A ministry wrapped in prayer

Sometimes, as humans, we don’t understand why God wants us to go where He leads us, but as His children when he says go, we go.

Jerry and Rita Williams experienced just that a few years ago as they felt the Lord wanted them to move from Las Vegas to Texarkana, Ark.

In Las Vegas they were Chaplains, ordained and licensed in 2012 to officiant, baptize and funeral officiant.

The more people they encountered the more they felt God wanted them to do which led to a full schedule.

On Mondays they would go to the Detention Center where they spoke to children eight to 16 years of age; on Tuesdays they would visit Mission of Rescue which was the addiction center; on Wednesdays they would have Bible study; on Thursdays they would hold a full church service with the homeless; on Fridays they rested; on Saturdays they visited several different kids on many floors of the local Children’s Hospital and on Sundays they went to church and visited the local hospital in Chaplaincy status.

This was the Williams’ schedule for more than 17 years. In 2018 the Williams’ established Couples on Fire for God. “Our objective in our Ministry is to take couples from all ages on adventures together. The process of spending time together and creating a community/village with people that love, respect and honor each other,” Rita said.

“The desires that couples have are sometime door matted in their marriage. Prayerfully this status will change, Rita added. “Marriage exercises are use in all our gatherings. We are always planting seeds of hope, clarity and knowledge to the couples. In our adventures prayerfully we will expose the areas in their marriages that have become an epiphany in that area where love has packed up and walk away.”

Over time they have been officiants in Seattle, Wash., and Douglassville, Texas also, and were ordained and licensed to officiant, baptize and funeral officiant in both Arkansas and Texas in 2024.

Upon moving to the Arkansas side of Texarkana, the Williams sought the Lord on a church to call home.

“We visited several churches in the area but we didn’t feel the draw of the Lord until we visited a church in Atlanta, Texas,” Jerry said. “We are now members of First Baptist Church - Atlanta under the leadership/covering of Pastor Jonathon Stanmore.

The Williams’ have now been in ministry for more than 25 years. “Our Ministry embodies this scripture Proverbs 11:14 which states that ‘where there is no counsel, the people fall but in the multitude of counsellors there is safety,’” Rita said. “In the multitude of counsellors there is safety. Our Ministry is led and directed by these four counsellors: God, Jesus, the Holy Spirit and Pastor Stanmore.”

Already this year they have performed a wedding in Douglassville, hosted a book study for women, hosted a women’s conference and hosted a couples gathering at a restaurant called “The One” in Texarkana.

Rita Williams spoke about the wedding ministry. “We would love to be an asset to the community of Atlanta by bringing a fresh look and economic way to share the most important day of their lives,” she said. “We would take their budget and turn it into a beautiful scene for that day. We have the Family Life Center at our church for use, if not in use that day and will do all designs for which your heart desires.”

“We are a man and woman ministry; we do what God says and believe what God says about a man and women getting married,” Jerry said.

“We will do weddings in the courthouse even,” Rita added. “We will take care of everything, we just need four things: a Budget, colors, design and a location.”

Looking back on it all the Williams’ have a simple saying. “Anything you do without prayer, you’re doing it without God,” Rita said. “Our ministry is wrapped in prayer. Prayer is not preparation for battle; prayer is the battle. Pray where you are and God will come get you and take you where you need to be.”

“All of our adventures are already there, because God started this with me years ago,” Rita remarked.

With the ambition to do God’s work and His will, the Williams’ can look forward to another 25 years doing what they were called to do.