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Call story/Spiritual Autobiography
Alicia Antoinette Lawrence, a native of Port of Spain, Trinidad, and Tobago. The daughter of the late Reverend Laudrina McCarthy-Maxim and Charles Desire. Migrated to the United States on July 2, 1976. I am the wife of Reverend Vernon B. (Nard) Lawrence, residing in Carrollton VA., with two daughters Veronica 32, Kia 26 and four grandchildren.
In 1986, I enlisted in the United States Navy, where I served honorably for 33 years. During my stellar naval career, I completed numerous assignments, and also ministered to members of the military in the United States and abroad. My life took a turn, in December 1998. As New Year’s Eve was approaching, I knew in her spirit I did not want to be in a club, or at anyone’s house party. I knew the Lord, but operating outside the will of the Lord, and reached a point in life, that the streets had no place for me. I desired a closer walk with the Lord. Nevertheless, I had a yearning sensation of wanting to be in church before the new year came in, at that time I was stationed at Naval Support Facility Anacostia, in Washington DC, unfamiliar with my surroundings I did not make it to a church service. Needless to say, early New Year’s morning which was on a Sunday, I found myself at Ebenezer A.M.E Church, where Rev. Dr. Grainger Browning, Jr. – Senior Pastor and Rev. Dr. Jo Ann Browning – Co-Pastor, and world-renowned recording artist Byron Cage served as Minister of Music. The praise and worship environment and bible teaching profoundly impacted my life. A change came over me that was undescribable, a consciousness of Christ took place, and the understanding of scriptures began opening up before me. During one of my assignments in Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania, under the watch care program at Greater Zion Missionary Baptist Church, where Rev. Dr. Charles Miele Jr. is Pastor. I became an active member, and truly believed I identified one of my callings of Exhortation and Teaching. I attended several classes with the church educational curriculum, i.e., P.L.A.C.E. Personality Blends, Learning Spiritual Gifts, Ability Awareness, Connecting Passion, and Experience of Life. which was a 30-day course and Master Life, a six-month course. Thereafter, I was recommended and approved by the Pastor to be added as a facilitator. I was assigned to facilitate on the church’s ministry programs Master Life classes until my new assignment back to Virginia.
I achieved the historical milestone of becoming the first female to assume the title and responsibilities as the Senior Warrant Officer of the Navy before I retired on 30 June 2019, benchmarking the Supply Corps community food service milestone of highest excellence. I also hold a Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology from Saint Leo University.
I am on the battlefield for the Lord, and a faithful member of the Oak Grove Baptist Church since 2003. I am on fire and committed to the Lord, and has served in numerous ministries including the Financial, Hour of Power, Jail Outreach, Beautification, Mass Choir, Women’s, Food Service and New Beginnings Dance Ministry. I had a desire to go to school for religion but was unsure the path I should take. It would appear that every attempt to start my studies, someone was transitioning with the Lord. One of my brothers passed when I was attempting schooling with Liberty University in 2014, so I discontinued. I again, started my journey with Liberty University in 2016, during the first semester, my mother passed away in 2017. There was a point in my life, where I found it very difficult to continue my studies after my mother’s passing and decided to drop out. In 2016, I was relocated back to my home state of Virginia via Military Orders. In July of 2018, I met with my Pastor, to discuss my Call to the ministry of Teaching and his reply was “it’s about time.” I informed my Pastor that the Lord have been calling me since 2004, 2006 and 2013, and I needed to accept my Calling. I was actually frightened, that if I didn’t, something negatively was going to happen. Additionally, I expressed the need to get it done before July 28, 2019, that date was given to me in a dream. What I did not realize is, July 28, will fall on a Sunday in 2019. Oak Grove Baptist church only conducts Initial Sermons on the 5th Sunday of any given month. My Pastor willingly accepted my petition and acknowledged my request to deliver my sermon on July 28, 2019. On August 17, 2020, I finally discovered where I needed to seek seminary school at Virginia Union University, perusing my master’s degree in Divinity and graduating in May 2022. My view in the Kingdom is that in life; trouble can eradicate our pride and bring humility. She believes if we allow affliction to humble us, it will deepen our knowledge of God. If we allow affliction to strengthen our prayer life, it will expose us to God’s Grace, which in turn; will reveal God’s Faithfulness. Affliction will lead you to God’s Word and deepen your trust in God’s providence and eventually lead you to or closer to God.
I have been under the comprehensive leadership of Pastor Dr. Anthony Copeland, now for 19 years. I am forever grateful for the foundation the Oak Grove Baptist Church has afforded me in my spiritual development. As I developed in who I am in Christ, I begin to reflect on my ethical and moral relationship as a person and as a Christian. Personally, being raised in a Christian household provided me with a solid ethical and moral foundation. However, there were times where I found my morale and ethical beliefs where being challenged at a point in my military career. I was suppressing what I believed in my core, to avoid being segregated, and did not know how to deal with it at the time. I did not recognize that I was subconsciously suppressing my issues. Through Christian counseling, I was able to identify and address the issues which ultimately took me in a place of peace and freedom. Consequently, I was able to recognize and identify who I am, who I am in Christ and who Christ is to me. Now I am able to understand better the rationale behind certain morale and ethical issues and engage in any capacity, with authenticity, honesty, and effectiveness. I am no longer addicted to proving myself to any persons.
Religion has a significant bearing on my ethical standards, moral inclinations, and overall worldview. Since childhood, Christianity has been a critical part of my life; it provided the foundation of my values, beliefs, and practices. Given the opportunity of growing in a Christian household, I had the chance to learn a great deal about God and the Christian way of life. As a result, my morals and ethical standards are primarily influenced by Christian traditions, the scriptures, and lessons learned from my mother. I believe in always doing the right thing, as directed by God, and avoiding any action that may cause harm to self and others. In addition, I believe in showing compassion and love towards others.
Christianity has taught me to love and care for others. As a Christian, I do not have the power to judge; instead, I am obliged to give equal chances to all the people I encounter and treat them the same way I would like to be treated. I am a person who puts other people’s needs before my own; I believe that service is the best gift that one can give another. I act on passion and with my heart because I believe that actions speak louder than words. I have a responsibility to reach out to the people around me, building relationships that strengthens and fosters my growth. Most importantly, my purpose in this world is to love. Loving everyone around me gives me the strength and the opportunity to grow into a better person than I was yesterday. I focus on making the world a better place by letting myself grow to humbly share my knowledge with everyone else.
God gives me the power to decide between right and wrong. He strengthens me to be a master of my fate and the captain of my soul. He gives me the wisdom to accept my realities and pursue the changes I desire or need. I believe in the power of dreams; they can take a person wherever they wish. Dreams can spark joy and resilience in an individual. It is better to choose the heart over the mind when it comes to decision-making, for the heart speaks louder and wiser. For this reason, I live each day as if it were my last, think critically, speak gently, love hard and without restrictions, give as much as I can, live happily, and be grateful for the person I am and the people around me.
My mother taught me the virtue of believing in other people. I believe in the inherent goodness of people. This was reflected by my attitude towards family and friendship. My family constitutes an essential aspect of my life; it provides me the strength and the opportunity to live a fulfilling life. Given the social nature of human beings, we can also find families in the people around us, mainly friends. Friends provide rich experiences beyond our imaginations, teaching us to live fulfilling lives alongside others. I firmly believe that God created every individual for a purpose; we connect through individual visions and dreams as we pursue our goals in life, making moral and ethical standards vital in everyday interactions.
Throughout my time military career, I have been in the field of service, to include service in ministry, God has given me a heart to serve and the spiritual eyes to see the need for service.
As a minister, my work in ministry and praxis should have one primary goal: to guide and inspire the faithful using the Christian traditions and scriptures to realize righteousness and better living. Many scholars argue that the work of ministry derives from various sources, including religious scriptures, Christian traditions, reason, and human experience. I believe that other than relying on biblical scriptures to minister to my congregations, my work significantly depends on my ethical dispositions and discoveries made in the course.
The scriptures will provide the foundation of my ministry and praxis. I believe in the scriptures as the truth about God’s goodness, desires, and intentions for humanity. Teaching righteousness based on the Bible provides an adequate means of distinguishing Christian ideals from alternative perspectives.
During my travels abroad and in the United States as an active-duty member of the US Military, I have often witnessed communities suffering from food insecurity. I have also observed homeless individuals in my hometown and local neighborhoods face food insecurity due to health disparities and marginalization along ethnic and racial lines. The lack of sufficient healthy food sources available to the whole of the US population has forced some individuals and families to seek sustenance in less-than-sanitary places, such as waste bins, trash cans, and dumpsters. As one can imagine, food insecurity is directly correlated to an increase in crime in the US, especially within the African American and Hispanic American populations, who account for a disproportionate percentage of those classified as food insecure. In addition, at-risk populations, such as children and veterans, make it a high priority that we, as a society, address the food security issues prevalent in the US.
The primary cause of food insecurity is of course poverty, primarily caused by a market economy that seemingly focuses on maximizing profit and enriching the already-wealthy, while doing so at the expense of the poor and vulnerable. Wealthy individuals and major corporate entities that evade paying their fair share of taxes have also contributed to this adverse situation affecting the poor and vulnerable. In a market economy paradigm, the poor and vulnerable cannot even find sufficient relief from price reduction for goods and services due to stagnant incomes and insecure employment situations. The scaled back role of government puts the poor and vulnerable further at risk by removing the protections and guard rails that keep profiteering at bay, exposing them to corporate greed and diminished purchasing power.
My spirit is compelled to act on Matthew 25:35: “For I was hungry, and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty, and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger, and you invited me in.” I feel the voice of God speaking to me, saying “Feed My People.” By eradicating world hunger one city at a time. I am provoked in my spirit to develop a mobile food truck concept that operates based upon the core philosophy of promoting access to quality food among local marginalized communities. The Title of the concept is F.M.P. Mobile Food Pantry, with the acronym derived from the statement “Feed My People.”
In my 19-year as an active member of Oak Grove Baptist Church located in Suffolk, VA, learning the tenants of ministry under the tutelage of Rev. Dr. Anthony Copeland. Serving as an associate minister, with membership in the Mass Choir, as well as the Feeding Ministry, where I facilitated bible study during times where the doors were open to the community. My experience also includes leading several noon-day bible study sessions in the pastor’s absence. (Unfortunately, in the aftermath of COVID-19, those ministries have not been in session, leading to a three-year dormancy in the ministry) realizing ministry must emerge from behind the walls of the church and into the communities. People are still on the street hungry and homeless during the pandemic.
The Good Samaritan Act denotes the duty to assist the needy without concern for resulting legal consequences, since the Constitution provides the liberty to intervene for those that need help within the community.
As a former Naval officer, it saddens me to see individuals (particularly children and veterans) languishing in poverty and lacking healthy food, especially in a country with the #1 developed economy, as well as the highest military budget.
Further aggravating the situation, a lot of food goes to waste in the US. Since most of this food is usually thrown out due to reduced shelf life. Further exacerbating the situation is the fact that a lot of food goes to waste in the US, as it is discarded due to reduced shelf life. According to reports by the US Department of Agriculture and the Environmental Protection Agency, the United States wastes about 33 million tons of food every year, with retail stores, supermarkets, and grocery stores contributing most to this food waste statistic. Creating utility out of these products will benefit the poor and marginalized in society who cannot afford a decent meal. My plan involves delivering proposals to various automobile dealerships for support in sponsoring a registered food truck. Additionally, my plan involves leveraging several food distributors through community leaders to secure such commodities before they expire.
The daily produce with a shelf-life of two to three days stands to enhance the chances of the ministry’s success, as the mobile pantry model is based upon feeding low-income families and children. As a former Navy supply officer, my experience and contribution is credited to my food service background, overseeing the feeding of U.S. Navy personnel around the globe. I was already fulfilling my ministry calling and did not even realize it. This invaluable experience, coupled with my ability to navigate neighborhoods and communities of different socioeconomic and ethnic strata, will facilitate the program’s success. Additionally, my plan calls for consulting with several community leaders to ensure sufficient funding and repel challenges from biased law enforcement and radical activists.
Since food waste from most retailers contributes to supply chain challenges, establishing relations with these entities will release them from the legal accountability of disposing of these products. On the other hand, they would then be open to legal implications from these products being consumed by the target demographic. Therefore, the risk of the communal food truck receiving spoiled produce is relatively low due to the eventual development of business contractual relationships with several retailers on critical parameters that will define the partnership.
I believe, people should emulate the glorious deeds of God. Jesus also summarized the Ten Commandments into two: love for God and our neighbors. Humanity should keep and recite these commandments. Neighbors include those in need of our help and charity. The Pharisees opposed Jesus for his good deeds toward the poor. The poor were regarded as outcasts and unfit to interact with the rich and wealthy. In Luke 12:42-46, Jesus demonstrates the qualities of a good steward – faithfulness and wisdom. Now that we are stewards of God’s creation, the resources under our custody should not be wasted but rather be put to its best use. The poor should not go without food when food is readily available. The teachings of Paul in Galatians also remind us to bear one another’s burdens. God reminds us that the poor will always be among us.
The program’s geographical target areas of service will include the Virginia cities/towns of Suffolk, Franklin, Courtland, Windsor, Ivor Wakefield, and Waverly. Targeted stakeholders of the endeavor will include the solicited support of veterans who have agreed to provide dry storage units and install equipment such as freezers and chillers. Support will also be sort after from the town council to cover truck parking fees throughout entire service period, and partnership, with local faith-based organization. Additionally, support from a variety of philanthropic individuals or organization to fund the cost of fuel, maintenance, and operations associated with the vehicle.
My path to this point involves participation in Outreach Ministry, including Hospitality Ministry, where I help serve 250 box meals to the community weekly, lead Bible study sessions prior to meals in-house, and partner with Suffolk Christian Academy to facilitate a feeding program during the holiday season. I also participated in the OGBC Prison Outreach Ministry, where I help to with the Good News Jail & Prison Ministry and the Hampton Roads Regional Jail.
My professional background includes 33 years as a retired Naval supply officer, where I received training in menu planning and food preparation, as well as food acceptability evaluation and budget management, performing these duties on a global scale. I have also held roles as global food service supplier and evaluator, as well as food safety and sanitation inspector. Additional qualifications include ServSafe® certification and Dietitian certification.
In addition to my professional experiences, I believe when a person answers to the call of salvation, they are also inadvertently answering to the call of service in Kingdom building. I believe each person has a purpose in life, through which God uses them to serve others. According to Paul in Colossians 3:23-24 (NIV), “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.”
The relationship between believers and God is founded on love. The intent of my ministry for people to understand the essence of God’s love for humanity and how it influences their beliefs and commitment to religion. I believe that giving people an opportunity to understand God’s love is the best way to establish and strengthen the relationship between the faithful and God. Feed My People Ministry, will also explore the concept of love for others of feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, and being a friend to the friendless. People need to understand the importance of love for others and how it influences interpersonal relationships and society as a whole. Demonstration of love serves as a form of identity that distinguishes the faithful from nonbelievers. God intended to create people that embody His character or nature, which is love. Therefore, Christians should learn to demonstrate the virtue of love. As a leader, one should demonstrate to congregations how the goal of Christianity is love. Love for God and others and provide the measure of a Christian’s maturity; failure to demonstrate our love for God and others implies failure to achieve our goals as Christians. Therefore, my ministry will be heavily influenced by my perceptions of love as the ultimate goal of Christianity.
With that being said, the meaningful work that God has called me to is serving the needy. While the needy is not always someone on the street, the work my soul must have is eradicating hunger, feeding the homeless and eventually taking them off the street as time progresses. Feeding the hungry is just not enough. Once they are feed, the condition of homelessness still exists. My belief is that God will in time direct me on how to fulfill the service of providing the resource for shelter, education, sanitation, mental health, and many more. As a former and current student at STVU University, I have discovered my voice, as well as one of the ministries for which I believe God has wired me for. To state it more emphatically, “the ministry which my soul must have.” STVU University courses such as Christian Ethics, Christian Education, Theology and Theological Thinking, Ethics & Politics, and Religion and Law has provided a solid foundation for the pursuit of my calling to Eradicate Hunger by feed the hungry, equipping me with the knowledge and understanding to research, orchestrate, and execute a program that will successfully feed the hungry in communities affected by food insecurity. My ministry mission is to deliver a mobile food pantry for impoverished families in the community, manage food waste, restore dignity and security, promote nutrition, and increase self-sufficiency and hope.
Since starting the Doctoral program, I can see how God is stretching and shaping me for this particular ministry. Through my readings and day to day movements in life, God is showing me from different lenses what poverty looks like, and it’s not always in the streets. We are fortunate human beings that at times never look at our life to see that in the twinkling of an eye, we can be that person on the street hungry. While the hungry and homeless is wanting food to eat, we have food to eat, but we are never satisfied, we are always wanting more. More food, more clothes more money, more material things in life. We never take the time to think about being content with what we do have, remembering there is someone who doesn’t have what we have. At a younger time in life, I use to be a friend of homeless people on the street. And now, due to my exposure of traveling abroad, I saw poverty through a different set of lenses. I encountered a homeless man at Chick fila, sitting in a booth at the back of the store. I went up to him and ask what I can get him off the menu? What surprised me, is that he gave me specifics of what he wanted to eat. I thought to me self, does it matter, the fact that you are getting something to eat, you should not be picky about it. And the Lord spoke so clear. Just because he’s homeless and hungry, he is still a person. The man never lost his dignity in allowing any one to just give to him what they wanted. From that moment, something inside of me evolved. Person on the street maybe hungry and homeless, but how many of us, have a roof over our head, food in our refrigerate and is still hungry and homeless for family, love, affection, and spiritual feeding. We look at poverty to only be on the streets, but many of us are dealing with internal hunger and poverty right in our own home and family and even in the church.
Edit and rewrite pages 1-13 include 7 pages you are writing from the previous order to the end of page 13 in accordance with the guidance in the Anatomy of the Idea Refresher document attached.
The seven pages must talk about my ministry project work you’ve been writing and familiar with.
Bibliography
FDA. “Food Loss and Waste.” FDA, March 5, 2020. https://www.fda.gov/food/consumers/food-loss-and-waste.
Griggs, Donald L. Teaching Today’s Teachers to Teach. Nashville Abingdon Press, 2002.
Norma Cook Everist. The Church as Learning Community: A Comprehensive Guide to Christian Education. Nashville, Tn: Abingdon Press, 2010.
West, Brian, and Matthew Varacallo. “Good Samaritan Laws.” Nih.gov. StatPearls Publishing, May 27, 2019. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK542176/.