Today we’d like to introduce you to Michael Petro.
Hi Michael, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
What I do today as a full-time minister really has a lot to do with the seeds planted in me during childhood that instilled a deep hunger for the presence of God, and to see people’s lives transformed by the power of Jesus Christ.
As a young boy, I have unforgettable memories of my parents bringing me to church where we would attend long teachings and healing services Friday through Sunday. Kathryn Kuhlman, a famous healing evangelist, held services and our family would attend her ministry. At a young age, it was normal for me to see children in Sunday school receive great healings, e.g., children being able to walk out of wheelchairs and blind eyes opening! Growing up in this environment I quickly understood healings did not just occur in the time of the Bible, but they are still relevant and active today.
My family owned a trucking organization in western Pennsylvania, and as I moved into my teenage years, my mother made it clear it was time to get to work. I quickly learned the value of a good work ethic thanks to my uncle, unknowingly this prepared me for the rest of my life. I took this disposition into college, sports, business and every area of my life, which opened my understanding to how the world operates.
During my twenties, I started to drift from God. I was no longer living in accordance with a Christian lifestyle, even though I saw His miraculous work as a young boy. The longer this went on, the more I realized no matter what I did, the opportunities that approached me, whether taking over the family business or becoming a military pilot, didn’t bring me any internal fulfillment. It was at this time the Lord called me into ministry. To be honest, I had no desire to do it, but the Lord imparted a desire and brought the healing I needed in order to walk out what I now know God planned all along.
After the call to ministry, the Lord began to send me to many nations preaching the Word, and operating in the healing and deliverance ministry. Later, after establishing our head church in the state of California, I heard the Lord say it was time to move our church to Houston for the coming revival. This was also the transition of The Voice of Healing Church into the great state of Texas. I believe this coming revival will demonstrate the Glory of God unlike what we have seen in historic past moves of the Spirit. I encourage everyone to hold fast, because what is coming, you definitely want to be a part of!
Our story of how we acquired the legal rights to The Voice of Healing name is miraculous. It was divinely given by the Lord; and if you know revival history, The Voice of Healing was a profound healing movement back in the mid 1940s to late 1950s. It stretched from North America impacting nations all over the globe.
About 15 years ago, the Lord spoke to me saying, “get The Voice of Healing”. I acted upon what the Lord said to me, and asked my assistant pastor to check the government website to see if it was available. Indeed, the previous ministry still owned it. However, about three weeks later, the Lord spoke to me to check again, and what do you know? The name had fallen out of ownership and was available to acquire!
Two years ago we started rebranding the ministry completely to the “The Voice of Healing” as the church was growing. After we made the switch, we received an immense amount of confirmations of people globally having dreams and visions regarding the coming revival taking place in Houston, and how we would see the re-institution of The Voice of Healing. It is clear the Lord, from the beginning, had His hand on every detail, which is why I am here today in Houston.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
It has been a very challenging road. When the Lord called me into ministry, I was initially very reluctant because I saw the heavy amount of sacrifice and work it would entail to be a minister. You are constantly working with different personalities, their current problems and hurts, and deep childhood wounds. You’re always on call no matter what time it is – ready to bring hope, Jesus and wisdom to help people overcome their battles.
I’ve seen that many pastors go through seasons of hard trials and tests where they begin to become fatigued from working with vast numbers of broken people that come to them for counsel, prayer and advice, to the point where they themselves start to draw away from the Lord. They forgo nourishing themselves with the word of God, and that passion they had to serve can begin to die, which leads to obstacles for their spiritual growth. The Lord has further given me the mandate to restore pastors from this weariness. Working with people can be strenuous and can take a huge toll on you, which made me realize that even ministers need to be ministered too.
Whilst it is hard, I wouldn’t have it any other way. It is truly the most rewarding experience to see a soul go from a horrific state of darkness and hopelessness, to true inner peace, healing, and hope that can only come from our Creator.
This path the Lord has placed me on constantly highlights to me how important and necessary, it is to put others’ needs above myself. The Lord reminds us that Apostle Paul said the present sufferings are nothing compared to the glory which shall be revealed in us (Rom. 8:18). With this in mind, I have been so thankful the Lord has guided me through every difficulty.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
We are a church that is passionate about the revelation of Jesus Christ. We are known for our teachings that align with how the Ancient Fathers, known as the Early Church Fathers, understood Scripture from the time of Christ to 325 A.D. They received the teachings from Christ and His first apostles preserved today for His body to understand the divine Scriptures properly and be changed by those teachings. The Early Church writings are vastly different from mainstream religion because, in it, we see the ability for people’s souls to be transformed and restored. This is something that is lacking in the body of Christ today. When the Lord started imparting and downloading me with His truth, the healing was so radical it birthed a deep desire to see others receive this same healing. The hunger I had for the Lord showed me the power of the Holy Spirit and how it should be shared (Acts. 1:8). This foundation of the Early Church Fathers and the revelation of Christ Jesus, has blessed me with Spiritual sons and daughters that are on fire for the Lord, and have the same hunger I have to know the Lord in His fullness.
We are also very strong in the prophetic, revelatory and intercessory ministry with weekly testimonies of people being set free physically and spiritually. The Lord brings us all types of people from all different walks of life. People that are broken, suffer from addictions, mental disorders, homeless and much more; God has given us the ability to see them restored and set free! It is an absolute blessing and honor to watch the Lord heal someone through His Word. From depression, PTSD, anxiety, mental torment, anorexia, and more, we have watched these disorders be completely removed from people’s lives! The exciting thing is that the Lord replaces a person’s torment with His fruit of love, joy and praise. This is what I love about the ministry – seeing people receive healing and being made whole.
In addition, we’re also focused on our media ministry to get the Word out, as we know this is a strong tool that the Lord is utilizing to reach people globally. Through this, the Lord has also placed us in the political, medical, and governmental spheres where we produce media content to wake people up to what is currently happening in society. This has been amazing, as our content is able to touch and speak into so many people’s lives, revealing the truth in the Scriptures as well as current events.
How can people work with you, collaborate with you or support you?
Yes please get a hold of our ministry and content through our websites and email below. Each platform carries all of the different ways to join us for church, get involved with our bible studies or weekly outreaches to getting equipped with our biblical resources and media content.
Contact Info:
- Websites: https://voh.church | https://vohnews.tv | https://michaelpetro.com | https://www.instagram.com/vohchurch
- Email: connect@voh.church
Image Credits
Rachel Ko Photography
