History

We are so very excited to share with you about the ministries at FreedomHouse Jacksonville…

Ruthanne and I became convinced that great changes were coming to “how we do church” during the late 1990’s. We were radically transformed in revolutionary revival, and began an accelerated preparation for international ministry. Since then, we have become students of what Jesus is doing internationally in this season with His Church.

We began developing a discipling strategy called FreedomMinistry more than a decade ago, testing it with the best of leadership, discipling, deliverance, inner healing, and revival leaders. Five years ago, we went international with FreedomMinistry, revolutionary revival and leadership development initiatives in the nations. All these ministries were based in Jacksonville, Florida, our home base.

During this time, we kept saying, “We are not starting a church!” We were convinced that planting church in the same way would produce the same results, and Jesus had a new season for how Church functions. In my book, “The Spirit and Power of Elijah”, I talk about this. We have ministered about it on five continents. We have taught it to leaders, intercessors and worshippers. And, we began to practice it here in Jacksonville at our weekly Saturday night event, David’s Army. We have said we are not starting a church! If there is a church it won’t be planted. Church will happen!

When the radical worship on Saturday nights moved into a new level, we started a Sunday morning teaching meeting simply because no time was left for preaching and teaching on Saturday nights. The worship, prophetic ministry, and intercession was so strong that two and three hours would be filled with “just worship!”

By fall of 2008, it was apparent that the leadership team had grown to the point that people needed a leadership team and Church was happening. Pastors and teachers were ready to function. Ministry to all ages had already been happening, of course, for years, but a next level was needed for nurturing, discipling and teaching. We knew it was time to establish FreedomHouse the Church at the home base of FreedomMinistry International. So, January 1, 2009 FreedomHouse was born!

Today, we are so thrilled to launch this website to communicate our passion for revolutionary revival, freedom, leadership and international ministry. This is not church as usual! It will never be. It is Church with the Word and the Spirit. It is Church more as Jesus designed it to function, the Church as it would be more fully developed upon the foundation of apostles and prophets with Jesus Christ as the Chief Cornerstone, operating in the five-fold ministry gifts.

“We are his house, built on the foundation of the apostles and the prophets. And the cornerstone is Christ Jesus himself.” Ephesians 2:20

Please review our statement of faith – we believe what the Bible says to be absolutely true. We practice everything the early Church practiced during the first century of developing and maturing the Body of Christ. We are attempting to function in that way in the context of the twenty-first century – the way Church would be if we hadn’t lost the passion, purity, power, and presence of God through the generations of difficulty and darkness.

We are loud in worship, passionate in expression, today in sound, and dynamic in preaching. We are focused upon your destiny fulfillment and God’s purpose for our city, in this generation. We are hungry for revival and awakening personally, corporately, and regionally.

Our Firebrands ministry for children takes teaching, training, worship, and leadership seriously. We are thrilled to see our children praying, interceding, worshipping, learning, dancing, and loving. We have leaders with specific spiritual goals, who have professional training and integrity.

Because this is fundamentally an international ministry, being part of the local expression plugs you into what God is doing in the world today! It lifts you up. It stretches you out. It plants you deep. It sends you far. It is Church in the new season, the fullness of Church in the fullness of time by the fullness of Spirit!

We welcome you to FreedomHouse!

Dr Don and Ruthanne