Husband and wife church ministry teams are nothing new. We’ve seen them for decades from the television to three blocks away from home. But how many spouses in the ministry put in the work and effort in the community before yielding to the call? “I consider us Co-Pastors,” said the Apostle Richard Burks. “During service, I may be leading worship and the spirit may prompt her to chime in and vice versa.” Burks and his wife, Apostle Horacia Burks oversee a six-month old church ministry called Promise Kingdom Community Ministry. But the couple has provided Christian education, community service opportunities, witnessing, and character building through Promise Christian Dance Academy for more than a decade.
Apostle Horacia said, “It had been a few times throughout the years that God had shown me that it was time to start this part of the ministry. I had a vision that a multitude of people went to hell because I wouldn’t surrender. A woman prophet would later come to me and confirm this vision. So starting the ministry was spirit-led.”
The transition from structured programs around youth activities to becoming adults’ spiritual leaders was a natural one. The Burks’ fashion themselves as teachers of the word. “Thus far, everyone has responded real well to the way we deliver the word,” Apostle Horacia said. “We are non-traditional in that we don’t stress church attendance and membership for the sake of belonging to a church body. But we truly try to demonstrate what it means to become a disciple of Jesus Christ in your everyday lives.”
Apostle Richard explained that the Promised Kingdom still does perform traditional Christian sacrament such as baptism and communion. In fact, the church conducted both ceremonies during Sunday service.
Husband and wife teaching, preaching and carrying out the duties of the calling come with plenty of preparation and prayer. Even when the spirit gives one a thought or a nudge, they both come together through studying, meditation and eventual instruction of their flock. “Normally when God is leading one of us in a certain direction, the other is able to complete the thought or enhance the message,” Apostle Richard explained. “It is spirit-led.”
The wife summed up the experiences as…”It’s surreal. God brings His word to fruition between both of us and it makes the message better and word easier to understand.”
