The GMI Staff
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Woody Woodward
Responsibilities:
My role at GMI is to: 1) provide one-on-one discipleship counseling, 2) conduct, teach and lead in lectures, conferences, workshops and advanced training programs, 3) manage and complete the administrative functions required of GMI.
Woody's Passion:
My passion is growing in relationship with My Lord as His disciple, called to participate in HIS Grand Adventure, wherever that would be. The participation for me is being called to ‘make disciples of Christ’, ministering to men and their families through the methods and means in which God equips me. At this time, this is being accomplished through ‘one-on-one discipleship-counseling’, teaching, and in providing administrative support to my co-laborers in ministry at GMI so they too can make disciples of Him Who has called us… “that we may present every man mature in Christ” Col. 1:28.
Quick Facts
Birthplace:
Miami, FL
Spiritual Birth:
1980
On Staff Since:
2003
Hobbies:
Music/Guitar; Golf; Snow-Skiing; Camping, Fishing & the Great Outdoors
Year Married:
1982
Children:
Three (3): Davey (age 20); Douglas (age 18) & Daynah (age 14)
Bio:
As a youth I attended ‘church’ regularly. I was introduced to Christ as Savior at age 9 and began my youthful attempt at living the “Christian Life”, conforming to a list of “thou shalt’s” and “thou shalt not’s”. Many would comment at what a wonderful young Christian man I was, but it wasn’t life to me. In 1980, while attending a Bible study on the book of Romans, I was confronted with the Gospel. Under conviction, the mask of hiding my enslaving lifestyle was unveiled to the church-going community. I was free from the cover-up! So, I went to work at being “Christian”. Growing up in the church, I knew what to do. Perform and enlist in all of the character-development programs that were offered. It would be another 20 years before the Lord would bring me to a place of absolute frustration, and brokenness, in my life.
Within a month of graduating from college, I was embarking on what would become a 23 year career in corporate America . Working for 2 Fortune 50 companies during that tenure, I was constantly reminded that “yesterdays homeruns don’t win today’s ballgames”. I was increasingly demanding perfection of myself and others. It was never enough, though my employers were affirming that I had what it took to be ‘successful’. As an aspiring corporate financier, I met my wife, Donna, in 1981 while attending a home-based church. We married in 1982. We became a young American church-going family with three children, pursuing the ultimate dream for ourselves, always wanting more. My work demanded that I travel frequently and responsibilities were ever increasing such that I never left the job, even when home with the family. Donna began pursuing outside interests to fill the void in our marriage.
In July, 2000, Donna announced that our marriage was over and that she was leaving. During this time, we had begun counseling at GMI . All of the pillars of the intended “good life” were crumbling. My marriage, family, and working relationships were struggling; the death of one very close to me; finances and even my health, were all paying very little dividend. It was during this period, as God was using the direction and ministry of GMI that I came to the beginning of the end of a lifelong performance treadmill; a cessation of looking to my wife and others to meet my needs for love, acceptance, worth, security and identity. I had come to the place where Paul says in Gal. 1, “When He (God)…saw fit and was pleased to reveal His Son within me…”
I had discovered a new identity with Christ as my Life within; “no longer I who live but Christ…” My agenda was exchanged for His. God provided an opportunity for me to attend an internship, and to subsequently come on staff, at GMI , after being laid-off from my last corporate employer. It has been a “Grand Adventure”, a continuing journey and…the process takes a very long time.