In my continuation of my blog posting on The Heart, I have selected and interviewed for this week, a humble yet very dedicated follower of Christ who happens to also be a colleague and personal friend. His name is Reverend Ian McDonald.
Reverend Ian McDonald has been married for 17 years to Janet McDonald and they share in raising 5 children. According to Brother Ian, in 1998 while at work as a security guard, he heard the audible voice of the Lord asking me ” Ian what are you doing with your life” from that day, I surrendered my life completely to my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
When asked about his passions, Brother Ian stated that his greatest was to see the young people living the abundant life as John 10:10 declared. His heart’s desire was to have a free recreation center for boys where they can find peace, joy, happiness, restoration and learn to be men of God. Rev. McDonald believes that the youth of this generation seem more concerned with worldly treasures and not with the precious things of God. In his own words, he said “they need to know that they too have hope and a future in Christ.” Another burning passion for him was to open a boy’s home (orphanage) in Jamaica. “My overall passion is to see the loss come to Christ and that includes all people not just the old but the young people as well.”
Minister McDonald is a member of New Bethel D&E Ministries, where he serves as the Prison Ministry Director ministering in two facilities in DeKalb and Rockdale County; The Young men Mentor Director and The Outreach Ministries Director. He also assist in his churches Food Bank Ministry where they serve in Gwinnett County.
When asked the question,what are some of the things that you see within the Body of Christ that excites you Brother McDonald stated that ” so many times in the Media and even in our churches we hear complaints that America is drifting further away from God and that it seems evil is prevailing.” The thing that excites me the most is that we are living in one of the greatest times in history.” He continued by saying that if there is no darkness then how can we shine our light? The word has declared that “We are the light of the world”( Matt 5:14a) which means that “as believers we are carrying and spreading the light of the Gospel all over the world.”
In any ministry there are some disappointments within the church community, when I posed this question to Minister McDonald, he commented that “my biggest disappointment within the body of Christ is that the churches fails to come from within the four walls of the building. Jesus did not allow anything to stop him from reaching the crowd and neither should we. We are mandated by God and not politics, which sometimes take precedence over the souls of the loss and oppress.”
Keeping within the church walls, I asked Minister McDonald what changes could be introduced to correct these issues, if at all possible? His comment was that the churches must begin to reach out to the communities. “Don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying that that is not being done, but not nearly enough. We must build relationships with neighbors, within our community and surroundings. They must know who we are and what we stand for; our light must always shine. The body must adopt the teachings of Jesus in order to be an effective witness. Let’s do church Gods way and nothing else. We ought not to be conforming to this world but be transformed in Christ.”
The last question was more of a personal question that wished to probe ways that his own heart was forever changed by the Holy Spirit of God? Minister McDonald communicated to me that his heart was forever changed but he now recognize when he is wrong it is evident because of the conviction of the Holy Spirit. “My heart is been circumcised daily. I now think more about others than I do myself, which was not always the case. I can truly say I have been redeemed by the Blood of the Lamb. I am a new creation living for my Master, in which, I want to hear well done my good and faithful-servant. My heart has been change to LOVE without bounties, as Christ so love the world that he gave His only Son.”
Anyone wishing to contact Rev. Ian McDonald, please email him at jmcdonald.nbicog@gmail.com.
Please like my Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/First-Fruits-Perspectives-487225171447417/?ref=aymt_homepage_panel
Grace and Peace