DMI ministers in response to Hosea 4:6, "My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge" and John 8:32, "Ye shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free."
Deborah Wittmier, President and Founder of Deborah Ministries International
History of Deborah Ministries International
Deborah Ministries International (DMI) was founded by Deborah Wittmier in 1996. By 1996, Deborah had been in full-time ministry serving other local churches and ministries for ten years. (Read more about her previous ministry experience here.) While Deborah was in Bismarck, North Dakota in the mid-90's as a guest speaker for a local church, it was spoken prophetically over her that Deborah would have a ministry called Deborah Ministries International. In fact, the Bismarck speaking engagement was the first official engagement of Deborah Ministries. Until that time, Deborah had not considered ministering internationally. While Deborah believed the Lord about the prophecy, the "international" part of the prophecy seemed too large to comprehend. So she founded the ministry in 1996 officially as Deborah Ministries, Incorporated.
Deborah Ministries, Inc. began as a teaching and counseling ministry with occasional key-note conference speaking and pulpit engagements. God had a much bigger plan for Deborah Ministries than Deborah could wrap her mind around, however. As she was faithful in the small things, God began to grow the ministry. "Small things" is somewhat of an inside joke, as many of the people Deborah counseled had undergone satanic ritualistic abuse at some point in their lives. This particular form of counseling required discerning of spirits, wisdom from the Holy Spirit, and a strong front of spiritual warfare and prayer. Deborah and her family and band of intercessors had to continually remain on the front line of spiritual warfare as they saw people freed from years of demonic influences, tragic wounds, and wrong belief systems.
In 1999, Deborah heard God's voice tell her to go to India and "see the work" there. After three years of intense ministry in the form of one-on-one counseling, this seemed like a strange task. Deborah did not grasp the significance of this until she obeyed the Lord and went to India. Once in Calcutta, India, she witnessed hopelessness and darkness as never before. God birthed a new thing within her and she received the call to move from a counseling focus in ministry to an international teaching ministry. She then began traveling overseas to minister.
Deborah helping in the soup kitchen in Calcutta, India (1999)
Deborah and Harvey at the 10th Anniversary Celebration of DMI (2006)
In 2006, after a decade of groundbreaking work both in the U.S. and in twelve other countries across the globe, Deborah changed the name of the ministry to Deborah Ministries International. Praise the Lord! What He says WILL COME TO PASS! The growth in the scope and breadth of the ministry has been God-ordained. What started as a small local ministry evolved into an apostolic ministry whereby Deborah travels to overseas nations up to four times a year preaching and teaching the Gospel of Grace through Jesus Christ. By the power of the Holy Spirit, Deborah's ministry is becoming known across the globe as a ministry that breaks centuries of wrong belief systems for individuals, church bodies, and entire denominations. This is accomplished through personal ministry, key-note conference speaking, guest preaching in churches, leadership conferences, and teaching Bible school seminars. Read more about the pivotal year of 2006 here.
Taking the message of "Do you not discern the times?" to Brazil in Spring of '07
In 2007, the year began with the Lord speaking very clearly to Deborah "Do you not discern the times?" (Read more about this experience here.) This occurred during a prayer meeting, and Deborah was caught up with the Lord in a very intense spiritual moment. Deborah realized that she was being called to prepare people for the last days, even as we are already in the last days of this age. As Deborah travels, this message of discerning the times underlies everything she does, preparing and equipping the Body of Christ for the pressures of these times.
The year 2010 has been marked a year of exponential expansion for Deborah Ministries International with the launch of CrossFire International Alliance, an alliance of ministries that are joined in leadership for these last days. The apostolic mantle that the Lord has placed upon Deborah and her husband Harvey finds its outlet through this alliance, the purpose of which is to build up and mentor leaders who are advancing the kingdom of God!
