If I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing...(1 Cor. 13:2b)

For the past two years, Mountain Mover Tyrone Smith has been developing a plan to accomplish the ministry that God has placed on his heart. Smith first went through the GRASP process (Mountain Mover International's own spiritual gifts test) to determine his personal mission statement in 2005. MMI developed this process in order to help individuals accurately identify and implement their personal life mission. At the National “Black Church Week of Prayer for the Healing of AIDS” prayer breakfast which was held at the Adams Mark Hotel in Dallas, Texas (March 10) Smith introduced his new ministry called Temple Ministries.

The mission of Temple Ministries is to teach people how to make healthy choices for their lives. “Knowing your body is a temple makes all the difference” is both the slogan and the theme of this ministry. It is based on I Corinthians 6:19, “Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own”

The need
The need is tremendous. Involved in HIV/AIDS education and prevention for years, Smith says “The estimated number of diagnoses of HIV/AIDS reported in the United States is up to 1.2 million, with African-Americans accounting for half of that figure—and Texas is ranked 4th among the states for African-Americans being diagnosed. African-American teens also lead in the number of new cases being diagnosed among youth. We must do more to look beyond the disease and see our brothers, sisters, mothers, fathers, uncles, aunts, and even grandparents. HIV/AIDS is not homophobic, racist, or sexist. It is all about behavior, and I know with the proper education people will choose to make better choices.”

The vision
Temple Ministries desires to create an environment in churches and in the community where people with HIV/AIDS and their families feel nurtured, loved, and free to ask for healing prayer. While giving hope and healing to those with the disease, TM will establish confidential support groups and counseling for individuals and their families.

Empowered by God’s love in Jesus Christ, Temple Ministries is motivated to promote healthier choices in regards to sex, marriage, parenting, and education in “at risk” communities. TM is promoting excellence in not only what you do—but also in whose you are. By educating and training people to make better choices for their lives, TM hopes to eliminate the spread of HIV/AIDS and other STD’s (particularly in the African-American community and low income communities), decrease the number of teen/unwanted pregnancies, high school drop-outs, and reduce the prison population. “In the process, the amount of healthy productive families and relationships will increase, our children can do better in school (particularly African-American boys), and we will raise the standard of living in lower-income communities,” said Smith.

Tyrone Smith is faithful in the call that the Lord has given him, dedicating all of his time, resources and life to serving Him through Temple Ministries. Please pray that God will open the doors of churches and school boards that he approaches as Temple Ministries grows.