God's vessels
Servant's in God's Army
In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who will judge the living and the dead, and in view of his appearing and his kingdom, I give you this charge: 2 Preach the word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage—with great patience and careful instruction. 3 For the time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. 4 They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths. 5 But you, keep your head in all situations, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, discharge all the duties of your ministry. (2 Timothy 4:1-5)
As devoted servants of God, we desire to serve His people. Without a question, we are God’s servants, not man’s, but the biggest way that we serve God is by serving others who belong to Him. God did not call us to seek to be served, but to serve others. Thus, SPREAD His Word Ministries exist to serve both believers and non-believers with the mission to help Christians develop a deeper relationship with the Lord, gain a better understanding of His word, save souls, and advance God’s kingdom.
Elder Yolanda Kennedy-Edwards
President
Yolanda Kennedy-Edwards the visionary behind SPREAD His Word Ministries, Incorporated believes that spreading the word of God is essential to give others the opportunity to seek God and develop a personal relationship with Him. Her mission is to effectively spread the word of God through practical preaching and teaching using biblical principles.
Yolanda was born on April 7, 1970 in Washington, DC. She grew up in a single parent household, and watched as her mother worked effortlessly to put food on the table. During Yolanda’s early childhood, religion and spirituality were non-existent. Despite growing up in an underprivileged neighborhood in Southeast, Yolanda leaned to a mentor that would occasionally look after her. Her mentor introduced God into Yolanda’s life, which inspired her to accept Christ as her Lord and Savior at the age of 9. In her teen years, her mother accepted Christ as her Lord and Savior and continued to ensure that Yolanda was rooted and grounded in the word of God.
In 1997, Yolanda joined Reid Temple African Methodist Episcopal (AME) Church under the leadership of Reverend Doctor Lee P. Washington (Senior Pastor) where she faithfully served on several ministries including, Youth Ministry, Missionary Society, Young People’s Division, and Chair of the annual Community Fair. While serving as a church leader, Yolanda felt in her spirit that the Lord was calling her to a greater serving. Maintaining obedience, she joined Living Faith Ministries Church, where she accepted the call to ministry in 2011.
Yolanda serves as a consultant and works with visionaries that God calls to plant churches and birth ministries in the Washington Metropolitan area. Yolanda believes we should consult God in everything we do. Through her personal encounters and experiences in her life, she has learned to trust and depend solely on the Lord. Her ministry is to remind people about the things that matter to God that we take for granted every day. She loves the Lord and is committed to Spreading His unadulterated word throughout the nation as she has been called by God for such a time as this.
Yolanda currently serves on the ministerial staff as a founding member at Abounding Grace Church International (AGCI) where she co-lead the development of the Christian Education program, established the new member classes and developed the new members orientation guide. Prior to joining AGCI, Yolanda served on the launch team to establish AGCI prior to its inauguration service.
Yolanda is a loving wife to Larry Edwards. They have four children, Denise, David, Lakia, and Donovan and three grandchildren, Elijah, Zayden, and Kennedy.
Pastor Brenda Gray
Executive Vice President
Pastor Brenda Gray was born in Braddock, Pennsylvania. She presently resides in Suitland, MD. Pastor Brenda Gray was called into ministry August 12, 2007. She attended Jericho Christian Training College and many Chronology classes. Pastor Brenda Gray was ordained October 26, 2008 as an Evangelist and later ordained as a Pastor on September 26, 2010.
Pastor Brenda Gray is a member and a pastor at Know Greater Love Tree of Life. The great commission assigned to her is found in Isaiah 61:1-3 and Matthew 28:18-20. Pastor Brenda Gray’s responsibilities are to lead, feed, nurture, comfort, correct, and protect the flock.
To accomplish this goal she preaches and teaches the Gospel of Jesus Christ throughout the communities and nation. She preaches the apostolic faith, nourishes, encourages and gives direction to the life of God’s people. Pastor Brenda Gray counsels the troubled; declares God’s forgiveness of sin and proclaims victory over death. Her mission field is the nursing homes, hospitals, senior citizens and the streets of our nation.
In addition to overseeing the ministerial staff, Pastor Gray also serves as the worship leader, member of the tape ministry, and leader of the Usher Board.
Pastor Gray is the proud mother of Sherri and Yolanda.
Rev. Shakita Valentine
Director of Finance
Through the use of Biblical principles and Holy Spirit led encounters, Shakita Valentine is a transformational speaker whose platform has reached and changed several lives. In her personal journey of self-discovery to self-recovery, she has identified core/vital elements that prevent personal fulfillment, ways to address them and how to reveal individualism. As the “Purpose Pusher,” her powerful messages of enlightenment, encouragement and empowerment reveal, inspire and influence individuals to connect to their inner man. Experience the preached Word, powerful workshops and inspirational signature talks that enlightens, encourage and empower individuals to go beyond potential to live their authentic purposed life.
1 Corinthians 2:11-12: For who knows a person’s thoughts except their own spirit within them? In the same way no one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. What we have received is not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, so that we may understand what God has freely given us.
Pastor Lawrence Patterson
Pastoral Senior Advisor
Reverend Lawrence Patterson is the Senior Pastor of Abounding Grace Church International (AGCI) in Clinton, MD. He shares in the gospel ministry with his lovely wife Reverend Sharon Patterson. Collectively, they administer weekly services with an anointed message of Grace and Transformation for the heart, mind and total life of the global community that God has called them to serve.
Reverend Lawrence has traveled internationally, preaching and teaching the Gospel of Jesus Christ. He also serves as esteemed panelists, workshop speaker at conferences and leads anointed worship services that take congregations right into the presence of the Lord!
Reverend Lawrence has been in ministry for approximately 20 years, where God has graced him to serve in a variety of Kingdom offices. Reverend Lawrence led a prominent evangelistic outreach initiatives called “The Gospel Must Be Preached” at the Branch Avenue Subway Station in Suitland, Maryland, where many came to know the Lord and looked forward to witnessing his weekly outreach ministry.
Reverend Lawrence is a graduate of the Five-Fold Development Institute (FFDI), Bible College, Greater Works Ministries (GWM). He is the Homiletics and Hermeneutics instructor with FFDI.
He is a phenomenal preacher with the tongue of the learned (Isaiah 50:4); an Intercessor and has a strong burn in his heart to see men grow to know God in all His fullness. He leads a weekly Men on the Threshing Floor at 4 am, prayer conference call ministry.
Reverend Lawrence has more than 25 years of public service in the Federal Government.
Denise Kennedy
Public Relations Director
Elder Myrtice Rhodes
Intercessor Prayer Warrior
Elder Myrtice Rhodes was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Her family relocated to Washington, DC when she was 10 years old. Myrtice graduated from Potomac Senior High School in 1972. Upon graduation, was employed as an Office Automation Clerk at Geico insurance company for several years. She received her certification in substance abuse counseling in 1999. She used her skills in counseling to counsel men, women, and youth at the House of Ruth and Vanguard Services.
Elder Rhodes accepted the Lord Jesus Christ as her Lord and Savior in 1975 at Solid Rock Full Gospel Baptist Church, under the leadership of Bishop Nehemiah Reinhardt. It was there that she was filled with the Holy Ghost with the evidence of speaking in other tongues. After attending Solid Rock Full Gospel Baptist Church for many years, she had grown spiritually and received instructions from the Lord to transfer her membership to Prayer Base Christian Training Center where she accepted the call of an Elder and was ordained as an Elder in November of 1997 under the tutelage of Apostle Carolyn B. Gaymon. While there, the Lord called her to be an Intercessor and a Prayer Warrior. She served as a Sunday School, operated in the gifts of help (1st Corinthians 12:28), and taught and preached on prayer. In addition, she served in other Ministries, organized special events, conferences. and a food bank. Through her service under Apostle Carolyn B. Gaymon, God gave her the gift of a Prophet and she was ordained as a Prophetess in 2011. She remained a member in good standing for 15 years.
Elder Rhodes is a member of the board of Directors for SPREAD His Word Ministries where she serves as the intercessory prayer warrior as well as assist with securing locations to host Senior Sundays. She also led the effort to plan and organize an event to feed and minister to the men and women at the Mitch Schneider Homeless Shelter located in Washington, DC.
Elder Rhode currently serves on the ministerial staff at Abounding Grace Church International where she is a founding member. As a member of the ministerial staff, she is called upon to preach and teach the Gospel. She assisted in developing the new members orientation guide. In addition, she developed a proposal for the Christian Education Ministry.
She is the proud mother of 5 children: Candice, Michael (passed away in November of 1997). Michelle, Lewis and Kevin. She has 8 grandchildren: Michael, Christian, Brian, Kevin, Jr., Julian, Micah, Nancalee, and Mckinlee; and 2 great grandchildren: Cassidy and Dakota.