WS Chronicle

The first years of a church are the most important.  Membership, outreach and ministries are all priorities of growth for a new church.  For a church to make it to 10 years while growing in all phases in an accomplishment in itself.  The Healing House of God, a church that takes pride in their outreach, just celebrated their 10th anniversary at the Hawthorne Inn on Saturday, Sept. 9.

For their 10th anniversary the church decided to celebrate the entire year holding a special event every month culminating with the celebration at the Hawthorne Inn.  The event included a banquet dinner and a guest speaker.

The celebration was coordinated by Qushanta Baxter, daughter of Overseer/Pastor John E. Ford.  She says it was a smooth process putting everything together.  She thought it was “fun and interesting” making sure everything went according to plan.

Healing House began small with only four members and moved to Mount Airy.  After five years there, they decided to relocate back to Winston-Salem, and since then the church has quintupled in size. 

“My parents stepped out on faith and began the church and there is a lot of love in the church,” Baxter said.  “There is a lot of growth and things to be done in the church.  The church also does a lot for the community and that’s what really drew me to the church.”

Overseer Ford began his Christian journey at Bethlehem Holiness Church, where he served as a deacon until 1990.  The Lord later led him to Greater Tabernacle Worship Center, where he found his spiritual mentors, the late Bishop A.W. McCloud and Apostle Brenda J. McCloud.  While there he was ordained as an associate minister and eight years later was promoted to pastor of Healing House of God.

Ford has been married to Pastor Sandra Ford for over 30 years.  She also works faithfully and diligently by his side and they are the parents of two daughters and a grandparent of one grandson.  Ford says the 10 years has gone by like the “blink of an eye.”  He says he is appreciative to the ministry and the people for making this journey a good one.

For Overseer Ford the progression of the church has been a blessing over the years.  He says he enjoys the interaction with the people of the congregation most of all. 

“We really came from nothing initially and now we are growing,” he said.  “I enjoy the people, talking to people, listening to people and just seeing people develop spiritually.”

He says as a smaller church they are a very tight-knit group.  He thinks that people need to know someone loves them and as a small church they like to let the congregation know they are loved.

“Our church is all about coming in and showing love,” Ford continued.  “I feel like there is more love at my church and I like to say that I am a down-to-earth pastor.  I live by the biblical laws but I learned not to be fake. You have to learn to be down to earth and touchable as a pastor.”

As the church continues to grow, Ford would like to expand their ministry to the prisons and the sick.  He feels that outreach is a major part of the church.

“Outreach is what Christ called us to do. It’s nice to sit inside the four walls of the church but the Millennial generation is not coming to the church, you have to go to them,” said Ford.  “Christ was out on the street so you have to meet people where they are at.  It’s best to show love and be an example to people.”