 |
Nehemiah's CallP.O. Box 95Broadway, VA 22815540-896-2580 |
|
Eyes to See and Ears to Hear |
||
About Nehemiah's Call
Nehemiah’s Call began through a heart of prayer and missions. At the foundation of this call has been to see new churches emerge, emotional and spiritual healing in the body of Christ and announce the Gospel. The original plan was to launch out through a local church or movement but for fund raising and administration needs was set up through the IRC 501 c 3 guidelines as a separate not for profit organization instead.
Nehemiah’s Call functions through a board that consists primarily of ordained ministers. The primary minister, Lawrence R. Yoder is ordained as a teacher/preacher/marketplace minister. The ordination took place on July 15, 2007 at the Immanuel Mennonite Church in Harrisonburg Virginia.
In the past we have functioned in an apostolic manner as a sending and releasing instrument of the local church on a project basis. Individuals have come to us or we to them and have counseled, prayed and encouraged them with words. We continue to be open to working with those called yet not released into the fullness they sense as a call from Jesus Himself. Or maybe they feel as a misfit or are blocked by church structures.
In the past we have functioned in a prophetic manner as a teacher and facilitator of prayer research, prayer updates and prayer strategy in a variety of settings. We have been invited to speak and teach primarily using the Bible as our text. We have developed curriculum and published books through our New Wineskins Publishing arm.
Nehemiah's Call
Free cities from spiritual darkness and increase effectiveness of church planting teams.
Board of Directors of Nehemiah's Call
| Hubert Stephen | Lawrence R. Yoder |
| Stan Zehr | Mark Perri |
| Milford Lyndaker |
Testimonies from Prayer Leaders and Teachers
Roy Kreider says, “I have had a growing sense of the rightness and timeliness, the vital importance of this training as foundational for preparing leaders, church planters, and intercessors, introducing them to available resources and the insights emerging from those doing basic research into these methods”.
- Pastor Roy Kreider has spent over forty-five years church planting, learning the Hebrew language, prayer counseling and teaching the Bible in Israel and here in the United States. He currently serves in leadership roles as pastor of prayer counseling and member on the five man Apostolic Council of Cornerstone Church & Ministries International in Harrisonburg, Virginia.
Pauline Lehman says, “The New Wine program will prepare missionaries and church planters to more effectively minister wherever they are called. Missionaries are often taken unawares. It is helpful to study spiritual forces at work… to know how to pray and present the gospel, to be culturally relevant and spiritually relevant. The New Wine goal is to set people free personally first, then to equip them.”
- Pauline Lehman is a former board member of Nehemiah’s Call
Pastor Basil Marin says, “His own journey is the place where it begins, his walk with God. Lawrence is a brother of integrity. He has a heart for the church, community and world. He has brought the Bible into everyday living— insights that give people something to work with. Anyone can read his material and get something from it.”
- Pastor Basil Marin is now pastor at New Song Fellowship in Harrisonburg Virginia. New Song is a congregation Basil and Lawrence founded together after being sent from their home congregation Immanuel Mennonite Church.
Testimony of Director Lawrence R. Yoder
Lawrence was born in Lansdale, PA on February 4, 1965. He grew up in a Mennonite home. He was born to loving parents who nurtured and cared for him and gave everything he needed. Sometime during a campfire altar call at Highland Retreat in Bergton, VA he responded to a call to follow Jesus Christ yet it did not take root. He understood the requirements of becoming a Christian yet was unwilling to lay down his life completely. He really saw God as something to grasp intellectually and not experientially or personally. He wrestled through his youth and adult years in rebellion and selfishness. He remained proud and continued rebellion through college.
Lawrence graduated from Eastern Mennonite High School in 1983 and Eastern Mennonite University in 1987 with majors in Accounting and Business Administration. He began a public accounting career in 1988 and passed the CPA exam in 1990.
As the years went on he began to filter back into Sunday morning services. Beginning in 1990 he re-attended church services off and on. He had a serious car accident in October of 1992 in West Virginia and after the accident he went to pick out a new devotional. The bookstore owner, Abe Clymer recommended the book Utmost for His Highest by Oswald Chambers. This one book fed him truth and began to soften his heart toward the Truth. This began an intense battle for his life. The more he was drawn closer to God the more Satan attacked him. He began to slide even further into sin. He went deeper into pornography, drinking alcohol and tobacco as these served as a cure for the emptiness.
It was in 1995 that his friend Wayne Witmer approached him about renewing a relationship with Jesus Christ. He did not know it then but his cell group began to pray and intercede for him. He was being drawn back to God and in January of 1996 responded to a radio program on WEMC from Haven Ministries offering salvation. He was encouraged by these words and this process led him to follow through in response at a Kent Henry public worship conference later that month.
Lawrence was baptized on June 9, 1996 and married Bonnie Nyce on September 21, 1996. Lawrence has since experienced times of refreshing with this new life in Christ, with Bonnie and the Holy Spirit. Lawrence experienced several intimate encounters with the Holy Spirit and acknowledges receiving a deeper empowering for a life of ministry.
Looking back over his time of preparation and current ministry the most influential were Roy Kreider, Gerald Martin, Eric Kouns, Sam Scaggs, Bob Beckett, George Otis Jr., Ed Silvoso, Paco Garcia, Milford Lyndaker, and Basil Marin.
During his final year of study in seminary he selected a Master’s Project to lay a foundation for spiritual awakening in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia. This foundation would be through prayer, historical research, spiritual discernment and building relationships among the saints in Christ Jesus in a procedure called prayer research and strategy. He found prayer research into spiritual bondages to be Spirit-led research. Lawrence has spent the majority of ministry time studying the Bible, developing teachings, researching, learning, testing with others and praying through these principles since 1998. He has led prayer expeditions, introduced these topics to many and continues to serve as a watchman on the wall for his city, region and country. He has a heart for the peoples of the earth and is called to pray, teach and go.
Lawrence founded this ministry July 1, 2000 and was commissioned publicly on September 17, 2000 by the local church. His training as a CPA for eleven years provides a systematic approach to uncover, verify, test and report on evidence. A CPA tests, verifies, reports and makes recommendations based on findings. His professional career prepares him to organize findings and focus toward the preparation of a report. The experience as a CPA provides a solid foundation and is essential in fulfilling the organizational requirements of prayer research projects. He has experienced the heart of the Father by His hand shaping and molding his mind for this unique ministry ahead. Lawrence believes he has been chosen to implement prophetic prayer strategies bringing freedom to the captives throughout the nations.
Looking back on his life there were many Christian role models to look to during his youth and young adult years. He had the opportunity to be in position to receive biblical instruction and caring relationships. His Sunday school teachers were important in the nurture and development. The role of Christian education at EMHS and EMU provided solid preparation and opportunity. The personal relationship with Jesus Christ is what was lacking in those days. He has had much grace poured out on his life and is thankful!
He is blessed to have a strong Christian ministry calling on both sides of the family. He has streams coming through directly from canton Berne in Switzerland. The Ulli Joder family of Huttwil Schweizerland was drawn into the beginnings of the Anabaptist movement of the 1500’s. Casper Joder of Steffisburg was an Anabaptist prisoner and many suffered for their faith in Jesus Christ. It is unique that on both sides of his family a history of ministry within the Conservative Mennonite Conference and early Amish movements is present. His fifth great grandfather on the father’s side is Jacob Hertzler, the first Amish bishop in North America. Further on the father’s side in the Peter Sharp line is a fourth great uncle Solomon Zook Sharp, German Baptist Brethren, who began Kish Seminary in Belleville PA.
The Conservative Mennonite Conference connections continue on his mother’s side through a long line of ministry tradition. His fourth great grand father is bishop Michael Zehr of upstate NY. A grandfather Elias Zehr served as a minister in the Amish Mennonite Church and later pastored the Lowville Mennonite Church in upstate NY. Elias’ father was bishop Joseph J. Zehr and great grandfather Andrew B. Zehr both of whom brought forth a fertile branch for ministry. Lawrence continues as the seventh consecutive generation of “ordained or lay ministers”.
Lawrence is assisting Pastor Ken Gullman at Emmanuel Fellowship in Broadway Virginia beginning fall 2011 through 2012. Lawrence and Ken have a heart to see unity restored among the Christian churches in the Shenandoah Valley. They will be meeting with pastors, praying, encouraging and building faith toward the end time church.
Ordination July 15, 2007 at Immanuel Mennonite Church in Harrisonburg Virginia
