Greetings brethren.
It is truly a privilege to serve the Body of Christ, and it is particularly special to do so alongside those who the Lord has used to sow into your life. The positive impact that the International Ministers Fellowship (IMF) has had on me and my family can not be overstated, and that is largely why I’m thankful and excited for my upcoming tenure as IMF, USA president.
I distinctly remember my early experiences with IMF and the impact they had on my life. Before those moments, I had never seen the Body of Christ from such a global perspective, and it forever changed my view of the Kingdom and my own ministry within it. Through the teaching and leadership of Apostle George, various encounters with the brethren, and growth through programs like Masters Class, I experienced a significant period of spiritual maturation and embraced a prophetic calling that I had nearly abandoned.
When I was a child, a man named John Nelson, a prophet himself, asked me a question. He said, “Young man, do you know who Jeremiah was in the bible?” After timidly responding no, he looked at me intently and said, “He was a prophet, and so are you.” Although I had no frame of reference for what I heard, I never forgot those words, and they resonated within my spirit throughout my entire life. It was seed watered at an early age, and I never imagined the extent to which God would manifest those words in my life. More than twenty years later, after dreams, visions, tests, trials, and divine preservation from a life-changing, near-death experience, I have learned to embrace and cherish the Lord’s will for my life.
God has indeed shown himself faithful. My wife, Brittney, is more than I could have ever imagined, and my children are gifts from the Lord of immeasurable value, especially considering the fact that I literally would not be alive if it were not for Him. So, to say I owe the Lord my life is not cliche nor is it just a figure of speech. It is a reality.
As I look ahead at my upcoming tenure as IMF USA President, I have learned better than to prescribe excessive detail to a future that belongs to the Lord. However, with faithful expectation, my prayer is that the loving bond that holds the IMF community together will only increase. My hope is that the pressures of a corrupt, wayward world would not dissuade the intensity of our ministry and fellowship, but draw us closer with an ever increasing appreciation of true communion. May every vessel within the IMF community realize the value of their part and contribute to the edification of the body.
As I look ahead to the times and seasons that approach this nation and our world, my heart is for our Kingdom family to endure to the end and see Yeshua. Throughout biblical history, it was the prophetic voice that gave clarity and direction to the Lord’s children, and the same remains true today. Sadly, however, prophecy within the church has, by and large, lacked depth by catering to the whims of manipulative men and temporal outcomes when the Lord’s greater desire is to prepare and preserve His children. The word of God, which was written thousands of years ago, still has a practical connection to our modern world, and we are wise to discern the ways. From the pervasive and perverted agendas of pop culture and entertainment to consequential, political and global governmental shifts, our world is not operating beyond the revelation that is already declared in scripture. But, everything is happening as expected by our Sovereign God. So, my heart is that our fellowship sees the world through a prophetic lens to remain a step ahead of the enemy and be effective to reach the souls assigned to us.
With love,
Prophet Jeremiah & Pastor Brittney Shepherd
