In this episode, we hear the transformative story behind Bishop Darrell Hines, a man who has experienced extraordinary events in his life. From being pronounced dead for 45 minutes, to finding love in the unlikeliest of places, to going on to speak all over the world, to founding a church and a community center on Milwaukee’s North Side, his journey is filled with moments that you won’t believe.
Growing up in a strict Pentecostal church, Bishop Hines experienced both the joys and challenges of being part of a devout community. The rules were stringent: no sports, no movies, no card games. Their lives revolved around church, school, and visiting neighbors and relatives. While his sisters excelled in double dutch, jacks and hopscotch, the boy games were off-limits. No basketball, football or baseball for them.
But amidst the strictness, Bishop Hines encountered a life-changing moment when he met his future wife, Pamela, who came to his father's church when they were teenagers. She was not a member of their church but came from a more lenient Baptist background. Hines' mother wasted no time and called Pam's mother to declare that their children would marry one day.
However, fate had other plans as Pam's mother whisked her away from the picture. Three years later, when Bishop Hines spotted Pam walking down the street, he couldn't contain his excitement. He stopped the car, jumped out and approached her with an ultimatum: be my girlfriend now, and I promise to marry you when you're old enough. He gave her seven days to call him; she called him on the sixth.
Well, they ended up getting married and have gone on to have two sons, several grandchildren, founded a church along with a community center and several other companies, and are still together nearly 50 years after initially meeting.
That said, none of that should have happened. A shocking turn of events happened shortly after they were married and when Pam was pregnant with their first son DJ.
Bishop Hines was working at General Mitchell Airport in 1981 and Pam was on her way to a family reunion in Memphis. During a lightning storm, Bishop was grounding a plane when it got struck by lightning and shot him fifteen feet up in the air. His heart stopped beating for nearly 45 minutes and he was pronounced dead, only to be revived and brought back to life after seeing the other side. (You won’t want to miss this part of the episode.)
While Hines was in the hospital recovering, he heard the voice of God tell him to “tell a dying world about a living Christ." He ultimately survived and has done just that.
This experience changed the direction of his life. He has since gone on to spread the word of God all over the world and has founded Christian Faith Fellowship Church, which is filled with 2,000 people every Sunday as well as a community center on Milwaukee’s North Side.
Tune into this episode of Milwaukee Uncut to learn more about Bishop Hines incredible journey and fulfilling life story.
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Milwaukee Uncut is produced by Story Mark Studios, sponsored by Central Standard Distillery, in partnership with OnMilwaukee.
