Symposium Spotlight - Charles Thornton

                                                      Charles Thornton

Preferred Name to be Listed as and State or Country you live in:

ANSWER: Pastor Charles Thornton; Florida, USA

Age: 

ANSWER: 65

When you accepted Christ as your Savior:

ANSWER:  First found Christ near the age of 8.  Married at the age of 18 and took a job that worked on weekends that prevented me from going to church.  That began a 20 year absence from church and subsequent slide away from God.  By His grace, He pursued me and called me back, restoring the pastoral call on my life.

Years in and areas of active ministry, past and present: 

ANSWER:  After returning to the Lord in 1990, I have served as a Deacon, Sunday School Teacher, as the Interim Head Deacon twice during periods of pastoral search, Local Missions Representative, lay Minister, Licensed Minister in the Church of God, Int., Ordained Bishop in the Church of God, Int., and as a Missionary Evangelist in the Church of God World Missions.

Favorite scripture and why?

ANSWER: 

Acts 10:38 "How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power, who went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him."
This is my favorite scripture because in one statement made by the Apostle Peter, he summed up Christ’s ministry on earth; and, in doing so he gives us the direction we need to take to continue Christ’s ministry on earth until Jesus returns again.

Your Wake Up Call to your Generation:

ANSWER: I represent the seniors and my wake up call to them is that our work is not done.  The generation following us is not yet prepared and their remains billions who have never heard of Christ.  The command to preach the Gospel to every nation has to be foremost in our thoughts and actions as long as breath remains in our body.

  

What are your hobbies outside of ministry?

ANSWER:  I am a sports fan – but keep it in its proper place.  My favorite sport is football. 

List some of your past achievements and current projects that you are working on: 

ANSWER:  Having been called to go on evangelistic missions trips for the past six years, we have seen the Lord add approximately 1,000 souls to His Kingdom.  Before all is said and done, we hope that figure will be small in comparison.

Share your experience in marriage, as the head of your home:

ANSWER:  My wife and I met in church and have been each other’s only mate, married for 48 years now.  Marriage is not always easy.  There has to be give and take on both sides.  Love and forgiveness will always have to be displayed.  Try to be a Godly man, following His instructions for husbands, and look for a Godly woman to be your mate.  That is key to a good long-lasting marriage.

What do you hope to accomplish by participating in this MMofV Symposium?

ANSWER:  Simply to share what I have learned in the hope that it can help someone to reach their full potential according to the plan God has for their life.

What does your relationship with Jesus mean to you? 

ANSWER:  Our relationship with Jesus is multi-faceted.  He is our Savior, Redeemer, Master, Brother, Great High Priest, Creator, and more.  But the one I cherish the very most is that of Friend.  In John 15:15, Jesus told the disciples, “I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business.  Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you.”  The relation move from servant to friend would seem to be based on knowledge, experience, and obedience from this portion of scripture.  From a recent prophetic word, Jesus called me His friend.  That was truly special to me!

What area have your struggled with most in your walk with Christ? 

ANSWER: My weak areas are anger, resentment, revenge, and unforgiveness.  I constantly have to be on my guard against these and apply the Biblical instructions.

What message of hope would you like to share with our reader? 

ANSWER:  Trust God!  He has a plan for your life,  but you have to learn to follow His lead and trust that He has your best interest at heart, regardless of what your current circumstances look like.

If you had a theme life motto, what would it be and why?

ANSWER:  Have a great day and enjoy your walk with God.