INTERVIEW WITH GAIL PALLOTTA

By Deborah Malone and Rita Prochazka

Questions by Rita:

Gail, can you share some of your testimony?

God has been part of my life for as long as I can remember. My grandfather was a minister who planted churches in the far reaches of the North Carolina Mountains, Tennessee and Kentucky, and my father, who knew a lot of the Bible by heart, applied Scripture to every facet of life. The verses he quoted are still etched on my heart and have served me well through many difficult times.

However, praying with my mother from a young age, probably three to five years old, strengthened my faith in ways nothing else could. We prayed about everything big and small. My mother taught me God is always with us, and when we call on Him, He will answer. I’m convinced God intervenes in the lives of those who love Him, not only when we ask Him, but also many times we don’t. I prayed with my daughter starting around age two and read Bible stories to her from a Children’s Bible story book given to me by a dear friend.

In your walk with God during this season of your live, what have you learned?

I’m still learning, but as I’ve been forced to slow down and give up some things I used to do and still want to do, I depend on God more each day and become more patient, even though I’m still not patient enough.

How have you prepared/been prepared for your ministry?

Ever since childhood I have studied the Bible, said and listened to prayers, attended church and fellowshipped with like-minded Christians as well as volunteered for many programs, including teaching Sunday school and Vacation Bible School. God has given me the opportunity to start or help launch various programs, such as a youth group at the church I attended as a teen, an Interfaith Council at college, a club to care for after school children who have nowhere to go until a parent gets off work, and most recently, my husband and I were part of 250 Christians who started a Jesus centered church.

I try to keep the following verses in my heart and mind. Matthew 22: 36-40: “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law? Jesus replied, ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself. All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.'” (NIV)

Later in Luke 10:29, an expert in the law asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?” (NIV) Jesus answered with a parable about a man who was beaten by robbers and left for dead. Three people came down the road; a priest who saw the man and passed by on the other side; a Levite who did the same; and a Samaritan, who bandaged his wounds, poured on oil and wine, took the man to an inn and took care of him then paid the innkeeper. Jesus asked the law expert which one was the man’s neighbor, and the man replied, “The one who had mercy on him.” (verse 37). Jesus said, “Go and do likewise.” (verse 37). That tells me everyone who is in need is my neighbor. Perhaps, it is just someone in need of a smile, or in these times, maybe it’s someone who needs to talk to a polite person. Our neighbors aren’t limited to people we know or those living in our neighborhood, and they aren’t the folks we see whose status in life demands respect. They include everyone.

Questions by Deborah:

Gail what would be your advice to other “seasoned” women on ways to stay active in ministry?

If possible, attend church and find a ministry. Most churches have many volunteer activities for those looking for something less demanding than teaching Sunday school or heading up a committee. There are volunteer positions such as greeters, meal preparation for the ill, writing cards and notes to the sick, flower arrangements and more. If it isn’t possible to participate in church activities, we can apply the verse and parable in Luke 10:29, to everyone we come in contact with.

If someone we see speaks of church or Jesus, we can talk with him or her, not in a “I’m here to save your soul” kind of way, but by saying such things as “When I study a passage in the Bible again and again, I often find it speaks to me in a way I never thought of before.” Something along those lines may open up conversations we never dreamed would occur.

Gail, can you tell us a little about your ministry?

I enjoy volunteering for activities at my church, such as some of those mentioned above. Since I write Christian books and have a Christian blog, I consider that part of my ministry, and I’m always willing to talk to someone about Jesus if ASKED. For example, there’s a sports bar near our church. We go there a lot on Sunday for lunch. One Sunday the girl tending bar stopped me on the way to the ladies’ room and asked me what our preacher’s sermon was about. I reiterated it to her. Also, a friend of mine said he was in a store humming a hymn one day, and a person asked him about it, Jesus and church.

If we stay focused on Jesus and His Gospel, we can minister in any situation when we’re called to do so.

Bio: Gail Pallotta’s a wife, Mom, swimmer and bargain shopper who loves God, beach sunsets and getting together with friends and family. A 2013 Grace Awards finialist, she’s a Reader’s Favorite 2017 Book Award winner and a TopShelf 2020 Book Awards Finalist. She’s published six books, short stories, and several hundred articles. Some of her articles appear in anthologies while two are in museums. She loves to connect with readers. To learn more, visit her website at gailpallotta.com.