EARLY YEARS
Born in central Florida into deep poverty, Pastor Duane felt the call of God early in his life. Saved at the age of nine, he had a hunger and thirst to grow in Christ. So much so that he packed a bag and with tears announced to his family that he was leaving to follow God! The church he attended taught the Gospel to the best of their ability, but he felt a lack and a hunger for more.
Good grades in school were hard to come by due to a struggle with dyslexia (which was later healed by the reading of the Word). His life changed after his brother was killed in a car accident and he began a season of wandering in the wilderness. He discovered his senior year in high school that he had a notable talent for tennis and poured himself into it. He was able to attend college on a tennis scholarship. But still he didn’t have the answers he had been desperately looking for.
MEETING SUE
Pastor Duane was giving tennis lessons on the courts of the apartment complex where Sue was living. It was during this time that God opened the opportunity for Sue to minister to him God’s lovingkindness and His true character. It was then Pastor Duane had a powerful open vision of the cross and himself in Christ. This vision created a new beginning for him where he lost his passion for tennis and kindled in him a fire for all the things of God.
DUANE SHERIFF MINISTRIES
Dropping out of college his senior year, Pastor Duane married Sue and moved to Oklahoma to attend Rhema Bible College. Follwing his time at Rhema, they moved to Atoka, Oklahoma to start Duane Sheriff Ministries. The early years of ministry were not easy, but God was faithful to provide not only the necessities of life but the people and opportunities to establish his ministry, many of whom are still with him today. It was during these early years of ministry after a prayer session, that he decided to give away his messages. Since 1982, Duane Sheriff Ministries has distributed nearly 60 million free messages worldwide.
VICTORY LIFE CHURCH
In 1987 Pastor Duane became the Senior Lead Pastor at Victory Life Church in Durant, OK. Under his leadership it grew from a doublewide trailer to being a multi-site / online church that has reached thousands across the globe.
In 2020 Pastor Duane passed the leadership of Victory Life Church to his son and currently serves as a Senior Elder and one of the lead communicators. An author, internationally known speaker and teacher, Pastor Duane continues to reach the lost with the good news of the gospel of Jesus Christ through Duane Sheriff Ministries, fulfilling the mandate to make disciples of all nations. He lives by his life mission To Help People Grow in Christ. www.pastorduane.comwww.pastorduane.com