THE HOUSE OF GOD
Testimony from Pastor Jamie Sanks
In the summer of 1996, I was afflicted and destitute. This was the time that God really chastened me and put me on my back; I was 26 years old. I injured my back on a previous job and needed spinal fusion done to correct the problem. However, this turned into a protracted process. It was over a year before I could get any medical attention or worker’s compensation for my problem. It was during this time of affliction and destitution that I began to pay attention to God.
Moreover, during this crisis, things soured at home. My fiancée (at the time) left and took my son and stepdaughter; needless to say, this left me all alone. I had lost everything. I was at my lowest point—no job, no prospect for a job (due to my medical condition), no medical to treat me (I had to hire two attorneys to get medical and compensation, which took about a year), and no family. I wanted to end it all; I felt less than a man; I was suicidal.
However, it was during this time of affliction and destitution that I cried (literally) out to God, and he heard my cry. I gave my heart and problems to God that sweltering summer night. Then He called me by my name and gave me His precious Holy Spirit. He said, “Jamie, if you work for me, I will take care of you.” Then He led me to a Scripture that spoke to my deliverance from affliction and destitution as well as my call to the ministry. He led me to Matthew 6:33: “But seek ye first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness and all these things shall be added unto you.”
It was during my conversion experience that God called me into ministry and gave me His wonderful vision for His church. He revealed to me that He wanted me to establish a multiracial/multiethnic church; a church where love, unity, and justice are brothers and sisters; a church that reflects His heaven; a church where He is welcome and His peoples from all nations can worship in spirit and in truth; a church where His children, of all races, can fellowship with Him and with one another together. To add, it was during my conversion that I asked God for a business of my own so I will not be at the mercy of unsaved and unregenerate people in the church because I was going to be a preacher of righteousness and repentance.
God told me that I was to build His house and call it “The House of God”, for it will be an intentional multiracial/multiethnic church to be planted in North Columbus. God wanted me to build His house in our homeland, for our Jerusalem is Columbus, Georgia. This House of God may not be built in Jerusalem on Mount Moriah where King Solomon built the first temple (2 Chronicles 3:1), but our new house will be built on fertile ground here in Columbus where spiritually dead men, women, boys, and girls, irrespective of their race, class, color, sex, or socioeconomic status, will come to the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ, the Son of the living God!
Years later, God led us to Bethel Baptist Church to rent space as a new church plant. However, Bethel ended up selling The House of God the property and all the buildings. Bethel means The House of God in the Hebrew tongue. So, God led me to The House of God—Bethel!
The House of God is where everyone is welcome, everyone matters, and everyone belongs, and that means you, beloved!
What Makes Us Different
God birthed in the heart of Dr. Jamie Sanks to establish The House of God, a multiracial/multiethnic church, during his conversion experience in the summer of 1996. God revealed to him that He wanted him to establish a church where love, unity, and justice are brothers and sisters; a church that reflects His heaven; a church where He is welcomed; and a church where His peoples from all nations can worship Him in spirit and in truth.
The House of God seeks to be a multiracial/multiethnic church family of ministers of reconciliation and a house of prayer for all nations. The House of God seeks to bridge the gap between race, class, sex, economics, politics, and other barriers that prevent the Body of Christ from worshipping and fellowshipping together. This vison is much different from the prevailing visions (which we do not dismiss or discount, for we all have a role to play in His kingdom) of some the contemporary churches today. We are just fulfilling Jesus’ vision, for He declared in Mark 11:17: “Then He taught, saying to them, “Is it not written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer for all nations’? But you have made it a ‘den of thieves.’” This is what makes us different. We dare you to be different!
Our Vision for the Future
Our vision for The House of God is to be a multiracial/multiethnic church family of ministers of reconciliation and a house of prayer for all the nations.
We envision breaking down barriers that prevent the Body of Christ from genuinely worshipping and fellowshipping together; barriers such as: political, racial, religious, class, economic, residential, or geographical segregation, denominational, age, sex, etc. Simply put, beloved, we envision being bridge builders in a world of barriers and divisions.
To add, we envision helping all our people, youth as well as adults, to discover their gifts, abilities, and divine designs so that they are equipped to serve in their respective ministries either within or outside the church. Our goal is that every member be a minister of reconciliation.
In addition, we envision all our members becoming involved in small groups to model a biblical community; a biblical community where people have opportunity to minister to and love one another (Acts 2:44-46).
Additionally, we envision equipping our people and training future leaders to plant more multiracial/multiethnic churches in America and abroad to reach all nations for Christ and for the glory of God.
We also envision a radio and television ministry. Love That Matters (LTM) is or current television program.
Our long-term vision is to be a launching pad for a K-12 Christian School (Bright Destiny Learning Center) and a Christian university (Bright Destiny, Inc) to educate Christians to become more effective disciples, teachers, pastors, preachers, and ministers of reconciliation for the glory of God.