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 About Us Autobiography
By Luke Oakes Hello, My Name is Luke Oakes. I am originally from Minnesota and grew up in the Nazarene Church. I love to fish, golf, hunt, camp, and saturate myself in the Word of God. I was called to fulltime ministry at the age of 17, but shortly after, I found myself running away from God’s Call. In a moment of haste, I decided to join the Navy and hide from God in the middle of a huge ship. However, like Jonah, I was unable to run away. Instead of being swallowed by a whale, the Lord decided to get my full attention by creating a medical situation where my hip was removed and my youth was taken away from me.
As I lay in my hospital bed (unable to move), the clay was now ready for the Potter’s hand. Surprisingly, I can remember the un-surpassing joy I found as I was able to commune with God once again. In all my pain and suffering, the nurses were confused when they found me laughing and crying tears of joy. It was here, when I was done running, that I dedicated my life to God. In hindsight, I consider this event as my sanctification experience.
 Life without a hip was hard. For over 4 years I was unable to receive a hip replacement. Over time, I was able to walk again with the help of a cane. I was blessed by the fact that my fiancé remained by my side as I coped with my new disability. Soon after, Christina and I were married. My Call remained, but I was still recuperating from my disability. Life started to blossom slowly over the next couple years. Thankfully, I received a hip replacement and could finally walk normally.
Then one day, the Lord convicted me to read the entire New Testament. I sat down and read it in its entirety. Afterward, I felt a deep conviction to begin the process of entering the ministry, but I wasn’t fully sure that I was supposed to serve God on a professional level. Since I had already learned a valuable lesson form acting like Jonah, I now found myself acting like Gideon. I ended up setting a fleece before God (not recommend). I said this, “I have $50,000 worth of debt, and my wife has no desire to be a pastor’s wife. If you change these things, I will follow your plan and know that you are calling me to fulltime ministry.” Then something amazing happened. Within two months we were dept free and my wife was suddenly ready to become a pastor’s wife.
 After I embraced God’s call on my life, I felt that He was leading me to attend Nazarene Bible College. Although I wanted to leave that night, it took a year for us to prepare for the move. During this time I received my local minister’s license and assisted the local church in any way that I could. And it was here where I gave my first sermon. It wasn’t the smoothest sermon. In fact, I felt a lot like Moses must have felt as I tripped over my words. But I remember how the Holy Spirit was able to flow though me and use my weakness to further the Kingdom. I am finding that the more I preach, the more I enjoy it. I am honored that God has chosen me to relay His message to His people.
Now that I am at Nazarene Bible College, I am preparing to follow God’s Call. I give 110% in all aspects of my ministry and have received the honor of being first in my class. I relish the time I am able to spend with my professors who are constantly broadening my ministry horizons and bringing me closer to Christ. I look forward to the day when I can graduate as a whole person with a whole faith.
 As for my Call: I have been called to preach the Word. When I look back on my life, I have noticed that every major decision I have made has usually taken place because of an evangelist. What's more, if you were to look at my spiritual road map you would find that it is filled with men like Steven Manley and Billy Graham. This has allowed a passion and a conviction for evangelism to grow in my heart. I am called to preach. I am called to evangelize, and I am called to be a church planter.
As for my ministry goals: Upon graduation from NBC, my goal is to plant a church somewhere in the Midwest. This major goal is surrounded with many action plans that are already underway. Currently, my plan for this summer is to hold one revival. The Lord has blessed me, in the fact that I have already scheduled four revivals. My goal for next year is to begin the planning stages for planting a specific church and to hold at least five revivals that year. My twenty year goal (as of today) is to have planted a cluster of churches in the struggling Midwest, and become a full-time singing-preaching evangelist. In addition, I plan to reemphasize the doctrine of entire sanctification and the importance of Sunday school in all of my ministries.
 As of today, I love the Lord. My wife Christina delivered our first child this year, and she supports my ministry fully. I love her so very much, and rejoice that she will follow wherever God leads us. I am young, and I have a lot to learn. I am serious about my life, my schooling, and my Call, and I will be ready to fulfill God’s Will for my life when I graduate. In my short time in ministry, I have learned valuable lessons from acting like Jonah, Gideon, and Moses, but I have found a new example in Jesus Christ. I now strive to live as He did in every word and every deed. Thank you for the opportunity to be able to share my life and ministry with you. And thank you for supporting NBC students as they prepare to follow God’s Call.
Sincerely,
Luke J. Oakes |
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