As you have read on the other pages of “Coffee With Pat,” I feel with my whole heart that faith and belief comprise a very important part of our lives.
A person’s faith and beliefs in many ways define who they are — how they see themselves, what they want out of life, and more. Beliefs express themselves in all aspects of a person’s life. My faith has helped me to live a life of dedication to the work of my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. My own convictions have not only influenced my own life, but my family’s life, and have shaped our daily activities.
My parents raised me in a Christian home. They shared God with all of their heart and soul. They did not just talk the talk, but they walked the walk. Because of this, I thank them so much. If they had not brought me up in the ways of God, I would not be sharing this testimony with you. I have three brothers and two sisters. They were older than me. My parents said that God gave me to them later in life, so I could keep them young.
I was born in Louisiana, I was three months pre-mature, and the doctor just threw me over his arm and laid me in the only incubator in the hospital. I was not breathing and had turned blue. But see God already had a call on my life, and knew the plans He had for me. I went home from the hospital at four days old, weighing a little over three pounds. Boy I have made up for it now.
I was raised in The Southern Baptist Domination. If the church doors were open we were there.
Daddy was in Civil Service so we moved a lot. But daddy would always go ahead and find a place for us to live, and a church for us to attend. So when mama and I arrived there was no need to look for a church, daddy had already taken care of that.
I thank God for the work that the Southern Baptist do, because they teach and believe in witnessing. Salvation is what is preached and we learn that is important at an early age.
I was five years old when I accepted Jesus as my Personal Savior, at the First Baptist Church of Dothan Alabama. Mama was a little concerned that I might be too young, but the Pastor met with us and he asked mama if I obeyed her and knew right from wrong.
Of course her answer was” yes.” He then said, “She is also old enough to hear the voice of God.” So the next Sunday when the invitation was given, my daddy looked at me and took me by the hand and walked down the aisle with me.
I remember they were singing “Just As I Am”, maybe that is the reason I love the song so much. My girls tease me now. They say that every time I do an altar call, I have them play “Just As I Am.” So on that wonderful Sunday morning in 1958 I asked Jesus to come into my heart, He has never left me, and I have never left Him. I have now been a child of God for 58 out of the 63 years I have lived on this earth.
Then at the age of ten, I walked the aisle again, and answered that call God had on my life.
I then committed my life to be a servant of God. Since it was a Southern Baptist Church, I thought that I could only be a Missionary. But, my Pastor informed me that I could never let the word, you are a female stop you from doing God’s work. He told me, “Pat, you will be not a Missionary but an Evangelist, a Minister of God.”
Within a few weeks our Training Union Teacher did not come to church, so I taught my class. At the age of ten begin teaching. I loved going to church. I have always been active in church. One of my main gifts is to go to a church and help start Christian Education Programs, which cover Sunday School, Men’s and Ladies Fellowships, Youth and Senior Programs, Day Cares, Christian Schools, and to train individuals to teach in these positions.
I have also held positions of Missionette Director, Children’s Church Pastor, Church Planter, Associate Pastor and Head Pastor. I have helped plant many churches.
I also do Revivals, Ladies Seminars, Conventions, Biblical Studies on Marriage, Youth Missions, and Counseling. In other words whatever God needs for me to do, I do it. I met my husband Joe, and we got married in June 18, 1977. In September of 1977 my husband Joe was saved and baptized. Since then we have worked together side by side.
In 1988 God decided that we needed to make a change, so we moved. We started going to a Pentecostal Holiness Church. The Pastor knew immediately of the call on my life. I talked to him and he put me in touch with the Superintendent of our Conference, Then I began to study to become an ordained minister. After four years of hard work, I completed my studies and graduated through the IPHC School. I was ordained as a Minister in the North Carolina Conference of the International Pentecostal Holiness Church. My heart was for the youth, so I also received my Credentials in Christian Education.
I have now completed my Doctorate in Theology and Biblical Counseling. God has blessed us with two Christian daughters. Both of our daughters were raised in the church and accepted Jesus at an early age. They have always been active in church and have gone on Mission Trips. We always made sure they were in church. On Sunday morning they did not say I don’t want to go to church. As a matter of fact I never heard them say those words. Parents I will tell you, that if they had said those words, they would have gone to church regardless of what they wanted to do. It was expected of them and there were no if, ands, or buts about it.
God has now blessed us with an extended family. We now have been blessed with 2 more daughters, a son and 5 beautiful grandchildren.
Our family is growing and praising God together. I hope that this has given you an insight of my life and now I will share by beliefs with you.
My Theological Views
*I believe there is but one living and true God everlasting, of infinite power, wisdom and goodness, Maker and Preserver of all things, both visible and invisible. And in the unity of this Godhead there are three Persons of one substance of eternal being, and equal in holiness, justice, wisdom, power, and dignity; the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost.
John 1:14, says, “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten Son of the Father, full of grace and truth.”
I believe that the Son, who is the Word of the Father, the very and eternal God, of one substance with the Father, took man’s nature in the womb of the blessed virgin; so that two whole and perfect natures, that is to say, the Godhead and the manhood were joined together in one Person, never to be divided, whereof is one Christ, very God and perfect man, who actually suffered, was crucified, dead, and buried, to reconcile the Father to us, and to make atonement, not only for our actual guilt, but also for original sin.
I believe that Christ did truly rise again from the dead, and took again His body, with all things appertaining to the perfections of man’s nature, and ascended into heaven and there sits until He shall return to judge all men at the last day. I believe the Holy Ghost, proceeding from the Father and the Son, is of one substance, majesty and glory with the Father and the Son, very and eternal God.
I believe in the verbal and plenary inspiration of the Holy Scriptures, known as the Bible, composed of sixty-six books and divided into two departments, Old and New Testaments. We believe the Bible is the Word of God, the full and complete revelation of the plan and history of redemption.
I believe that eternal life with God in heaven is a portion of the reward of the finally righteous; and that everlasting banishment from the presence of the Lord and unending torture in hell are the wages of the persistently wicked (Matthew 25:46; Psalm 9:17; Revelation 21:7-8).
I believe that Jesus Christ shed His blood for the remission of sins that are past, for the regeneration of penitent sinners, and for salvation from sin and from sinning (Romans 3:25; 1 John 3:5-10; Ephesians 2:1-10).
I believe, teach, and firmly maintain the scriptural doctrine of justification by faith alone (Romans 5:1).
I believe that Jesus Christ shed His blood for the complete cleansing of the justified believer from all indwelling sin and from its pollution, subsequent to regeneration (1 John 1:7-9).
I believe in sanctification. While sanctification is initiated in regeneration and consummated in glorification, we believe that it includes a definite, instantaneous work of grace achieved by faith subsequent to regeneration (Acts 26:18; 1 John 1:9). Sanctification delivers from the power and dominion of sin. It is followed by life-long growth in grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ (2 Corinthians 4:16; 2 Peter 3:18)
I believe that the Pentecostal baptism of the Holy Ghost and fire is obtainable by a definite act of appropriating faith on the part of the fully cleansed believer, and the initial evidence of the reception of this experience is speaking with other tongues as the Spirit gives utterance (Luke 11:13; Acts 1:5; 2:14, 8-17; 10:44-46; 19:6).
I believe in divine healing as in the atonement (Isaiah 53:4-5; Matthew 8:16-17; Mark 16:14-18; James 5:14-16; Exodus 15:26). I believe in the imminent, personal, pre-millennial second coming of our Lord Jesus Christ (1 Thessalonians 4:15-17; Titus 2:13; 2 Peter 3:1-4; Matthew 24:29-44), and love and wait for His appearing (2 Timothy 4:8).
I believe it is the responsibility of every believer to dedicate his life to carrying out the work of the Great Commission (Matthew 28:18-20; Mark 16:15-20; Acts 1:8)
I believe that the Bible is God’s infallible Word and the believer’s guide and final authority for both faith and conduct (2 Timothy 3:16-17). I am totally committed to the Bible as God’s written Word to man. I believe that a top priority of Christians in this world is to multiply believers and multiply churches as a means of extending the kingdom of God. We must, therefore, follow a lifestyle that gives impetus to this purpose. As members of the army of God we are involved in spiritual warfare, and thus under military discipline (2 Timothy 2:3-4). Other considerations must take second place to our primary purpose in life. We are mobilized on a wartime basis. Every facet of our lives must come under divine authority (1 Corinthians 10:31). I believe in God the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth; and in Jesus Christ His only Son, our Lord; which was conceived by the Holy Ghost, born of the virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, dead, and buried; He descended into hell [that is, the place of the departed righteous]; the third day He rose again from the dead; He ascended into heaven; and sits on the right hand of God the Father Almighty; from thence He shall come to judge the quick and the dead. I believe in the Holy Ghost; the communion of saints; the forgiveness of sins; the resurrection of the body; and life everlasting. Amen.
I believe, having been called out of the world by the blessed Spirit of God, do solemnly, but cheerfully, and with joy and gladness enter into this covenant;
To watch over one another with brotherly love and kindness, not that I may have whereof to accuse my brother, but that we may with meekness correct each other’s faults.
To abstain from frivolous conversations, such as foolish talking and jesting, and from backbiting and tattling, or taking up a reproach against anyone, especially my brother.
To heed the injunction of the apostle (Ephesians 4:1-3), who exhorts us to walk worthy of the vocation wherewith we are called, with all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love; endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.
To bear one another’s burdens and so fulfill the law of Christ. I will also heed the exhortation recorded in 1 Thessalonians 5:12-15: “We beseech you, brethren, to know them which labor among you, and are over you in the Lord, and admonish you; And to esteem them very highly in love for their work’s sake. And be at peace among yourselves. Now we exhort you brethren, warn them that are unruly [disorderly], comfort the feebleminded, support the weak, be patient toward all men. See that none render evil for evil unto any man; but ever follow that which is good, both among yourselves, and to all men.”
And together, we will “recompense to no man evil for evil,” but will “provide things honest in the sight of all men,” and, “if it be possible, as much as lieth in [us], [we will] live peaceably with all men” (Romans 12:17-18).
And we will be “kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven [us]” (Ephesians 4:32).
As opportunity affords we will be engaged in works of mercy; such as visiting the sick and imprisoned and the distressed, and all who may need and will accept our ministrations.
We will have no fellowship with unfruitful works of darkness (Ephesians 5:11), but keep ourselves by the grace of God (1 Peter 1:5) unspotted from the world (James 1:27).
All this will we do, God being our Helper.
Please contact me to put your church or organization on my calendar for speaking engagements. I am an Ordained Minister, with the Pentecostal Holiness Church.
God Bless You Abundantly! Joyfully, In The Master’s Service, Blessings, Love and Prayers, Pastor Pat Aman
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