Dr Naomi Dowdy is a pioneer. More than forty years ago, she made the shift from being a business woman in California to become a young missionary to the Marshall Islands. Moving from island to island to preach the gospel, she battled loneliness and culture shock, while breaking open coconuts for food and drink. During that time, she built churches, a Bible School and dormitories. Her responsibilities were as wide and varied as the islands of Micronesia across which she traveled to nurture church plants.
En route to her next assignment, she stopped over in Singapore, where she was approached to pastor a church with, as she puts it, 42 members and 75 problems. She heard the audible voice of God to take on the assignment, to move from the role of an evangelist to that of a pastor. After arguing with God (and losing that argument), she became the interim pastor.
The 'interim' period turned out to be almost 30 years. By the time she turned the church over to her spiritual sons and daughters, Trinity Christian Centre in Singapore had grown into a church of global impact, with more than 4000 in attendance, a global missions program and three freehold properties in the land-scarce city state. The church continues to thrive under her sucessor Rev Dominic Yeo, and has since grown to more than 5,500 in attendance.
Today, Dr Dowdy is helping a new generation of leaders fulfill God's calling upon their lives. She mentors church leaders, business leaders, and men and women in strategic leadership positions. Her apostolic vision has an immense impact on all who hear her speak or read her books. She is inspiring and raising a new generation of world-changers.
For over forty years, Dr Naomi Dowdy, has served in several leadership roles: a pastor of a growing church, a denominational executive, church consultant, and organizational leader. She has faced and overcome the many issues typically faced by pastors and denominational leaders. As an apostolic pioneer, she is also familiar with the issues involved in apostolic ministry.
There has been much misunderstanding and confusion in the Church about the roles of apostles and prophets, and how they should function together with the rest of the five-fold gifts. While much has been said and written about the apostolic and prophetic ministries, those who feel called to these offices are often at a loss as to how they are actually to function. This has caused many to grapple with the practical issues in transitioning into such an office and relating to the other five-fold ministers.
Having wrestled through these issues in embracing her calling as a recognized apostle, Dr Dowdy has a heart to mentor emerging apostles and prophets. For this reason, she founded the Institute of Apostolic and Prophetic Leadership, which brings foundational and practical teaching about the apostolic and prophetic ministries to the nations. Together with those well-versed in the prophetic ministry, she equips emerging apostles and prophets with the foundational and practical principles of apostolic-prophetic ministry.
Learn more about this in Dr Dowdy's book, Commissioning
Wherever she travels, Dr Dowdy has been asked about apostolic covering for churches and ministers. Often times, she was asked to provide apostolic oversight for these churches and ministers.
In response to this need, she founded Global Covenant Network to provide for the spiritual covering and protection of Ministers, Leaders, Organizations and Ministries.
She avails herself to walk with these leaders through their ministry journey, providing personal mentoring both in life and ministry so that they will fulfill their calling and destiny.
The Church is God's idea, and God's vision for His Church is to be a biblical community of strong believers, functioning in their gifts and possessing a Kingdom vision to bring transformation to their city, nation and the nations.
To achieve this, churches cannot function on a programmatic mode, relying on programs or the latest fad in Christendom. It must have a biblical, repeatable model for evangelism, nurture and discipleship, for leadership development, and for transforming the harvest field into a harvest force.
This is what Dr Dowdy implemented at Trinity Christian Centre, Singapore. Over the years, the church grew from 42 members to over 4000 in attendance. The church has a wide leadership base, with many lay leaders serving in ministry. Over 90% of the pastors are home-grown, and its ministries have a global impact. She mentored and raised her successor, Rev Dominic Yeo, and continues to provide apostolic oversight over the church in her capacity as Resident Apostle.
The model, known worldwide as the GLN Cell Church Model, is a complete model with fully developed training modules, and tools for evangelism, nurture and discipleship. The model enables churches who adopt it to implement the practical principles of transforming the harvest field into the harvest force, and reap its benefits, resulting in churches being transformed and leaders being raised up to function in the Kingdom of God.
Every year, Dr Dowdy shares these apostolic strategies with pastors and leaders at the annual Apostolic-Prophetic Cords for Transformation: Cell Church Conference in Singapore. Pastors and leaders from around the world come to be trained, and to see Trinity Christian Centre in action. They invariably catch a greater Kingdom vision for their church, and leave equipped with a working model and practical tools for transformation. Dr Dowdy and her team of church consultants also provide church consultation and follow-up training, stepping churches through the implementation process and enabling them to succeed.
Read more about this in Dr Dowdy's book, Strength to Stand.
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Naomi Dowdy is one of the most encouraging and empowering leaders I have ever known. I have been inspired by her humility, her faith and her big vision. She has been a mentor, a spiritual mother and a trusted counselor... and a role model for leaders in the 21st century church.
J. Lee Grady
Editor of Charisma Magazine & Director of The Mordecai Project
Dr Naomi Dowdy is indeed one of the most verifiable and valid apostolic and prophetic voices of the 21st century. She is truly a modern day strategist.
John A Tetsola
President, Ecclesia Word Ministries International
Naomi Dowdy's ministry is one of apostolic pioneering and prophetic breakthrough. She is a builder, coach, and spiritual parent --- all in one. The impact of her leadership in the Church and in the marketplace is global and trans-generational. Hers is apostolic ministry at its highest level.
Jim Hodges
Naomi Dowdy has pioneered the truth and reality of women apostles in the 21st century church
Bill Hamon
Christian International Ministries Network
I want to thank you for the incredible course. I learned so much and it was wonderful to hear from your years of experience. Your teaching brought great clarity, wisdom and impartation. What a joy and privilege to be a part of the course. It was the best teaching I have heard as of yet on Apostles and the Apostolic. The prophetic word that you spoke over me brought me confirmation and encouragement to move forward in confidence in the Lord. Thank you again.
Becca Greenwood
We owe a debt of gratitude and appreciation to you for your devotion to the Lord, the advancement of His Kingdom, and the love you share for His Church. Your carecell strategy and instruction has been a tremendous model for strengthening the local church. . So I just want to say thanks for compassionately, willingly and obediently coming alongside us and supporting us. As a church, we love you.
Kathy Good
Thank you for your prayers and apostolic covering. It has brought new level of anointing and strength to do the extraordinary.
Daron Tan, Malaysia
What an impact you made in my life! Words cannot convey the impact. You are the most anointed woman I have ever encountered. You walk in such power and anointing. Yet you are not arrogant nor untouchable. For the first time I saw what I feel God has called me to be. Thank you for being you. Thank you for walking in what God has called you to do. Thank you for being my personal example.
Sonya Cruel
Grady First Steps to Healthy Families
I am convinced I never could be where I am today if it were not for you. I have learned so much and God has certainly taken me to new territory since I have met you. Thank you for believing in me and encouraging me as few have in my life. You are a true spiritual matriarch and there are so few of you. I know that God placed me under your anointing to enhance my life dramatically.
Lana
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