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Laveta Shelton
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Rev. Laveta Shelton, Associate Pastor |
Pastor Laveta Shelton is a native Texan; born in Odessa. Growing up in a home where her parents had been offended by the church, she was not allowed to attend church services. However, God had a plan, since it was her grandmother who was a faithful Christian that held strong to her beliefs and took every opportunity to teach her about the things of God. As she grew up, she always knew that there was something that made her seem to not exactly fit in with everyone around her. As she reached her adolescent years she involved herself with wrong things and wrong people.
In spite of her interactions, Laveta always felt the call of God on her life. While attending Redeemer Temple Christian Outreach she was baptized and received the Baptism of the Holy Spirit with the evidence of speaking in tongues. After some time spent away from church, she became closer to God and learned about prayer, healing, deliverance, faith and a lot about grace. She studied the Word and received training as a minister through RHEMA Bible Training School. Laveta also served as a youth minister for three years, adding to her hands on training. After the church she attended closed she began having services in her home as she waited on direction from God. Even though Laveta had received the Holy Ghost and was being used by God in the ministry, it was not until much later that she finally began to deal with and accept the realization that she was gay and, eventually, that God still loved her. While she dealt with her sexuality, she left the church temporarily drifting away from the walk with God that she loved so much. However, God has a way of making the most of anything we give to Him. God now uses her experiences away from church to help her minister on different levels today. In June 2005, while attending a camp meeting at Fellowship of Love Outreach in Fort Worth, Texas, God once again stirred up the call to ministry. A lady minister who had never met her prophesied to her saying, "You are a woman of God. Why are you not walking in your call?" It was then that she realized that not only did God still love her, but also that the things prophesied to her through the years were still valid even today and that His call was still very real. In February 2006, Pastor Laveta was granted a General License as a minister with RPI. She received her full Ordination in February 2007. She presently serves as the Associate Pastor of New Song Fellowship and provides counseling through the church to hurting individuals. She owns and operates Bridge Back, a faith based counseling and Life Skills Center located in the offices of New Song Fellowship, Odessa, TX. www.bridgebackcounseling.com Pastor Laveta faithfully served as a Presiding Presbyter on the General Board of RPI until her resignation effective February 17, 2012. |
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