if we are to be obedient and responsible, we cannot abdicate our role or ignore our assignment or our calling. We must remember we did not call ourselves; we did not appoint ourselves. We did not give ourselves our own jurisdiction. The Bible says, He predetermines the boundaries of men and their habitations [Acts 17:26, NIV]. So God placed us where he wants us to be so that we can govern, and be the political, governing body in whatever region we are called to.

NE: Dr. Bailey that is awesome!

PB: Yes, it is! Because I quote over and over again that the assignment was not given to the United Nations, it was not given to the Red Cross, and it was not given to any of these kinds of indigenous organizations. Although we applaud what they do in their humanitarian efforts, the responsibility to govern nations has been given to the ecclesia. And God tells us in Genesis 1:26-28, that it is for this very reason that He has created us in His image and His likeness that we might have dominion in the earth. The word "global" literally means the jurisdictions of the earth. We were never called to just one location; we are called to govern over all the earth...So once again, God rests the responsibility of the global assignment to redeem the earth and to develop the nations in the hands of His people.  Therefore, instead of how important it is to think strategically, the question is truly how obedient or responsible are we willing to be.

NE: Amen! Dr. Bailey, I believe you would agree that missions work is very serious, hard, and sometimes dangerous work. For those who choose to be obedient and responsible, what are three principles that you espouse when individuals are considering inter-continental missions ministry?

PB: Well, to answer that question, I must take people to the Word, because I love God's Word. So, based upon His Word I would state the following principles:

1.) As long as the mission is in the earth, God is with you: The Bible says in Matthew 28:20 (KJV), "...and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the ends of the earth." So wherever it is, for example if it's Afghanistan, it's still in the earth; if it's Pakistan, it's still in the earth, if it's Iraq, it's still in the earth...as long as it's in the earth God is with you.

2.) If God be for you, who can be against you? God is with you, and if He's with you, you are on the winning side. Romans 8:31 says, "...If God be for us, who can be against us?" So you must know that where God guides, He provides. And as for me, I've not been in a nation yet that He has sent me to, wherein He did not provide! God has never failed me! Even times, in the face of death, my God did not coward out on me, he saw me through.

3.) Greater Is He That Is In YOU, than He that is In the World [I John 4:4]: The ultimate power and strength is not from any external force that you may be facing, no matter how intimidating it may be. Whether it be Taliban, Al-Quaida, or any of the top terrorist groups, those are external forces, but God who is great lives inside of you and me. So, the one who lives inside of you is greater than all of them, because there's nobody greater than Him!

NE: To God be the glory! I'm excited... Now, Dr. Bailey, God has gifted you with an undeniable passion for missions, so I will ask a twofold question:

What is one of your most intimidating moments? And, what has been one of your most rewarding moments on the mission field?

PB: What a great question! Well, I would say one of the most intimidating moments, was years ago going into one of the countries in the 10-40 window where we were smuggling in Bible curriculum and we got called out by customs. Knowing that in those days, it was punishable by life imprisonment or death to convert someone from Islam to Christianity. And at the time, other Christians in that region had been imprisoned, and the customs agents would intimidate you by reminding you that Christian conversions were punishable by death. But, of course, like God always does, He saw me through that situation. Now what had happened was that the night before my assistant and I were to go through customs, the Holy Ghost had spoken to her in the middle of the night and told her to get up and take all of the Bible curriculums out of my suit case and put them in hers.  So when customs stopped me, God was a step ahead of the enemy, because my assistant had the materials in her bag and she had already cleared customs. That was a very scary situation, because customs had just shaved the heads of some missionaries before me and put them in life imprisonment, but as always God is faithful! 

NE: Wow! Thank you Jesus! So, what was one of your most rewarding moments?

PB: Now this question is tough, because I have a whole treasure chest of moments that have been so rewarding. But, I think the one that is standing out the most right now is one that I call, "Momma Maturo." I was in Zimbabwe back in those days. And after doing so many meetings, the hosts were taking me around to meet many of the government officials, clergy, ecumenical communities, and others. Although these people were so gracious in extending all kinds of light meals, such as fresh salads and cucumber sandwiches, I was ready for some real food! So I told the leaders, take me in the car and ride me until I say stop.

So as we were riding, I started praying in the Holy Ghost. When we had almost reached the border, I saw a group of kids on the side of the road, a very common scene with kids with a baby on their back and a pot of water on their heads. So I told the driver to stop and tell one of the young ladies to come to the car. I began to speak to her and describe a lady that I had seen in intercession, and I asked her did she know the lady I was describing and she said, "Oh yes, that's my grandmother." So I said, take me to her...as we got out of the van and started walking down into the village, there were people working, washing clothes, and doing all kinds of things. However, as they noticed we were approaching they began to stop what they were doing and follow us into the village. I'm telling you, by the time we were getting closer, we had a whole parade following us chanting and singing.

So, as we got further down into the village, Momma Maturo, was coming up out of the field, she was share cropper, and she began to shout out, "Waito, Waito!" And, I asked them, 'What is she saying?' And they translated it for me and said that she was saying in her language, "He told me you were coming, He told me you were coming!" And by now, it's like the hair on the back of our necks was standing up; and all the pastors, leaders, and Bishops I took with me began to realize that this was a kairos moment.

When we got to Momma Maturo, she went and got a chicken, popped that chicken's neck, and gave him to me as an offering. At the moment, the Lord spoke to me and said, "This is the best and highest honorarium you will ever have." Then Momma Maturo asked us to pray for her, because she had been going around in the occultist region sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ, and God had told her He was going to send her someone from overseas to minister to her. So, we prayed for her, because Mother Maturo's cry was one to which the answer is never losing the sensitivity of God speaking to you so that he may use you to be the solution to someone else's call...For me, I'd rather be known in the gates of Heaven for doing the work, rather than by any title, because a title will never give you power!

NE: Oh, what an amazing story!

Now, for those that are called to the mission field, what are some practical things they can do to prepare?

PB:

NE: Dr. Bailey, you are also the founder of Y.U.G.O. (Young Adults United for Global Outreach) can you please share with us about this initiative?

PB: Yes, Y.U.G.O. is our effort and thrust to raise up the next generation to minister to the nations. I don't want to wait until they are 30, I want to get them while they are young, around the age of 13 or so, as other ethnic groups do that...Usually as African Americans, our kids do not get involved in missions at an early age, most of our local churches do not have a summer missions program. So we offer a summer missions outreach and training program, in a cross-cultural environment, to get kids radical and equipped at an early age for impacting the nations.

NE: Excellent!

You are also the founder of SEW, (Sisters Empowering the World Intensive Training Center), what are the guiding principles you share with women in order to transform them into World Changers that impact the nations?

PB: Well, this particular organization espouses four pillars: education; health care; clean water; and economic empowerment. Accordingly, we connect women both here stateside and from other nations through various programs to help them achieve those four pillars in their lives. We have a training center in Atlanta, GA, where people come and we sit and brainstorm strategies and different programs to meet the needs of those women.. We also work with other national leaders, etc. to provide goats, medical equipment, aid for women affected by human trafficking, female genital mutilation, etc. to help transform the nations for God's glory and be the voice for all the issues of the world that is not addressed. We must respond to the cry of the poor!

NE:  What do you believe God is saying in this hour?

PB: I believe that God is calling the church to be His voice in the earth and to stand up BOLDLY.This is not a time to be silent, blend, or compromise. We are in a time where clear lines of demarcation are necessary in terms of whose side you are on. The earth needs to be rescued. People are perishing, our neighborhoods are perishing, our children are perishing...but somebody needs to rise up and be like the voice of Hosea, where God told my people, "come back to me." I believe God is literally saying, "Come back to me! Return to my way of doing things!" He said, though your sins have been as scarlet, I will make them as snow [Isaiah 1:18]...the church is wounded and divided...and the scripture tells us a divided house cannot stand... [Mark 3:25]. So you can't say you are a Christian and say you will stand or support anything. The Bible reminds us that, "they that approve of these lifestyles fall under the same judgment... [Romans 1:32] I didn't make that up! So we must return to God's way of doing things and be Heaven's voice in the earth!

NE: Amen!

Dr. Bailey, if there was anything the world could know about Dr. Pat Bailey Jones, what would that be?

PB: That I love people so much. I believe in people. I live to extract the maximum potential out of everyone I encounter. There is so much potential wasted and untapped, so I live to pull that out of people. That's it!