One on One ~ Pastor Anita Spaulding

I had the amazing opportunity to share with this inspirational and anointed woman of faith. In a time where the body of Christ is being challenged in the area of integrity, Pastor Anita Spaulding is a vessel to be used for such a time as this.

Check out this amazing One on One with this warrior who has faced down here demons and is encouraging others to do the same. 

Pastor Spaulding, Give our readers a little background into where you come from i.e. Hometown, background, etc. 

I was born in a house in a little town across the tracks in South Plainfield New Jersey. It channeled a bit of down south because of its country, desolate farm like roads, former pig pen, chicken coupe and poison ivy.  I enjoyed climbing trees, plowing the field, preaching behind my make shift pulpit in the yard. Things such as riding my moped, going to church and playing with my siblings was also my favorite pastime.

I am married to a man of superlative quality, my Boaz Pastor Richard L. Spaulding of twenty-four years, we have one biological son Evan and three adopted children. I am a preachers kid, daughter,  author,entrepreneur, and I also co-Pastor with my spouse.

Wow! You are one busy lady. Your ministry was birthed from your painful past. What would you say to those who have been broken beyond what others deem be fixable?

I was a preteen Evangelist who made up my mind early on to follow the godly teachings of my great-grandmother.  Life has many twists and turns which oftentimes lead to tragedy.  Unfortunately, things turned for the worst because a cousin who was approximately ten years older than I raped me and I felt as if my life ended.

I was preteen who was pregnant and preaching!  What other alternative did I have but to kill myself, so I attempted suicide. As I took a piece of broken glass to slit my wrist, God intervened through my sister Quinny who stopped me from taking my life. I hated myself  but I am so grateful that I survived the rape(s), abortion, suicide attempts and kidnapping that would transpire roughly speaking two score and three years ago.

Our family unit did not believe in abortion, matter of fact I was naive, my parents and grandparents thought it was paramount for me not to have a baby.  No one told me I was getting an abortion; I just went with my stepfather to Kings County Hospital in New York.  Ministry meant everything to me and actually it meant more to me after the abortion.  It was after that experience that I embraced God more, feeling there was no one else who understood.

With tears flowing down my face right now, with a pit in the bottom of my stomach, it is difficult for me to even talk about it. Knowing I had a son named Corey, who was aborted with no funeral, flowers or good byes, just a big hole left in my heart. The pain was great but God healed me, established my mind and he has made me whole.

At the age of about thirteen, while walking to my aunt’s from church, a second sex offender snatched me into an alley way and raped me repeatly. After beating me in the face, he held a knife to my throat telling me he would kill me.

I tell people that we cannot reverse history nor can we change the events of our past but we can move beyond the hurt, abuse and pain. Everyone’s situation is different, what it takes for one to get beyond their past, might be more complicated then another.  I sought out individuals who I thought had my best interest at heart and most steered me in the proper direction of continuing my education, loving myself and embracing independence.

Absolutely astonishing and from the heart. How important is it to gleam from those who find someone to steer them in the proper direction?

It is important to gleam from someone but it is imperative that you find a person who will steer you in the proper direction, one who will never take advantage of you. Take for instance the third sex offender who was about twenty years older.  I confided in him and trusted him. He would eventually kidnap me and against my will took me three hundred miles from home only to be used as his wife.  Little did I know a ransom was put up by my family for my safe return.

He kept me locked in an apartment with no phone, little to no food, no contact with the outside world and for thirty days I thought I would never see my family again. This notorious sex offender was supposedly in the Body of Christ, who I gleamed from, thinking that he was my friend and assuming he understood what I had gone through with the other two sex offenders.

You have a heart for God’s people.  We are living in a time where many are losing faith in the Body of Christ.  What do you say can be done to put a proper spotlight back on the house of the Lord?

I must say, Darian, I do love God’s people and my desire is to inform as many people that I come in contact with, I would have them to know that even though they have been let down, there are people who are genuine. Individuals such as you, myself and many others want to encourage those and assist them in their quest for greatness.

It is sad that many are losing faith in leadership, but the scriptures says; the “arms of flesh will fail you”, so we are not to put our trust in the world or the flesh.  We are to put our complete confidence in the Almighty God, who has called us out of darkness into this marvelous light.

We also must remember that people have choices and just because someone makes a bad decision, it doesn’t give us the right to stop doing the right thing simply because someone let us down. The proper spotlight must be put back on Jesus who is the author and finisher of our faith and this is the only way a person can make it.

Being an author is something that I can tell is a unique call on your life.  How did writing two books come to fruition and will you be releasing any more publications?

The first book came into fruition because unbelieving believers don’t necessarily believe the word of God as they should.  There are those who speak death to their situations by negative verbiage which brings negative results.  I took a message I preached entitled, “How Whosoever Can Have Whatsoever” and put it into an easy read form. I believed that when people would read this self help motivational spiritual book, it would change their life and they would receive the benefits outlined in the word of God.

The second book, “From Trials to Triumph”, is a true story about my life.  It will help those who have not yet faced the demons that haunt them.  After writing the book, I received total healing because I forgave the ones who victimized me.  Forgiveness is part of the healing process and when I let go, I experienced real love from my Boaz/Husband, family and genuine friends.

Through literary creation I endeavor to write twelve more books. “Women in Leadership: Leaving a Legacy” and “A Kid behind the Door” will be released at the end of 2011.


Pastor Anita's story is inspirational and uplifting to those women as well as men, who are striving for inner peace. Check out the second part of her amazing journey tommorow as she shares more wisdom and discusses topics such as loving yourself, being healed from abuse and much more.

www.anitacspaulding.com

A Godly Womens View ~ Ustream