Della Spurlock-Redding found her calling in a way that many people develop spiritual and religious faith; unexpected, confident and purpose-filled. Over five years ago the 8th grade teacher from the south felt a submersion in the spirit that instructed her to start Nu-Way Inspirations in her base of Kalamazoo, MI. Every Sunday her audience tunes in to 1560 The Touch AM to hear her modest but serious sermons on things of great Christian importance such as the careful rearing of children to detailed advice on keeping one’s spirit intact through the challenges of daily living. As much as the gospel star has gone mainstream with the music of the church female ministers are still not as popular as their entertaining counterparts. It is not that women do not know the difference between judgement day in the Bible or the Ten Commandants but the decision of congregations to fully accept women ministers is still divided in the majority of religious outposts in the country. In this interview Reverend Redding explains how her advancement into the ministry was started and why people are gravitating towards her message with no reservations about her being a woman of God.

Joe538.com: What issues do you think are important to the church today as a whole?

DSR: Well. I think the issue that is important to the church, actually it could be a combination of the five fold ministry, one is evangelist and prophet, preacher and teacher and I think those areas are most important to the church. And very seldom do you find a church that has a five fold ministry because this day and age that we’re living in now most of the church’s are run by husband and wife, etcetera and so if all of them are not called and I use the word called into those different ministries then those ministries are not brought for this there to only be in the church and I believe the five fold ministry will address all of the issues that are in the church that people are going through. Many times a church is just receiving whatever there is to be received because that’s it but a five-fold ministry would be much much better.

Joe538.com: Do you think that God has a special message for women in the Bible?

DSR: I believe he does, yes I believe he does. You have all these demonic experiences I And salvation that message just telling women that encouraging part that it can be done you can do it have faith in God. I believe those things are important. I believe there is something about a woman’s message is more sensitive and it’s more knowledgeable to the woman many times than any other message.

Joe538.com: Could you speak a little bit more about goals for women in bible, can you be a little more specific in giving a scripture for people that are reading this interview, where women could get instruction on some of the places in the bible of how to be?

DSR: Well, I certainly would say the book of Dorcas. The scripture of Dorcas is one that certainly is a good scripture for women because Dorcas was a woman, that she was called as a disciple, but being called as a disciple she worked more, I would like to say as a missionary because she went around doing good things and she was a seamstress. She sewed clothing made clothing for, especially women, I mean for all but I want to say especially for women. And Dorcas was a woman that loved the Lord and she served God and she knew her place in society as well as her place in the spiritual realm. She knew that she was going to go God’s will and she was going to follow his ways. She believed in his word and so not only that did she do seamstress work but she also did feeding the hungry and she was a woman that was always looking for the poor and attempting to help them and I think that’s what we ought to be about out because see that’s the work of Christ. Christ says, “A man that is well does not need a doctor it’s the sick man that needs the doctor and so we want to help those that are in need. We have young women who are being battered everyday. They’ve gotten themselves into a poor relationship and they have children, they’re suffering and they’re trying to find their way and they don’t know which way to go. We have women who have chosen to go prostituting or to make ends meets and some of it could be for drugs or whatever. We have these people that are suffering and I believe that the ministry is supposed to be the one to help feed the hungry, clothed the naked, care for the sick and do those things that God has called us to do.

Joe538.com: Do you feel that there are different things that you’ve experienced being a woman in (the spirit) (this field) because it is traditionally still a man’s field and do you feel that there are different obstacles or challenges you have being a woman in this field?

DSR: I don’t necessarily feel that there are obstacles because I serve the Lord and serving God and I believe that God will make a way out of no way And I believe where this road is blocked he’ll open the road for me in another direction and yet accomplish his will. And so I don’t necessarily feel it. I do feel sometimes that men may be threatened by me because I am a woman minister and I believe that’s just not me, a woman minister for many woman ministries because the pulpit has been so long occupied by only male and I believe that’s why we see so many wives that are getting into ministry because the male may feel more comfortable with his wife there then he does with a person just working there because he may not know them.

Joe538.com: I know you do some kind of work with youth and is there anything that you’re doing with your ministry to outreach to them? How do you combine the two?

DSR: Well, actually I teach school of young people and their eighth graders and their right in that stage where everything happens today and everything is sad tomorrow or vice versa. I believe my presence in the school among the young people does a lot for the children. In fact, many of them meet me sometimes in the morning/afternoon and will say Mrs. Redding, “ I saw you on television last night, or I got my bible out and followed along with you or my mom told me that you’re the person that we need to be listening to and then I’ve had parents come in with their children that were misbehaving and the parents have said to the child maybe “this is the woman you need to listen to. This is a woman of God and of course that means a lot to me too.

Joe538.com: I noticed listening to a few of your sermons you always have a strong influence for parents to spend time with the children and to make that connection. Do don’t always hear that from all sermons or ministers. Is there a reason why do you specifically say that?

DSR: Well, I’m basically doing what the Lord has called me to do and I pray every time I go to minister that the Lord will speak through me. And so I’m allowing the Lord to speak through me and whatever words come out is what he wants me to say. I believe that the experiences that I have had the Lord has used me to deliver those experiences by informing parents that you know its your responsibility to raise your child but love your child and stand with your child and take your child to church and make sure that your child is getting a well rounded education rather than just a secular education get the spiritual education as well.

What is the vision for your ministry?

DSR: Well my vision for ministry is certainly is to do some absolute outreach ministry, more than what I’m doing. Right now we’re just doing radio and television teaching and preaching the word but I would like to be able to get out here and do some things with our young people. I believe our young people are hurting, especially our young women. I believe that they need some of the word on a one on one basis with them to help to understand how to be young women and how to understand that there are goals for them and to achieve and accomplish those goals. And I believe that my ministry needs to be taken absolute outside when I’m doing one on one and direct contact with these young women.

Joe538.com: Now I know you say you want to do more outreach and right now the Lord calls you to do radio ministry. Can you tell me the pros and cons of having a media ministry How effective do you think this is getting the word out?

DSR: I feel it’s very affective because were reaching people that do not go to church. We’re reaching people that are sick in nursing homes. We’re reaching people that have lost their way in the area of church because for some reason they’ve kind of gave up on the ministers. They feel that many of them want just money and I believe that we’re reaching the hearts of the people now with just the word. We’re not out with a plate begging. We’re not having church service all day and all evening and forcing them to come and be apart of this group. J I believe all they want to hear is the word. The word is most important because once they get the word into their hearts then that is going to begin to stimulate them and make them want to do more in the word. And once they know the truth because the bible says the truth shall make you free and a man perish because of lack of knowledge and it’s the knowledge and it’s the freedom that we focus on. Even though we are not there in person but meet people and they’ll stop and say. “Excuse me aren’t you the lady that’s on radio and television? I say yes I am, oh and they think that I’m this great star because they’ll say well you’ve helped me so much in my life and then some parents will say you’ve helped me so much in my life with my children keep on teaching and of course I believe it’s that because they want to hear the truth. They just want to know where to go to find the help in the bible. You know the bible is a book that bible tells us that we don’t need to ask anyone anything we can just look in the word. And the word will teach us how to follow the path I believe we are reaching the masses of the people.

Joe538.com: Where would you like to see the ministry in the next five to ten years from now?

DSR: Oh, five or ten years from now I wish it were so where I could go over into part of a country and work along side with Oprah Winfrey. She has a school over there but I would like to have a church there and work there and after they are done with their schooling they can come into the church and be ministered to. I would love to do that and I hope it becomes a world wide ministry and I hope the Lord bless me so that I will be able to get it in motion even if the Lord sees fit to take me and hopefully someone else could come in and take hold of it and take it and carry it a step higher.

Joe538.com: Where can we hear the service and anything else you might be doing for people that are following you or want to become more aware of what you are doing?

DSR: Well, you can hear my service on Sunday mornings from ten to eleven on 1560 The Touch. They can hear the service from seven thirty to eight thirty on Sunday nights at Community Access. I believe that’s channel nineteen, on channel twenty on Monday evenings from seven until eight on channel twenty one on Wednesday evenings I believe that is from four to five and then on channel 22 on Friday evenings and I believe that is from three to four.

DSR: Another thing that I would like to add is that I’m always available and open to come to groups and speak I would like to broaden and reach out further and speak to groups of people because I believe that God has called me and given me a message to tell the people and sometimes I don’t always share all of the experiences that I have that I really want to reach people with but I Know the Lord has an opportune time for me to do that.

Joe538.com: Your ministry is not restricted to quote un quote “the church” You take the church with you wherever you need to go?

DSR: Exactly, that’s what the Lord has called me for-evangelism and I’ll go wherever he wants me to go.

Check out Reverend Redding-Spurlock on the web: read more