Brian and Jacqueline Jackson A.K.A. “Aquila and Priscilla” Interview with Heidi Todd, NWD Communications Brian and Jacqueline became part of the Northwest Foursquare District family officially in 2011 after being connected relationally to their future family for years. As two focused, effective leaders, they serve the Kingdom of God with the full benefit of the best combination of each other’s strengths. They co-­‐minister with great respect and admiration for each other and are constantly amazed at the life-­‐altering power of the God they so love to serve. Their compassion and commitment toward those recovering from addiction, imprisonment and life on the street evolved into a full-­‐fledged church whose original mission is still very much at the center of all they do. Recently I had an opportunity to talk with them both to hear their story and see how we, as a District team, might be an encouragement and support to them. By the time the conversation concluded, they had truly energized and inspired me by their testimony and fire for the things of God. I’ve been looking forward to sharing the notes I took with you so that you too might be encouraged… How Brian and Jacqueline first connected to Foursquare Brian and Jacqueline were ordained ministers in the Baptist Church. but Jacqueline was having a difficult time finding her place in ministry in ways that weren’t superfluous. She wanted to preach, not just make coffee. Jacqueline’s friend used to bring her tapes of Steve Schell’s teaching as well as the book “Women in Leadership in Ministry” edited by Steve Schell. It dealt with women in the Old Testament and New Testament and the fact that Foursquare was started by a woman. Jacqueline brought the book to Brian to share what she was learning about the strengths of men and women both in ministry. They model themselves now after Aquila and Priscilla. They both consider themselves the pastors, rather than a senior and junior pastor. They had previously pastored “Preach the Word” Ministry, which was an outreach ministry. Regular church services were an eventual bi-­‐product of the hands-­‐on ministry they were already doing. They needed follow-­‐up with the people they were ministering to so they created services for ongoing teaching and caring for those who had been brought to Christ. Because God had delivered them out of some poor life choices , they wanted to share the kind of Gospel that delivers people out of a direction they were going and change their trajectory. It didn’t take long to realize that they both needed more than the wonderful programs like AA that had helped to change their lives – they needed and came to depend upon the Word of God. As the church grew, the outreach ministry quieted. The church demanded more and more of their time and effort. Everyone was interested in being part of church but not everyone in the church felt called to hands-­‐on ministry. Rather than choose one or the other they decided to make the church a separate entity from the outreach ministry. Desiring covering and fellowship, they went to the Foursquare website and sent an email. Gabe Barreiro answered the email, met them for coffee and has been guiding and staying connected with them ever since. Their first Foursquare experience Previously they had spent some time at Oak Harbor Foursquare when Dave Veach and Gabe Barreiro were pastor and youth pastor there. But the first Foursquare event that they attended was in 2010 in Sequim at the “Comeback Church” event. Dave introduced them to the other pastors there saying, “They’re courting us and we’re courting them,”. It was a year later that they became licensed through the Foursquare Denomination. That retreat was really what sealed the deal with them; they had already been in wholehearted agreement with the doctrine but found true relationship and partnership in the Foursquare Family. Being Foursquare allowed them to continue in the vein that they were already in. They wanted also to make sure that if God ever called them elsewhere, that another pastor would be brought into the church so that it could continue. This gave life back to Preach The Word ministries because the managing and running of the church was being given a track to run on, freeing them up to give people a new start through a New Life program, (which starts in the fall of 2012). New Life will give people resources and a foundation to start a new life when hardship or choices have gotten them off course. They are already dreaming of their first church plant out of this new church. What have you had to let go of to grab ahold of God’s plan for your lives? They had planned to have been retired by now and not even live in Washington State at this time. They were planning to live in the South, possibly doing another ministry. That was ten years ago. The Lord hasn’t yet released them from Washington so they will remain here until they feel released and sent. Jacqueline felt that she was ready for ministry before Brian was. The Lord let her know that whatever it was that He had in mind for her He would have in mind for both of them and that she would not and could not do what He had in mind without her husband. She committed to prayerfully and patiently wait until Brian was ready to lay down a 20+ year career in auto sales. Because he wasn’t ready to give up the money, the big house, etc. to go into ministry, God had to humble Brian. Finally one day Brian came home and said, “I can’t do this anymore,”. He couldn’t be in a line of work that bumped up against the higher calling that he was becoming more and more aware of. He had finally realized that he was not only ready to, but couldn’t wait to lay down his selfish ambition and greed. They started down-­‐sizing, which God helped them to accomplish quicker than they wanted to, further humbling them to the point of being able to be used of God. No matter how broke they became, they never went without. Even at their lowest point, they always had food, electricity and gas in their car. God taught them how to be good stewards in all circumstances and be satisfied with much less. They have never desired to go back to the lavish lifestyle they once lived because of the value and wealth of their life as it is. They are loving every moment of their new life. At one point Jacqueline had her own salon until God directed her to give the entire salon business to a single mom – this enabled her to focus on co-­‐ministering and co-­‐pursuing God with Brian. If you could change one thing about the way the Body of Christ is functioning today, what would it be and why? That Christians would be less judgmental and critical and more loving and accepting of people coming out of prison and coming off the streets. Sometimes the Church hurts more people than we help. Christians today don’t fast and pray like they should. When we want answers, we have to fast and pray. Brian is passionate that the Church stay true to its core beliefs. That we would not become sympathizers to the point that we become silent appeasers out of fear of unsettling the world. In the Bible, we see martyrdom and yet we walk in fear of people disagreeing with us, much less putting our lives on the line. They are both passionate about prayer and living a life that constantly reflects Jesus, even if and when it offends. What is one thing that is currently happening in the Body of Christ that you hope continues for generations to come? One of the things that is more evident today in the modern church is FORGIVENESS and ACCOUNTABILITY. They preach that everybody has sinned and have faults and struggles. Even the wrongs we have caused on others, there is no price that we can pay that can be exacted for wrong. But Jesus paid the price and we have to accept God’s grace and that we are not only forgiven but that we MUST forgive others. They’re not surprised when they see a fallen pastor asks for forgiveness and actually receives it from the Body of Christ. They have also seen that the pressure or being perfect as a pastor is gone. That pastors aren’t put on pedestals like they used to be. They’re called to a higher level of accountability for what they do but none of us are complete in Christ’s image but we are all pressing toward that goal. There seems to be more of a recognition of that, plus forgiveness for when people do fail. People forgive their leaders but they are also insisting that they can’t keep repeating the same missteps and be allowed to continue on in un-­‐health. What has been the biggest ministry lesson you have learned in the last two years? A: Brian: “What has rocked my world is my Christian experience in the Church as a pastor. To see the divine spirituality of God working through the preaching of His Word and be manifest in reality in full view in people’s lives has me constantly amazed. It never seems to happen the way I think that it would happen but His ways are not our ways. Even in our own personal lives we have been constantly amazed at how God chooses to use our obedience (planned and unplanned) to do what He would desire to do. When God says “You will know that it is Me” I now understands what that means. To see it take place is amazing in and of itself, then add the reality that God chose to use me is so completely amazing. A: Jacqueline: “When we went from surrender of to commitment to, life changed dramatically. The supernatural only comes through the commitment to the things of God.” Brian & Jacqueline Jackson Church 206-­‐478-­‐0937 / ptww@yahoo.com http://preachthewordministries.net/