I was born into a Christian family and, by age nine, became aware of the many denominations within the faith. My paternal grandparents belonged to the Apostolic Faith Ministry, my maternal grandfather served in the Pentecostal ministry, and my grandmother was Catholic. At eleven, I lived with her and joined the Catholic Youth Organization, quickly known as the parish jokester.
As a teenager, I noticed the differences between my father’s Apostolic Faith beliefs and Catholic practices. In 1977, my father encountered the Message of the Hour preached by Brother William Marion Branham. During a visit, a scripture at his door—“Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God is One Lord”—caught my eye. I joined his small fellowship, which I jokingly called “The Odd Family,” and first learned of Brother Branham. My father’s clear answers convinced me to embrace the Message, and at twelve I declared my faith in Christ.
In 1982, at sixteen, I was baptized by my father in the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ. Soon after, I drifted for seven years while living with my grandmother. I became a skilled dancer and was crowned Benin’s 1990 Freestyle National Dance Champion. Yet the seed of the Message remained alive in me.
In 1994, I launched Carl Dork International, a logistics and transportation company. Two years later, a persistent inner call drew me back to church. I visited denominational congregations but felt unsatisfied, often attending two services in one day. Finally, I asked my father if there was a Message church in Benin. That encounter with him became a turning point—I returned home filled with the Spirit and speaking in tongues.
Finding Message believers was difficult, but one Sunday an inner voice led me to a small bamboo hut where eight people worshipped. Their leader, Brother Simeon, knew little of the End Time Message, but through him I was connected with Brother Norbert N. Bambelou. After hearing his sermon, I knew we were meant to labor together. I was re-baptized by Brother Norbert, and we began our partnership in the Original Seed Ministry.
It remains an honor to serve the Bride of Christ alongside the VGR team under Brother Joseph Marion Branham’s leadership.