By Lily Belcher
Jeremiah Woods, a junior at Durant High School, will be ordained a minister on Saturday, October 9 after three months of classes to prepare him to answer his calling. In his class at Exciting Faith Alive Mt. Silla in Tampa, he is the youngest future minister and the only minor.
“I am currently in a three-month class with seven other people who are called to preach,” said Woods.
Woods had aspired to be a politician for the longest time, but, last year, he felt called to use his speaking skills to preach God’s message.
“I am doing this because there is a calling in my life where it is greater than what I wanted to do, which is become a president of the United States,” explained Woods. “It’s greater than anything else because it is what God called me to do.”
Woods is still a student at Durant, taking a rigorous schedule of classes, and is the owner and CEO of his candle shop, Woods Wax & Wicks, while preparing to be a minister.
“I do scheduling and I pray a lot so that it helps me cope with the different responsibilities I have with school and my ministering,” Woods said about having to balance his schoolwork and calling.
In his free time during school, he plans his messages for his sermons at Exciting Faith Alive, a church in Tampa that dedicates itself to sharing hope and God’s word to its community.
In addition to speaking for Exciting Faith Alive, he is the leader of an online church for teens, where he speaks to 2,000 kids on Saturdays and Sundays. He also had the opportunity to give a message as the team chaplain to Durant’s football team on September 16.
Woods is in at least the fifth generation of ministers in his family, the most recent before him being his uncle.
“My grandparents are really great mentors of my ministership and my family, especially my pastor. My uncle—he’s also a really good mentor to me and my speaking,” said Woods.
For more information on Exciting Faith Alive, visit its website at efaithalive.net or contact excitingfaithalive5@gmail.com.
