Meet Don and Saundra Channell
by: Jan Hicks(Interview was with Don, Saundra is in a semi-coma at Baptist Hospital, Pensacola, Fl., prayer details page two)
Don and Saundra Channell, instantly, won my heart. I first met Saundra right after her stroke. She was in a coma. You can feel the presence of Jesus as soon as you walk into Saundra’s hospital room. As Christians we bear witness and bearing witness was easy with a couple filled with such love for Jesus and for each other.
Don, an ordained minister, is from Tuscaloosa, Al., Saundra is a P.K, preacher’s kid, from North Carolina. Don and Saundra have been married 24 years this month. They have three children, Mandy, Jason and Casey. Mandy, 22, lives in Charlotte, N.C., is married and expecting their first grandchild in November. Jason 19 is attending college in Charlotte, N.C. Casey 16 is still living at home.
Saundra’s parents pastor North Belmont Church of God, outside Charlotte, NC. Saundra is the oldest of three children. Don, adopted at 3 days old, is an only child. Don’s parents went to be with Jesus in the 90’s. Don found a natural brother and sister about 2 years ago. Don and Saundra were raised as Christians. Don remarked, “You could say we cut our teeth on the church pews!!”
Don and Saundra, married in September 1977, met at Lee College in Cleveland, Tennessee. They started traveling, right away, on the weekends ministering in music. Saundra sings and plays the keyboard. Saundra took piano from 1st through 12th grade and was a piano major in college. Don said, “When we minister, whether I am leading worship or directing the choir; Saundra is the primary musician playing the piano with me. Don says, “She has an obvious anointing in that area, she has a sweet gentle spirit about her that comes across the keyboard.”
Don and Saundra were on church staffs for about 14 years. In |
Front: Don, Saundra and Mandy
Back: Casey and Jason
1992 they started ministering on their own. Ministering in churches, working with other ministries like Benny Hinn, Evangelist Perry Stone, God’s News Behind the News, doing conferences and camp meetings every year. They also produce praise and worship albums for different artists in their studio.
Don and Saundra live in Holley Navarre, Florida where their studio is located. They attend Holley Assembly of God, which is referred to as ‘The Harbor of Love.’ Don said, “We prayed about where to move to so we could further the ministry. There were road blocks coming up for other areas. The Lord started speaking to us about the Emerald Coast, the revival that was coming here and what our part was to be so we moved here on the leading of the Lord. God told us to rest and heal the first year. HE told us to ‘dock our boat in the harbor’, our church. Jesus has brought us to a point of being ready for the ministry, HE called us to. The Lord has done a lot of healing and restoration in us, (in our family) so we can step out into the fullness of what HE wants us to do.“
In May of this year, Don was in Samoa with Benny Hinn when he was in a wreck. A close call where Jesus literally spared his life. Three weeks after that, Saundra suffered a stroke. Don says, “We know that because of the healing anointing that God has released to us with healing in worship, it is obvious that satan would come against our health as a last ditch effort to try to stop us from doing what we are called to do.” Don wants to encourage others to know that before you can walk into the fullness of what God has destined you to do and be, there’s going to be resistance. Let this serve as motivation to drive you further into God, not away from HIM. This trick |
of the enemy will not stop the Channell’s. If anything it will make their anointing even stronger.
Don and Saundra founded Tabernacle Ministries, Inc. and Scribe Productions, Inc.. Scribe Productions, Inc., is a ‘for profit’ ministry that produces albums for people and does freelance ministry. Tabernacle Ministries, Inc is a ‘non-profit’ organization funded by Scribe Productions and others that believe in Don and Saundra’s call from God. Don says, “The vision of our ministry is to see the church come back to apostolic order of the New Testament through relational authority. Meaning the five-fold order, the Apostles, Prophets, Evangelists, Pastors and Teachers, are restored so the full authority of God can be released back into the church. We want to see Levitical order among the arts restored; “Praise and worship, the musicians and singers, the entire arts. All arts were created by God to be an expression of HIS Kingdom in the earth. The whole kingdom of the arts is under the stewardship of the Kingdom of darkness right now. The arts need to be redeemed and brought back into the stewardship of God. We are going to establish a worship and arts training school to raise up people in all areas of the arts, dancing, acting, sculpting, painting, you name it, as well as all the support ministries. This is an area very misunderstood in the church. After we get the arts restored in the church, we are to get them out into the community where they are suppose to be. Once our schools are established we will do music, dinner theaters and street evangelism. Some areas you can’t go into - preaching, but you can go in with a gospel drama team.”
Don and Saundra are strong Christians with much faith. They possess a strong anointing and desire to teach others how to worship the King. Please pray for their ministries to flourish with HIS leading. Pray for them as they are going through this ‘test’. Pray Jesus to continue healing Saundra.
(prayer details for Saundra next page) |
