Jerry & Sheryl York founded Gate of Destiny in 2001, IMentorU.com in 2003,The Apostles' Feet Network in 2005 and by the end of 2007 the Lord had yet again told them that He was going to do a new thing. He moved them from Texas to Arkansas and gave them a new name. The York's ministry is now known as Reformers Fire and as of the end of 2008 the Lord birthed a new home group ministry called Reformers Fire Fellowship. In mid 2009 the IMentorU Forums grew up and became a Network called the Reformers Fire Network.
IN THE BEGINNING...
Jerry York was born again in 1974 and Holy Spirit filled that same year. Almost immediately in a church meeting a Prophet came up to him and Prophesied over him that He was God's Prophet. For now over 30 years he has been training and walking in the Prophetic office. The Lord has used him to evangelize and even in his Junior High School Jerry was recognized as a Leader and called upon to preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ on Campus. Through the years he has always had a heart for the saved and ministers to them prophetically to encourage and to lift them up, but also a heart for the unsaved and has led many to Christ, including his wife Sheryl.
He has been given many visions and the Lord has led him in the Prophetic by revealing things to him far in advance and than later he would watch it unfold before his eyes. These times in his life were stepping stones to the ministry he walks in today.
Sheryl York was born again in 1994 and Holy Spirit filled that same year. Jerry met Sheryl when she was unsaved, divorced and headed toward disaster. She was into Astrology, Tarot Reading, Levitation and what the bible calls witchcraft. She was also looking for love in all the wrong places, but because she had been raised around the Assemblies of God as a child she always knew God had something better for her. She tried and tried to find it outside of the church because she had always seen church goers as self righteous, critical and judgmental. Not only of her, but the entire world. She has often said she was like Saul before he became the Apostle Paul. She persecuted Christians terribly for many years, but one night out of a terrible accident that happened to a family she barely knew, her entire life began to change. She was an Advertising Manager for a small town Newspaper when a wonderful Christian man was accidentally killed fixing something at a school. The town was devastated, but the family was so strong in their faith that they celebrated his life instead of focusing on his death. Sheryl took home the newspaper that evening and read the story over and over. Trying to understand how something like this could happen. That night for the first time in many years she did what she now calls a Hannah cry. She prayed and cried for the family, but also for herself as she asked the Lord to give her a Godly man who would be loved by many, still adore her after many years of marriage and love his children as well. Within only months of that prayer Jerry and Sheryl met and Jerry would be the one to lead her to Christ. They married in April of 1995. Before they married Jerry shared his calling with Sheryl. She had no idea though how difficult the life of a Minister could be. The training that was involved and the things they would suffer to walk it out as unto the Lord.
James 5:10 says Take, my brethren, the prophets, who have spoken in the name of the Lord, for an example of suffering affliction, and of patience.
WHERE DO WE FIT LORD...
For many years they struggled to find where they fit in. Often either not feeling they did or even being asked to leave churches just for asking questions about a teaching or prophesying what the Lord shared and then being rebuked later on by a leader who would later fall into the very thing that the Lord was attempting to warn the congregation about. Together they have seen many leaders fall into either adultery or idolatry. However, through the years they have come to understand that new levels bring new devils. Believers are not to judge men and women of God as Galatians 6:1 says; Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted. These men are truly called of the Lord, but as their Ministries grew; the new levels brought bigger attacks and without accountability they fell. Through it all they have grown and learned much. Sometimes the best lesson learned was how not to treat others. That God did not want leaders controlling or lording over His people, but understanding their place in the body of Christ and lifting people up, encouraging and equipping the Saints for the end times.
Both Jerry and Sheryl have always been able to see the good in all circumstances and still to this day have great respect for those leaders who were a part of their and training. Many today seem to take one negative thing and become bitter, critical and judge those who they believe have hurt them somehow, but the Yorks' honestly thank the Lord for all the good sown into their lives and understand that as humans we all fail. The failures of man help us all to keep our eyes on the Lord where they should be.
In 1996 they gave birth to their first child Erika Michell which was a miracle and a sign of restoration for Jerry. He had been divorced many years previously and lost his daughter Kristina Lynn to adoption after his ex-wife remarried. In 1998 they had another daughter and named her Destinee Joy because this is what they saw ahead of them. In 2001 they were blessed with a vision Sheryl was given before they even married coming to pass as they gave birth to a son Jeremiah David and in 2005 another word of the Lord came to pass when they had Kathryn Elise. The first 3 children were born in California, but once God called Jerry and Sheryl to Texas He spoke to her in the kitchen while she was packing and said that they would have one more child in Texas. Kathryn was born in Texas 3 1/2 years after they moved there.
SERVING THE LORD...
Through the years the Yorks' have served the Lord from worship to cleaning the building, greeting to preaching and as Home Group Pastors. There aren't really too many things that either Jerry or Sheryl hasn't done including Sunday School and Children's Church. In 2000 they were blessed to attend a Church Planters Bootcamp in central California and once they were called to Texas they were sent with blessings to the Corpus Christi area to start a new work. Within only 7 months God blessed them with a financial gift and they purchased their first home in Ingleside,Texas.
In 2002 they began ministering with Prophetic Ministries International and Apostle Bill Gilligan on His website www.Prophet.org. After much training and mentoring the Lord spoke to Jerry and Sheryl about an on line mentoring ministry and once they finished their mentoring program with PMI they began calling upon people they respected highly to minister and mentor on line. By April of 2004 Gate of Destiny put on their first Prophetic Conference in Corpus Christi, TX. which opened the Heaven's and helped to usher in the Prophets and Apostles that God had planted in the area.
THANKFULNESS AND LOVE...
They both have been so blessed in the Ministry and they want to thank the many Leaders who have truly touched their lives. All of the names below are people that have somehow touched their lives and it is important that we each find it in our hearts to honor God's leaders so the Yorks' hope that you will read through this list and say a prayer for these wonderful men and women of God who in many cases are still ministering and giving of themselves today.
David & Connie Hardy, Eldon & Marie Frost, Tony & Dorothy Swartz, Phil Goudeaux, Carol Stuart, Patrick & Terri Sparrow, Cal & Barbara O'Hair, Greg Diamante, Bobby DeLancellotti, Kin Lanchaster, Fred & Tanna Watkins, Jeff & Betty Nichols, Gabe & Dorothy Abdelaziz, Roger & Janet Wheeler, Richard & Katherine Gardner, Pat Carpenter, Bill Gilligan, Pat Gregory, Larry & Corinne Silverman, Jeff Green, Bret Wade, Mary Lindow, Kay Tolman, Ras Robinson, William Word, Gary & Tracy Carson, Kenn & Lee Bacon, Apostle Luis Chaves and Aaron & Sheila Artt.
LOOKING AHEAD...
Jerry and Sheryl York are ordained as Apostles and have held several ordinations through the years. Sheryl is a dreamer (like Joseph) and they have many prophetic words and dreams that have yet to come to pass. The word says that if the vision should tarry a person is to wait, because it will surely come, and His word does not come back void.
SEASONS OF TRAINING...
Because he immediately knew he had a calling on his life Jerry was attending a Bible College called Genesis by the time he was 18. Throughout his walk with the Lord he has also completed many Christian International (CI) courses by attending classes or conferences. 2000 to 2001 Jerry attended the Central Coast Bible College and took many courses including Preparation for Ministry. In March of 2001 Jerry and Sheryl were sent by their church to the Southern California Foursquare Church Planters Boot camp. They both completed this course and soon after their home Church sent them with blessings from California to Texas to begin a new work for the Lord. In November of 2002 Jerry and Sheryl attended Prophetic Ministry Internationals 'Local School of the Prophets' in Dallas, Texas. In June of 2003 they both also completed Grace Covenant Evangelistic Ministries (also known as Global Impact Ministries) 'Progressive Revelation School of Ministry'. The Yorks' believe that Gods people are destroyed because of a lack of knowledge. We each must remain submitted and teachable and therefore as the Lord leads they fully intend to step into more training to help them grow in the Lord and so that they can be a blessing to those the Lord sends in their direction.
WHAT'S HAPPENING TODAY?
Jerry & Sheryl have both ministered in Conferences and on Radio locally and Internationally. There are times when Jerry has felt that the Lord is telling him to go to a local church and then God miraculously opens the door to bless the congregation and it's Leaders by giving Jerry a prophetic word or some kind of encouragement for the Church. Jerry has been actively ministering to Spiritual Leaders in the body of Christ since the late 90's. It is not unusual to receive e-mails or phone calls asking not only for prayer covering, but also that he seek the Lord to see if maybe He has a prophetic word for them. The testimonies alone prove the calling upon the life of this prophetic voice.
Both Jerry & Sheryl are not only Founders and Overseers of the online Network called Reformers Fire Network, but they also hold home group meetings in their local area on Friday Nights (See Meetings page). The home group is called Reformers Fire Fellowship. Sheryl is a prolific writer and just about every article that she has ever written has been published in Christian Magazines as well as Newspapers (secular and Christian). The Lord has put several books on her heart and one day she knows that God will sit her down specifically to do a work for Him. Both Jerry and Sheryl are members of Apostles Today and Sheryl was also the Administrative Assistant to the Director Apostle Lee Bacon from 2007 to 2009. They continue to allow the Lord to build a firm foundation for the vision He has given them for 'Reformers Fire'. God is ever faithful and awesome as He continues to birth and build through these two visionaries even now.
Founders & Overseers
Jerry & Sheryl York
E-mail: Teammember@theyorksonline.com
Send Correspondence to:
Jerry & Sheryl York
P.O. Box 64
Flippin, Ar. 72634
