The history of Higher Ground International Ministries (HGIM) is 100% supernatural. During one of the annual worship conferences, sponsored by Faith Miracle Temple, Bishop George “Awesome” Dawson ministered under a very strong prophetic anointing. In the middle of the message he was preaching, he paused and look at Pastor Larry J. Baylor and prophesied these words, “Pastor Baylor, the LORD said you
are going international.”
The next day, which was Saturday about 8:00 a.m., a missionary from St. Louis to Durban South Africa, Derek Hubbard, gave Pastor Baylor a call. Derek told Pastor Baylor that there was a group apostolic churches in Durban South Africa that wanted him to be their bishop. That was the start of HGIM in 2004 even though the ministry did not have a name at that time. Therefore, HGIM started out as an international covering for churches oversees. Four months after the call Derek Hubbard made to St. Louis, Pastor Baylor was in Durban South Africa with a team of people, which included the Faith Miracle Temple Voices of Faith, Mother Mattie E. Baylor, and Pastor Terence E. Coleman who later became the Assistant General Overseer of HGIM. The supernatural nature of HGIM continued as one day while Pastor Baylor was in his office. He received a call from a man who spoke broken English, asking to speak with Pastor Baylor. His name was Bishop Ricardo Bercede of the Philippines. When he found out that he was speaking to the person of his desire, he told Pastor Baylor that he wanted to be a part of Pastor Baylor’s organization. Pastor Baylor told him that he did not have an organization. Bishop Bercede asked Pastor Baylor would he pray about starting one. Pastor Baylor hesitated and asked the bishop from the Philippines, how he found him all the way from the Philippines. Bishop Bercede said, “On the internet, the HOLY SPIRIT said pick you.” After such a statement, Pastor Baylor prayed about going to the Philippines and four months later, Pastor Baylor and his wife Tanika, Pastor Terence E. Coleman and his wife Sheila, Minister Dave Baylor and his wife Verikkia, and Mother Mattie E. Baylor took a trip to the Philippines in December of 2006. After much prayer and deliberation, in 2007, Pastor Baylor and Pastor Coleman felt lead of the LORD to formally launch HGIM, which was a covering for churches oversees. In 2009 they felt lead of the LORD to start planting and covering churches in the United States. 2009 was also very significant to HGIM in that supernaturally the LORD began to speak to Pastor Baylor at a HGIM partner service. The LORD said that he was sending HGIM to Russia. Six months later, HGIM lead its first missionary campaign to St. Petersburg Russia. During that campaign many Korean, Presbyterian, Russians received their healing and were filled with the HOLY GHOST. One middle-aged Korean, Presbyterian, Russian woman started speaking in tongues in English. Since that time, HGIM has experienced steady spiritual and numerical growth. At the 2010 annual HGIM conference, Bishop Wayne T. Jackson (Greater Works of Christ), Bishop Leo S. Lewis (Prophetic Miracle Ministries Worldwide), Bishop Vance L. Dash (Rhema Covenant Fellowship of Churches International), and Bishop Vernon L. Bess (HGIM), consecrated Pastor Larry J. Baylor and Pastor Terence E. Coleman to the bishopric. Through their visionary leadership, HGIM has under its covering:
16 Churches in South Africa
35 Churches in the Philippines
21 Churches and ministries in the United States
1 Mission in St. Petersburg, Russia
Many partners and supporters who help spread the of GOSPEL OF THE KINGDOM around the world!
