Brad McClendon's Testimony
Brad McClendon's life story speaks loudly of the faithfulness of God. Though he was born in Arkansas, Brad spent the majority of childhood in Louisiana. It was in Louisiana that he recognized his love for God and his love for the game of golf. A phenomenal golfer by his teen years, Brad ran away from the religion of his upbringing toward the promise of a professional career. From Texas to Florida, Brad lived for everything but God.
As Brad advanced in his golf career and his family grew, things were still out of balance. Brad went through the Sunday morning motions of Christianity while still managing to stay on the fringes of God's will for his life. During this period of time the McClendon's were splitting their lives between North Arkansas and a condo in Orlando, Florida in order to keep up with the demands of the professional circuit. Brad noticed an area on his leg that looked abnormal. Thinking that it was some kind of calcium deposit, he went to a doctor friend to have the spot removed. The spot turned out to be very serious, an incurable form of sarcoma-cancer. It was news that would change the young family's destiny forever.
The cancer was very rare, and the prognosis was very grave. As a result of the cancer's rarity, the National Institute of Health in Washington, D.C. agreed to treat Brad at no cost, even flying him from Florida for the treatments. As the cancer in his leg grew, so did Brad's sense of disappointment and depression--he wanted to die.
Brad's wife, Jill, knew that God was not finished with Brad yet. She felt that he had purpose in his life that was yet to be accomplished. Jill continued to pray that Brad would be healed and that his destiny would be fulfilled. One day she asked Brad to take her to hear a well-known speaker who was visiting a church in the Orlando, Florida area. Reluctantly,'Brad took her. When they arrived, the worship began and they both felt God's presence. When a famous tv minister emerged on the stage Jill realized that she must have written down the wrong directions to the church. Jill leaned over to Brad and said, "I think we're in the wrong church, but God's presence is here, so let's stay and see what happens."
Brad and Jill had accidently visited the World Outreach Center, Benny Hinn's church at the time. Because they had felt God's presence so strongly, Brad and Jill continued to attend the church. During this time, Brad received a bad report concerning his condition, his cancer had gotten worse. A few weeks later, the two returned to Hinn's church for a Sunday service. Toward the end of the service, a call was given for people to come to the front of the church and commit their lives to Christ, though no call had been given for healing. Jill encouraged Brad to get up and go to the front. Brad was not interested in going to the front; "I'm already saved," He protested. Jill gave him a gentle 'push' out into the aisle anyway and he had no choice but to go forward. Benny Hinn prayed for two people, one of whom was Brad. While Hinn prayed, Brad felt nothing.
The day after that Sunday service, Brad flew back to the National Institute of Health for his weekly checkup. Much to his and the doctors' surprise, the tumor had shriveled up and died. And even further, there was no trace of the cancer anywhere in his body. Brad's doctors proclaimed it a miracle. The news reinvigorated Brad and confirmed everything that Jill felt in her heart. Brad had been given a second chance.
Eventually, Brad and his family found themselves in Charlotte, North Carolina where Brad had taken the position of teaching pro at Quail Hollow Country Club, home of the Wachovia Championship. While at Quail Hollow he was encouraged to play golf professionally again. Several of the members, who were close friends of Brad's, sponsored him on the golf tour for two more years. Eventually, Brad could no longer ignore the call of God on his life. Brad was born to minister God's love.
A face to face encounter with God ushered Brad into the life of an itinerant minister. Soon, Brad and his wife Jill were traveling across the United States and beyond to pray for the sick and to teach on the Kingdom of Heaven, helping to raise up ministers across the globe. Years later, the McClendons would relocate to Moravian Falls, North Carolina to base their ministry from a place of serene beauty and spiritual openness. There, they were invited by MorningStar Ministries founder, Rick Joyner, to pastor the MorningStar church in nearby Wilkesboro.
As Brad has pastored the MorningStar Church at Wilkesboro, God has increased his desire to help pastors train their people; to equip the saints for the work of the ministry and to further see the Kingdom of Heaven extended. Brad has a deep desire to plant churches that will help train and equip people to walk in their purposes to which they have been called and do the work of the ministry, corporately. He wants to help churches demonstrate more of the FatherŐs heart, and to demonstrate the atmosphere of "family" through relationship and living as a community.