As well as being a dedicated family man and man of God Pastor Douglas Goodman has many interests and passions outside of church, we recently looked at his interests in cars and how in the end that passion helped pay for his wedding to Pastor Erica Goodman over 40 years go.
Pastor Douglas’s ultimate passion outside of his faith and love for God has to be his family and the biblical concept of family.
Pastor Douglas was married at the age of 18 and not long after their first child was born. In the years to come 3 more children would be born (3 girls and 1 boy). Psalm 127:3 Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord, the fruit of the womb a reward. Like arrows in the hand of a warrior are the children of one’s youth. Blessed is the man who fills his quiver with them! He shall not be put to shame when he speaks with his enemies in the gate’.
Like in all marriages and families there was turbulence but in their darkest hour and most challenging time Pastor Douglas and Pastor Erica were introduced to their lord and saviour, Jesus Christ.
2 young ladies spoke to them about the love of Christ and His gift of salvation, John 3:16 ‘For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life’. This was the beginning of the road to redemption and a love story that saw them understand love not through the way of the world but the way God intended. Always keen to have a family Pastor Douglas turned to the only person (Jesus) he felt could fully equip with him with all the tools he needed to become the best husband to Pastor Erica Goodman and the best father to his children.
1 Corinthians 13:4-7 ‘Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things’.
James 1:5 ‘If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him’.
With scriptures downloaded and an understanding of the word ‘love’ Pastor Douglas embarked on the journey of ensuring that his family would be an example of God’s order for the family.
Pastor Douglas believes that family important to society, when the family is right then society will be better. When the children are raised in the way of the Lord then they will be better for society.
Proverbs 22:6 ‘Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it’.
3 John 1:4 ‘I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth’.
Pastor Douglas continues to teach on the importance of family, the importance of making God the bedrock and foundation of every aspect of the family.
V2V Community Church is a family church, it flows from the head down! A church with a zero percent divorce rate because of Pastor Douglas and Erica being obedient to God and His will and plan for their lives when everything seemed so difficult in their relationship decades ago.
They trusted in The Lord and the result was not just a loving marriage and happy home, but a church that celebrates marriage, children, love and the family as God intended.
Their love story continues even after renewing their vows a few years ago.
The couple are inseparable, they serve the Lord together, travel together, pray together and most importantly they do it all because they love being in each other’s company.
A prophecy they received many many years ago highlighted they importance of family, they were told ’as goes the home, so goes the church’ that word has kept them true to all their beliefs in God’s order for the family and because of that they impact this generation and the generations to come by being an example.