MJEA.org: Mike Jenkins Evangelistic Association

Biography

Mike Jenkins was born in 1957 to an alcoholic and his teenaged wife. Almost immediately, he was subjected to physical abuse at the hands of his father. Mike's mother stayed in the marriage even though she suffered physical and mental abuse for seven years. Finally, deciding she couldn't take it anymore, Mike's mother left her husband. In contrast to the treatment they received from this man, Mike's mother tried to instill in him strong Godly and moral values. After a successful athletic career in high school, Mike joined the Air Force at age 17 - a step toward helping him fulfill his dream of seeing the world.

Shortly after arriving in Frankfurt, Germany, with the U.S. Air Force, Mike succumbed to peer pressure and took his first drug. That day was the beginning of nine years of drug abuse and drug dealing. Although he was using and dealing drugs, Mike managed to finish his four-year stint in the service and leave with an honorable discharge.

After returning to civilian life, Mike continued using and dealing drugs; married; divorced; and set out to rear a young man as a single parent. He had a good job working for the U.S. Postal Service, but when dealing drugs could no longer support his own addiction, he began embezzling from his employer. In January of 1983, Mike was busted for possession of stolen materials and forgery. He was convicted as a felon and faced a 45-year prison sentence. Because it was his first conviction and having custody of a small child, he was put on probation, fined, and sentenced to community service.

To support his drug habit, Mike went to work in the coal mines, and on August 3, 1984, while high on marijuana, he was caught in a cave-in and his foot was crushed. Mike spent most of the next two years in the hospital undergoing 27 surgeries on the foot. Because doctors were unable to eradicate the infection in the foot, the bone in it became infected, and Mike gave permission on April 11, 1986, for his leg to be amputated below the knee.

As he contemplated suicide all that night and the next morning, a family that knew Mike was in the hospital came by to visit him. As they entered the hospital room, something began to happen. They started sharing the Love of Christ with him, but what impressed Mike the most was the 14-year old son and the 10-year old daughter. The 10-year old girl really had an impact on Mike's life and that day he accepted Jesus Christ as his Lord and Savior. When he was taken to surgery, the medical team opened his foot but could find no trace of infection. Two weeks later, Mike walked out of the hospital on his own two feet.

A short time later, Mike met a beautiful, Godly lady at an altar one morning at prayer and the rest is history. Mike and Denise have been married for 20 years now and have two more children. Mike's life has been amazingly transformed.

Since that time, Mike has devoted himself to the youth and families. Mike speaks to people all across this country and encourages people to respect themselves and others so they will make the right choices. He wants everyone to know, "we can't change our past, but we can change our future." He shares from hard personal experience what drugs and alcohol can do to one's life. Mike is there to let young people and adults alike know that he cares and that they do have a friend, but more importantly, an answer in Jesus Christ.

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