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JOURNEY TO FAITH
Dena’s walk with Christ started at a very young age when she would attend church with her grandmother in the very small town of Sharon, Mississippi. Coming from a single-mom household and her mother working long hours each day to provide for them, she reminisced of the fond memories of walking to church “every time the doors were open” because her grandmother made it a priority for her and her two siblings.
Around the age of 7, Dena’s mother saved up enough money to purchase a home for them and they moved to Ridgeland, Mississippi. This relocation marked the end of attending church on a regular basis for her and the beginning of emptiness within her heart. Although she always considered herself a Christian, Dena never truly realized that being a Christian was more than just salvation but a relationship with Christ.
At age 18, Dena graduated from high school and went on to college in Oxford, Mississippi. The void she felt within her began to magnify as she faced some difficult circumstances while in school. She knew the void and the “nagging feeling” was really the urging of the Holy Spirit for her to completely surrender her life to Christ. Knowing that such a major decision would bring about life change, she declined the calling on her life because she wanted the option to do the things she knew she shouldn’t. She continued to live a life where she struggled with anxiety and the constant feeling that “something was missing.”
After graduating from college in May of 2018, Dena had everything she could ever dream of. She had a wonderful boyfriend, supportive friends and family, a great job in Flowood, Mississippi with excellent pay and she was debt-free from student loans. However, she still didn’t feel fulfilled. Dena recalls, “I have very clear memories of God speaking directly to me but I kept ignoring Him. Luckily, God is prone to chase those who wander.”
Finally, in August of 2018, Dena gave her full “YES” to Christ, surrendered her will to Him and never looked back.
FINDING “HOME” AT THE BRANCH CHURCH
In August of 2020, Dena was gearing up to begin her first year of law school when her original plans to attend in Tuscaloosa, Alabama were derailed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. A last-minute decision meant that she would instead be going back to Oxford to start law school. She found herself upset with God about the change in plans.
While preparing to move into her new apartment, she realized she didn’t like the view outside her windows as it faced a dumpster. She contacted the apartment office and they agreed to move her to a different unit with a better view. Little did she know that this moment of personal preference was God-ordained. Her new neighbors were the newly-relocated church planters, Ryan and Amanda Hoover.
While unloading her car, Ryan approached her asking if she needed help and insisted on carrying a few items up the stairs for her. A couple of days later, the Hoovers stopped by her apartment and invited her to a small group meeting at the onsite clubhouse the next week. That small group would eventually turn out to be the official launch team for The Branch Church.
The Branch Church was launched on her birthday and she took that as a sign from God that everything that happened over the course of those few months was all a part of His greater plan. She took her commitment to Christ to the next level a few months later and was water baptized on a cold night in a trough in the backyard of Ryan and Amanda’s new home.
Beaming with pride, Dena said, “The Branch Church to me represents home. I felt an instant connection and I knew right away that these are my people. Being a part of this ministry is more than I could have ever asked or prayed for. I wasn’t sure why God called me back to Oxford because my plans were very different but now I know my purpose. I truly feel that everyone here cares about me as a person and I’m not just a member of the church. I’m family.”