Part of a Series Highlighting the 2019 Harry Denman Evangelism Award Recipients
The Foundation for Evangelism reached out to the recipients of the Harry Denman Evangelism Award from each Annual Conference, encouraging them to share their story and ministry of inviting all people into a life-transforming relationship with Jesus Christ. This is one in a series of responses that we hope will inspire you to share your faith story and the Good News of Jesus Christ with those you meet and know.
Carrie Thurmond-Argro
I am grateful to have been chosen as a recipient of the 2019 Harry Denman Award in our Annual Conference. I was surprised to know that what I enjoy doing on a daily basis is considered as a service within the conference, when all I set out to do is to let people know how awesome the God [is] who sought me out in my deepest, darkest and painful moments in my life.
It is such an awesome experience to share my story with you and to acknowledge that my journey has not been easy but it indeed has been worth it.
In the sharing of my testimony I want to tell you that in June 12th of 1986 my mother was shot and killed by her husband here in the City of Chester Pa., just before my 21st birthday. I lost my way and I had no idea how to grieve. I’d buried my grief in medicating myself with drugs and alcohol every weekend and then during the week my addiction began to take control of me, until one day my friend ask me why I always got high and talked about God? I knew He was the answer to my troubles I just didn’t know how to get up from that dark place. Finally one night they asked me to leave and I refused and my friend had a seizure from doing the drugs. I clearly heard a voice say “this is not the life I chose for you”. When the I left that place I went to Grace UMC requesting prayer after I confessed to the people where I had been and what I was doing, how my life was so out of control and I needed prayer for deliverance for God to remove the taste and to help me get up from that place of addiction that was seeking to destroy me. He heard the prayers, answered my cry and set me free from me, to follow Him in May of 1998 and I am forever grateful for this journey with Jesus that has changed my whole life. I owe it to Him to tell the world. What God has done for me He can and will do for others who desires a one on one relationship with Him. I’ve been blessed by the Best and now I am praying for the rest. My testimony is my story for His glory.
How did I know that I was called to this evangelism ministry? The answer is that I was doing it even when I did not know what a calling really was. In my days of addiction I would always talk about God to those who were in my company and it seemed that I could never get away form acknowledging while needing help in my time of trouble.
Who encouraged me? There were many along the way but most of all what I thought was my conscience then, I now know was the Holy Spirit speaking to me in my moments of sanity and convicting me at a time when I needed it the most, more than anything the change was slowing happening.
Were there obstacles? Most certainly there were obstacles called people, places, things, hurts, pain and weaknesses. I overcame those through prayer and prayer services. At 6am prayer on one Monday morning I stumbled into Grace UMC under the influence and I requested prayer for deliverance. Slowly and surely my prayers were answered.
What is one thing I wish I had when I started? I wish that I had the help and support that was needed to help those who were medicating themselves like me because we did not know how to process our grief.
What is the most important advice I could give to someone who is feeling that call to evangelism ministry? The most important advice I could give to someone who is feeling the call is to pray for and with them and encourage them to tell their story and seek the guidance of the Holy Spirit to work on them, in them and through them as they seek to reach out to the least , the last, those left out and those who feel alone.
Thanks for the opportunity to share, knowing God gets all the glory and the honor because I never could have made it with out Him.
Committed to Serve.
Carrie
