Pastor Lennox L Willis- Called to a ministry of healing and miracles

By Cecelia Campbell Livingston

At age 19, Pastor Lennox L. Willis already knew he was meant to be in ministry, as a 1979 incident involving his seven-year-old sister cemented it for him.

The siblings were home alone when his sister accidentally lost her grip on a chair, fell backwards, and hit her head. She was out cold; her body was stiff, and there was no pulse.

“Immediately, I scooped her up in my arms and prayed the quickest prayer I’ve ever prayed in my life. In seconds, she began to shake back to life, and that was when I knew that I have the gift of healing and that I was called to a healing and miracle ministry,” he related.

Pastor Willis’ Christian journey started at age 13 after he visited a church convention and heard the message preached by Rev. Dorothy Tuzo from Bermuda (who is now his spiritual mom). The scripture reference taken from Isaiah 22:23, “And I will fasten you as a nail in a sure place…”, impacted him so much that he just could not ignore the call to salvation.

He now pastors at the Love and Power Ministries Deliverance Center in Maryland, St. Andrew. The church focuses on not just ministering to the soul but also engaging in outreach, missionary duties, and caring for the sick and destitute.

Among the activities at the church are the divine service in the sanctuary, which is streamed live on Facebook every Sunday at 10 a.m.; a study the word session on Mondays at 9 a.m. on Facebook; and Bible Studies on Wednesdays at 7 p.m. (currently being streamed live on Facebook).

The church, Pastor Willis shared, also engages in social outreach geared towards involving the community, such as sports day activities, partnerships for back-to-school events with Bridgeview Foundation Inc., and children’s treats with the Salvation Army School for the Blind.

Leading a busy life, Pastor Willis ensures ministries do not rob his home of quality family time. He has one guide for maintaining balance.

“Creating a balance between family and my duties is solely based on Philippians 4:13. I can do all things through Christ, who strengthens me. The Lord knows my load limit,” he points out.

And with the support and encouragement of family, which are both given temporarily and spiritually, he acknowledges that the load is not too heavy to bear.

“My wife, Cherol in particular, has been very instrumental with her support, especially in the early part of the ministry when the Bible studies would finish very late and it was a challenge to get proper transportation to get home. Though she wanted to always accompany me during a 26-mile journey to and from church, I had to sacrifice the company so she could stay with the children,” he informed.

As the children got older, they started a ministry in Maryland. Most times, they were the only ones in the church to carry on the worship until others came. He recalled his wife and daughters singing and his son playing the drum while he played the guitar.

“As the church grew, the support was evident from the church family and even the community during the many work days, fund-raising events, and services. The young men and women from the community ensured we had proper lighting and sound. They would even sometimes lower the volume of their music when service was in session and are very willing (even to this day) to help prepare for the many events we have,” he revealed, adding that he is happy they didn’t have to buy their respect and was able to earn it through serving them.

After pastoring for so many years, Pastor Willis said people still hold wrong ideas about those who shepherd others. For him, the biggest misconception is that pastors do not have their own personal challenges and that their lives are easy.

“My life is the only Bible some will read. My deepest concern is that I always want to see others happy, so I’ll go the extra mile. When I encounter personal issues of my own, I truly trust the Lord to keep me transparent, and I do cherish the advice and input from those in my small circle who help to cover my blind spots. The Spirit told me that if I take care of the church, he will take care of my house, and I am taking Him at His word,” he expressed.

Leading a flock doesn’t come without its challenges, though, and one of them is when unity is not displayed across the board. Expressing his concern about the church as a whole, he said he would love them to know more about the word of God, especially in times like this.

Going back to the scripture, he advises that the lack of knowledge causes people to perish, and so he’s concerned that people are not wholeheartedly seeking after the knowledge of who God truly is.

When Pastor Willis is not engaged in his ministry, relaxation for him is reading a variety of books, writing (updating his planner/diary every day with events of the day and those to come, including reflections), and interacting with people. He also enjoys taking notes of his dreams and any impartations that the Lord gives him, especially in the early mornings, and tending to his farm.

Born into a large family of 14 siblings, which includes two sets of twins, he grew up in Hall’s Delight District, St. Andrew, spending a portion of time in Kingston, where he attended Trench Town Basic, Hall’s Delight All-Age, and then Papine Secondary School.

A Christian for over 43 years, he has been in ministry for over 30 years.

“I have been serving as a pastor since 1997. I will be celebrating 40 years of marriage to Cherol Willis (my sweet, sentimental spouse) this August. Oh, how God has been faithful and good! Our union has produced three beautiful children—two girls and one boy—and we’re currently proud and passionate grandparents too,” he happily shared.

Sharing his ultimate goal, Pastor Willis said it is to see people saved, healed, and set free and grow into an experience of knowing the true power of God.