Sometimes, an adventure involves traveling up and down the Amazon River, sharing the love of Christ, and encountering animals, diseases, and any number of unknowns along the way. Other times, an adventure involves starting a church from nothing, in an old bookstore, beside a bustling college campus. The Duncans have had both of these adventures – and so many more!
Pastor John Duncan rededicated his life to the Lord at 20 years of age at the University of Alabama, and as he began this new journey of faith, he felt the Lord calling him into campus ministry. He joined Chi Alpha, the Assemblies of God’s campus ministry, where he served for approximately ten years at three different universities. In his mid-20s, while working for Chi Alpha on the campus of Auburn University, he met his wife, Ellen.
John and Ellen Duncan on Their Wedding Day
Following his time with Chi Alpha, The Duncans left the United States to evangelize in Brazil and South America. This time ministering together was extremely fruitful, and the Duncans saw many salvations and miracles. At the age of 45, Pastor John contracted influenza in Colombia, and several latent sicknesses, that he had been carrying from his time on the mission field, attacked his body all at once. The Duncans came off the mission field, seeking help and a time of refreshment. Pastor John continued to deteriorate; he was down to “skin and bones,” had trouble eating, and it was difficult to speak. He woke up one morning and said to his wife, “I’m done. I’m giving up.” Pastor Ellen leaped into action. She began speaking in tongues, commanding him to get out of that bed, praying for two hours as she traveled with him to Atlanta. Once there, they began working with a homeopathic doctor who had been able to help other missionaries with sicknesses when they came off the mission field. All told, Pastor John dealt with that sickness for ten years before he was back to feeling like himself. Once he could think past the immediate, he and Pastor Ellen moved from Georgia to Alabama, where they felt the Lord’s call to pastor a small church in Jacksonville, Alabama.
In 2018, the Duncans moved to the area and served as pastors in a small local church. As they began reaching out to the community and Jacksonville State University (JSU) students, bringing them into the church, they felt called by the Lord in a new direction: back to campus ministry. Pastors John and Ellen became interested in the IPHC and its work among church planters. Pastor John was impressed by the support offered by our denomination, both locally and nationally. He attended a church intensive in Virginia and, shortly after, joined the IPHC.
Sound from Heaven, the Duncans’ campus ministry, started with only one student and has grown to include dozens. At Jacksonville State University (JSU) in Jacksonville, AL, Sound from Heaven is thriving and making a significant impact on the campus and its students, thanks to the Duncans’ efforts. As the Duncans’ ministry grew and they connected with more people, they began to dream of a church building near the campus.
The First Sound From Heaven Meeting
There was a bookstore a “stone’s throw away” from JSU’s football stadium, and one day, as Falyon Read, a former JSU student who now serves as a Campus Pastor with the Duncans, was walking past, she saw the owner moving boxes out of the storefront. Was the bookstore coming available? She contacted the owner and discovered that it was true! The owners were moving their bookstore out of the building. She quickly put him in contact with Pastor John. The bookstore was prime real estate; realtors and investors had been circling the storefront for years, wanting the opportunity to snatch it up as an investment. Philip Pearson, the owner, was in no hurry to sell the bookstore and had been waiting for the right buyer; Pastor John shared that Pearson held the bookstore for them as they secured financing. Soon, the Duncans were working with the IPHC’s Extension Loan Fund (ELF), securing a loan for the Jacksonville Bookstore, now known as “Awaken Church.”
Awaken Church Is in a Prime Location
The bookstore is perfectly located. In fact, during the fall, the street where the church is located is closed for an event called “The Spirit of Mountain Street.” This event occurs in the middle of “Rush Week,” where students are introduced to various activities. Sound from Heaven and Awaken Church can be right in the middle of the action, giving out snacks such as ice cream, talking to students, and sharing their love for the people of Jacksonville State. On game days, Pastor John shared that the street in front of the church is filled with students and community members. The members of Awaken Church only need to “step out their front door” to reach out with the love of Christ.
Indicative of their hearts and their calling, the Duncans have always placed a great emphasis on working with international students. Pastor Ellen was an international student herself; Japanese by birth and raised in Brazil, she is well aware of the challenges of living away from home in a foreign country. Pastor John shared that the top 1% of the world’s best students are sent to the United States for higher education. JSU has an international population representing at least 30 or 40 countries. The Duncans and their team have had the opportunity to minister to several students who had never heard the gospel before, as it was illegal in their own countries. They have been able to pull these students in, teach them about the love Christ has for them, and essentially become a family for these students who are far away from their homes.
Caption: The Duncans Outreach to International Students
As ministers, the Duncans prioritize prayer and discipleship. Pastor John once said, “The church is a House of Prayer. If it ceases to be a House of Prayer, it ceases to be a church.” They began their campus ministry by dedicating 33 days to prayer. While in the midst of this scheduled prayer time, Pastor John had a dream. In the dream, he saw that the Lord wanted him to buy a watch. The watch cost 365 coins, but he only had 33. After waking, he strongly felt the need to extend their prayer time to cover the rest of the year. They experienced the Lord’s favor, and their group grew as they did this. Unfortunately, the growth was halted by the global spread of Covid-19 in 2020. Despite this, the Duncans remained confident that the Lord wasn’t finished with them, and they have witnessed significant growth again in the last couple of years.
Sound from Heaven’s emphasis on discipleship has also been vital in shaping the lives of the JSU students. The Duncans see the discipleship process in three steps: Walk, Run, and Fly. In the walking stage, the students are introduced to the basics of the Christian Faith: who Jesus is, what He has done for us, what He requires of us, etc. The Run portion is a little bit more of an in-depth look into Christian life and the Scriptures. The Fly section looks at the gifts of the Holy Spirit and how they can be seen and used in our everyday lives. After looking for discipleship courses and being unable to find exactly what they were searching for, Pastor Ellen worked diligently to assemble a useful and applicable course for the students. Pastor John shared that “this is what Ellen was made for.”
Once school is in session, the weeknights are busy for the Duncans and the Awaken Church ministry teams. Sunday is reserved for Awaken Church services, Monday is prayer meeting, Tuesday is Sound from Heaven campus ministry, Wednesday and Thursday are for small groups and discipleship, and Friday is for fun and fellowship, with the group often going bowling or engaging in other fun activities.
The church is still working to prepare the old Jacksonville bookstore building for its new purpose: Awaken’s congregation. There is much to be done! According to the city’s codes, the church needed more bathrooms, an oversized entrance, a proper sanctuary, a stage, and children’s church and nursery rooms. Pastor John explained that the codes for the building are based on the size of the parking lot and the projected use of the building. The team has been working extremely hard, and they are hopeful and prayerful that they will meet their Fall 2024 launch date when Awaken Church will officially open!
The greatest way that we, as the IPHC family, can support the Duncans as they continue this important work in Jacksonville is through prayer: for finances to finish the building, connection with and opportunity to reach the people of Jacksonville, continued favor with the city so that they will meet the code requirements and be allowed to launch on time, and the health of Pastors John and Ellen.
