More About Brooke

    I grew up in a loving Christian home in Springdale, Arkansas. Our family went to Temple Baptist Church in Springdale under the pastoring of Don Elmore. When I was 8 years of age, I went to a church camp in Texas called Lake Texoma Baptist Youth Camp. At the end of each service, the speaker encouraged us to come down to the front to pray.  My friend Randy asked if I would go down and pray with her.  Before this moment, I had never had any kind of spiritual experience, or realization.  I knew that people were getting saved, but that never translated to my own personal need for Christ.  Well, that all changed!  When we began walking down the aisle, the Holy Spirit began convicting me that I needed something more.  Our pastor’s wife, Mrs. Lona, was waiting for us at the altar and she began showing Randy in God’s Word how much Jesus loved her, how He died on the cross to pay for her sins, and how He became alive again. She continued to show her in Romans how we were all sinners and that if we truly believed in our heart that Jesus really did everything that the Bible said He did, then we just needed to pray and ask Him to save us.  

    In that moment I was able to witness a life changing experience for Randy and for myself, because Randy received Christ. Having heard all of this I finally understood exactly what I needed to do, and that was to call on Jesus. So, I also prayed and received Christ that day.  I followed Jesus in obedience and was baptized shortly after at our church.

    For many years after that moment, I thought salvation was the end goal.  I was never taught that I needed to dive into God’s Word so I could grow closer to Him.  Well, I had another Spirit led opportunity that changed the direction of my life.  I agreed to do a bible study with my youth pastor’s wife and the Holy Spirit showed me in the Bible the truth of discipleship, how to grow closer to Jesus and how to begin teaching and telling others what I had learned.  Since that time, nothing has been the same.

    The Lord gave me an opportunity to serve at the same youth camp as a counselor when I graduated high school.  It was during one of the invitation times again that I knew God was calling me into the ministry.  He had been convicting me for 2 years straight to be obedient to Him and surrender; however, I had my own plans and dreams.  It wasn’t until that night when I finally surrendered to His will. I made a decision to go into full-time ministry public with my church, friends, and family.