By Cecelia Campbell Livingston
If anyone had told Apostle Anna-Kay Israel that she would be spreading the gospel of Jesus to the unsaved, then she would have burst out laughing.
In a candid interview with Freedom Come Rain, she revealed that her call to ministry was a preordained purpose of God Almighty.
“Preaching was not on my agenda. I vividly recall my first encounter with God being at a nightclub popularly known as Asylum (New Kingston, Jamaica). It was as though I was in a trance where I saw the flames of Hades and heard clearly the voice of God saying, “If I should come today, hell would be your eternal home.” It was both a terrifying and amazing experience. So began my journey with the Lord,” she recounted.
Apostle Israel recounted that the challenges she faced after choosing Christ were many as her life started to drastically change. She remembers questioning everything.
Owing to her limited knowledge where Christianity was concerned, Israel said at the time it seemed easier to accept the things she had planned for her life before the call, instead of allowing God’s divine will to be done in and through her.
“As my relationship with Christ grew stronger, I noticed I had challenges even within my household. There would be talks amongst my children who found it hard to comprehend my zeal and my calling,” she shared.
Their ignorance, according to Israel, proved to be the door opening for her to minister to their souls, resulting in them all being saved and trying to walk according to God’s precepts.
Israel, who is the founder of the Lion of Judah Prophetic Worship Centre Inc. with messages delivered presently on social media platforms, said ministering the Word was not a decision she made of her own accord or free will.
“God is the One who called me into the ministry to fulfil His divine purpose, according to Isaiah (61:1 KJV), and after many confirmations from several ministerial friends and God’s constant call, I then submitted to the Father,” she said.
“The most difficult part of leading a flock,” points out Israel, “is seeing people who are not being properly nourished in the Scriptures as they should be, so they can fulfil the call of God for their lives and destiny.”
It is this conviction that sees her trying to ensure she does her part in sharing the Word as much as possible, and through YouTube and Facebook, she is reaching many.
Apostle Israel, who received instruction from Reverend Scotbert Steadman in Kingston, Jamaica, in 2007, started her training in the prophetic ministry and was assigned a ministerial position.
Shortly after, she migrated to the United States and subsequently attained a doctorate degree in Theology from Cornerstone University in Maryland.
Her ministry began as a modest assemblage held at her home, but as does everything rooted in God, it grew immensely to the point where she was able to lease her first building. In 2016, Israel established The Lion of Judah Prophetic Worship Centre and Radical Remnant Global Ministries (RRGM) with the focus on sharing the good news and continuing her ministry.
Since then, she has been impacting lives on a global scale, winning souls for Christ while travelling extensively to many other countries to preach the Word – Ghana, Nigeria, China, and Honduras. Her enthusiasm and passion have seen the growth of the ministry, with branches of the church being planted elsewhere, including Kingston Jamaica – Heart of Worship End Time International Ministries.
Israel has taken her ministry to another level as she realises that just preaching the Word and helping those in need is not enough. Wanting to show God’s love through tangible means, she has also established a foundation for the less privileged.
An author, songwriter, and actress is a mother of three, and for her, having the love and support of her family has made it easier to function.
As she closes the interview, Israel shares her biggest concern with today’s present church, which she terms is in an “apostate state.”
“We are seeing so many manifestations of the end, and yet still our eyes are closed to the truth. There is a lot of strange doctrine at work, confusing many and building weak family prayer altars. It’s my prayer for the church to get back its identity and flow with Christ’s end-time mandate.”