Reverend Antonio Grant - George Henry

GEORGE HENRY, STAR Writer

Reverend Antonio Grant got saved 19 years ago at the Valley Christian Ministries Church at Windsor Road in Spanish Town. This young and energetic preacher is proud to be the minister who is in charge of the flock at that worship centre. He was baptised at that very church in 1993, and he has been a pastor there for the past five years.

Reverend Grant admits that to work as a pastor is one of the most challenging tasks a Christian leader has to perform.

"Since I have taken up pastorate, it has really been a challenge. The community is not one of those communities where everybody wants to be. There are a lot of challenges here in this Windsor Road community. It is like a lower-the-bar situation here," explained the pastor.

He pointed out, however, that in the midst of this kind of situation, God is still doing His work and is always calling for persons in the community to surrender their life to Him; firstly by being saved and then to be delivered.

Born-again Christian

The preacher noted that he is convinced that God called him, and this is so because at the age of 11 years he buried his first dead. He added that at the time he was not a born-again Christian but God allowed him to perform the religious act.

"I was not a Christian at that time but God allowed me to do it. I grew up in the Sunday school because I had to attend. I could never stay home because my mother and grandmother would never allow me to while Sunday school was going on. Every Sunday I had to attend Sunday school," confessed Grant.

He stated that when he buried his first dead he surprised himself, because he had never seen anyone as young as he was perform such act. Grant pointed out that he did not know how to perform the act of burial at the time, but years later he came to realise that he did the right things on the first occasion.

"There was this woman who had a dead baby; and because I was a little Christian boy and was a singer, somebody saw the mark of God on my life before I even saw it; and they asked me to do it (burial). I remember I walked about three miles to bury that baby. I walked on the train line at Catadupa in St James," reminisced Reverend Grant.

Challenging situations

He stated that with that in mind he realises that God has really called him for a purpose. Grant added that despite him going through many challenging situations as a pastor, he cannot give up on God because he has a work to do for Him, because he was anointed for service.

"The challenges help me all the time. As a pastor, every level brings new devils; and there are people who you have to minister to, who you have to talk to; and if you don't have the experience then it is hard for you to deal with them. So when you have been through the experience, plus with your ministry, then you can help somebody who might be going through some challenging situations," noted Reverend Grant.

Grant added that when pastors are going through challenges it is good for them. He explained that what they are in fact going through is a period of testing, which God allows all His children to go through. Reverend Grant went on to explain further that what God is doing is testing and not tempting like Satan does.

Grant's favourite Bible verse is Romans 8:17 and his favourite chorus is 'This is my story, this is my song'.

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