I had heard about
Jason Westerfield before from
Patricia King, but never experienced a conference with him.
Dear Lord! Did he ever challenge my over 28 years in ministry! I feel I have nothing to say, like having been playing church in the ministry kindergarten sandbox!
When I started out in ministry in Hong Kong in 1981, pioneered and pastored a small church, and also was blessed befriending Jackie Pullinger, it was all very raw and passionate. Later, as I became more involved with bigger churches, got ordained and then of course was an associate minister at a large church in London, things changed. I learnt the ropes of ministry behaviour.
We had ministers from large international churches and ministries come to our conferences, and anyone who is familiar with what it was like in those ‘Word of Faith’ days, .... you know ... all the designer wear, crocodile leather shoes, jewellery, and generally being very important, and terribly respectable would know what I am talking about.
Thank goodness things have changed. Over some time now, everything inside me has been stretched, never to be the same again. Not only have I enjoyed the encredible privilege to feast from ministry tables and served by the likes of Patricia King, Jill Austin, Bobby Conners, etc. etc. on the Internet, but also at my church,
Chiswick Christian Centre - but this guy, Jason Westerfield, like Heidi Baker, REALLY pushed the envelope!
Although fully sensitive, respectful, and submitted to the pastor of my
church as a guest speaker, he just flowed with humility, freedom in Christ, with outrageous exuberance of extravagant worship. This guy knows how to worship – totally oblivious of what might be respectable or conventional around him.
He could not care less what anyone was thinking, and just took off dancing, jumping, bouncing, twirling, high jumps with shouts of joy, running into the congregation, taking members by the hand and get them to let go and enter into the joy of the Lord. King David, eat your heart out, you’ve got your match!
It was like he had totally abando
ned himself to the Lord with sensitivity of His flow. No showmanship whatsoever! In some respect, you really did not know what Jason was doing next, I guess he did not know either, as he fully followed God’s directive. At times you wondered where he was .... at one point he had collapsed into a corner at the side quietly weeping in intercession, whilst everyone else was happily singing and worshipping.
I had never seen any minister just for long periods of time lying prostrate before the Lord on the floor, shoes kicked off, and then later preaching running around in socks. His style is without any airs and graces, pomp and circumstances – it’s about Holy Spirit protocol, submitted to Him first!
When he ministered it felt more like he was mentoring the entire congregation like interns to get them to dare to take steps into the greater heavenly realm of the supernatural. With Jason it’s all about intimacy with the Lord. It’s funny, he’s a young guy of about 33 years old, yet he mentored and laboured like a father amongst us, tirelessly teaching the Word with passion and healing signs following.
I guess the biggest eye-opener to me was on Sunday. I’m sure, anyone who may h
ave come to enjoy a nice Sunday service would have been in for a shock. The message he had planned to preach did not happen. Instead he led the entire congregation into deep intercession, we were all on the floor or on our knees ... and it was not a silent intercession either!
I realised that this guy has experienced a different spiritual reality. There is a new breed of ministers, such as Jason, Jamie Galloway, Joshua Mills, and John Crowder that contend for living in a realm of supernatural Kingdom reality with such abandoned passion, power and intimacy that leaves church as usual in a pitiful kindergarten of useless traditions.
One thing is for sure, no one can experience that level of the supernatural, unless they are daily striving to live with a pure heart, no personal agendas, their own lives nailed to the cross of Jesus, and His rest!
I think these young guys challenge us older established ministers to tear off those robes of tradition and outward respectability, and like King David worship Him with all our might, living in totally surrendered intimacy with the Master and Lover of our soul, Jesus!
(senior pastor Phil Whitehead in the blue shirt on the left)
Oh, nearly forgot to mention, he'll be back at our church next Sunday, February 8th, which also happens to be my birthday - YAY! that's the best birthday pressie from the Lord!
If you are interested in listening to entire powerful ministry messages by Jason Westerfield or other anointed ministers who graced Chiswick Christian Centre, please scrol down on the right hand side pannel to the podcast player, and enjoy! -> -> -> ->
write out (copy) the verses directly from a favourite translation, or one, that might express that portion particularly well. Then, kind of create a more personalised paraphrased version or summary, or letting my own prayerful and poetic juices flow.
