Her Story
About E.
My husband, Bishop Dennis J. McMurray and I founded Renaissance Church of God in Christ August 22, 1992 with just our 3 small children; Parris, ChaVon and Auston. I served by his side until he passed away November 2, 2022 after being diagnosed with Grade 4 Glioblastoma. We were married for 36 years. Renaissance became a recognizable trendsetting, life changing beacon of hope throughout our community, Michigan, the US, and globally. We were blessed to impact countless numbers of lives in one form or another, both spiritually and naturally. Renaissance and AWAKE, Inc; 501(c)3 non-profit entity has also created economic stability, education enhancement, family enrichment, personal and professional growth and development; for seniors, adults, youth and children. Now my son and daughter-in-love serve as pastor and first lady, and I continue to serve as administrative pastor. I earned my undergrad degree in television & radio broadcasting from Grand Valley State University, Master Degree from Grand Rapids Theological Seminary at Cornerstone University in Ministry Leadership and, Christian Bible Institute and Seminary granted myself and late husband with our Doctorates of Divinity. I've been blessed to use that education throughout our ministry. I was the Director of Women's Ministry, I hosted my own local radio show for 7 years, and my husband and I co-hosted a Christian television Bible study together through WTLJ on the TBN network, which was broadcasted into over one million households in its multi-state broadcast region. We were local guest host for it's Michigan Alive series, and Ask The Pastor/Wife call in panel for live questions. We were even blessed to preach the gospel side by side from the pulpit. Currently, I now host Victory in the Word, a weekly Bible study every Wednesday afternoon that livestreams via Facebook and YouTube. I'm a public speaker and communicator, both by training and naturally. As I look toward what I call my retirement phase, my main focus is writing the books that are in my spirit - first, a book encouraging women and individuals not to lose their hope, drawing from my journey of learning to find hope for myself after my husband's illness and passing. My second project will be geared toward pastors' wives, sharing insights from my 30 years in that role. I'm also relaunching my podcast network that my husband and I started together via Spotify.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with E.
01What do you attribute your success to?
I attribute my success to God's grace, His mercy, His love, and His kindness toward me. None of us are perfect, and none of us gets it all right. It's truly God's grace that has carried me throughout my entire life. My husband and I lived by the motto that's now on his mausoleum tombstone: Faith, Family, Forever. That's who we were - we were locked by faith, we loved our family, and we're going to love forever, even in our absence. It's that foundation of faith and God's grace that has sustained me through 30 years of ministry, through my husband's illness and passing, and continues to guide me as I move forward "Living My Next Life"!
02What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
You can have it all, but not all at the same time. Life is a Span of Time, not a Mass of Time.
03What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
I would tell women in ministry to trust the God who called you to ministry. We're going to have great ministry moments, many victories; then, we're going to have misunderstandings, we're not going to agree, there will be some separation and criticism, and then there will be times when you will be celebrated. In all of that, you still have to hang on to God and know, first of all, that God placed you there. God has you there for a reason, and you have to stay focused on God so that your reason and your season is based on His purpose for your life. You have to remember that you are God's ambassador here on Earth. We have to represent God to the best of our ability here on earth. That's one of my main values: being in place, being in place for God.
04What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
Ministry is a unique opportunity that relies totally on God given ability, favor and purpose. It presents challenges that in most cases can't be foreseen. With that, you often walk by faith and not by sight. Trusting that, all things work together for good, rather the outcome is pleasant, or unpleasant.
05What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
The value of family is paramount to me - I love my kids, two daughter in loves, Fallon and Dominique; I have an unexplainable love for my 3 grandkids. My 3 older sisters are my girls for life, and as much time as I can spend with my family, that's the greatest gift for me. The value of friendship and the value of community are also essential - true friends are a life necessity, being a part of a community and being an asset to the community matters. Love is one of the greatest gifts and values I hold. And of course, serving God as best I can is central to everything. You don't always get it right, but you don't get it all wrong either. When you do your best to follow what God needs, because we're God's ambassadors here on Earth, we have to be in place. That's one of my values: being in place, being in place for God
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