Apostle J.S. Simmonds has been a Pastor for over 30 years. She is truly a tremendously anointed Woman of God. She preaches and teaches the word of God with boldness and authority. Apostle Simmonds was born in the Caribbean Island of St Vincent, where her adopted parents, Dudley and Edna Castello, raised her. Her adopted parents were not born-again christians. She attended an afternoon full gospel Sunday School where she was taught the word of God. As early as the age of six, she sensed something different about her life.
Her Sunday School home church had regular community open-air tent meetings. She would find herself, whenever the altar call was given, passionately moving into the crowd of people that were not saved and pleading with them to give their lives to Jesus Christ. She had many other experiences. As a child, when she prayed, God would intervene and answer her prayers. Please keep in mind, she was only six years old.
Apostle Simmonds migrated to the island of Trinidad, to live with her aunt and uncle. At the age of sixteen, she began to stray away from the ways of God. She became a regular party-goer and found her self-plunging deeper into sin, but after the parties she felt empty and dissatisfied. Sitting in her home, miserable and fed up with life, she heard the sound of gospel music singing echoing in her neighborhood. She followed the sound and realized a group of bible school students was testifying and singing about the grace, mercies and love of God. One of the students began to preach about the love of God. His Topic was “Jesus saves, keeps and satisfies.” She felt the convicting power of the Holy Spirit. It was a busy street corner. Many were standing around but she was the only one walked up when the alter call was given. She gave her life to Jesus but she did not fully surrender.
One Friday afternoon she encountered a situation that needed Divine intervention. She challenged God. These were her words. She said,”God, if you are God and you can solve my problems I will serve you”. God answered her prayer. She realized now, more than ever before, that God is real. Arriving home she kept thanking God and asked Him to give her strength to fight against the enemy. The Lord directed her to a bible a young man gave to her a a long time ago, but it was old and in parts. She reached for it as the Holy Spirit guided her to Romans Chapter 10: 9 -10. As she read she cried out to the Lord from her heart for forgiveness and accepted the Lord Jesus Christ as her Lord and savior. She got baptized with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues the same evening. From that day onward, she was never the same again and she never looked back.
Apostle Simmonds began to attend El Dorado Pentecostal Church in Trinidad. She got water baptized and became very active in her local church. After five years of faithfully serving in her local assembly, she felt the call of God upon her life to full time ministry. With the blessing of her Pastor she attended the West Indies School of Theology evening extension classes for two years whereby she obtained a certificate in Theology. She had a very deep passion for souls and the work of the Lord. She felt she needed to know more and be better prepared for the work of the ministry. With her Pastor’s wise counseling he help her enrolled as a student at the West Indies School of Theology Bible College full time for three years 1983 – 1986 where she obtained a diploma in Theology.
The History of Peytonville Deliverance Temple
Apostle Simmonds is the pioneer and founder of Peytonville Deliverance Temple on the Churchill Roosevelt Highway, Arima, Trinidad. She pastored this ministry for seven years (1986 -1993).
As she passed by a small village in her District on her way to Bible College, she sensed a deep burden for the people in that area. She decided to survey the village. she realized a church was already there but was not very effective in reaching the souls of the people. As she continued to visit the village, she realized that there were many young people bound by drug addictions, and living destructive life styles. Many were heavily involved in the works of witchcraft.
After graduation from Bible College, Apostle Simmonds knew what God had called her to do. She held her first tent crusade in Peytonville Village. Many souls were saved, delivered and set free from satanic strongholds as God demonstrated His supernatural power with signs and wonders. She directed the souls that were saved to the local Church in the area. She continued her tent crusade in other areas, but felt she was disobeying God. She prayed and fasted for God’s direction.
She sensed a strong conviction to go back to the small village in Peytonville at Churchill Roosevelt Highway, Arima, to start a ministry. She then informed the Church pastor which was the ethical thing to do. The local pastor felt threatened by her, as she revealed what God was impressing on her heart to do, but she obeyed the voice and leading of the Holy Spirit. She prayed for a place to start the church ministry. The only place available was an open downstairs of a house. Shortly after that, she was told she had to move. She moved the work to a patio of a house. The lady of the house became a born-again believer through Apostle Simmonds ministry. She came out from the Hindu religion, but her husband was still a Hindu. He told Apostle Simmonds, she had to find another place because of his religious beliefs. Apostle Simmonds moved the small gathering to a rented spot of land under a tent where she held services.
Shortly after that again, Apostle Simmonds was told the land was sold and she had to move the tent. With much prayer she and the small gathering she sought the Lord for His direction. When she could not find a suitable place Apostle Simmonds realized she was up against spiritual wickedness. She decided nothing was going to deter her from the work and the vision God had given her for the village, in spite of the heavy opposition and plots of the enemy to stop her. When she could not locate a place for the congregation, she packed her living room furniture into one of the bedrooms of her three-bedroom home and began to have services in her living room.
The room became too small as the work began to increase. Apostle Simmonds and the saints began to pray and fast for a bigger place to hold the services. God granted His Divine favor. She was blessed with a spot of land to build her first church building. By faith, in six months a building was erected for our church services with little finances. After a few years she was told the building was too close to a government pipe-line. The church prayed again for God’s direction. After prayer and fasting the Lord directed her to a portion of land in the area.
She told the saints what the Lord had said to her. They then proceeded to the spot of land and begin to claim it in the name of Jesus. She met with the owner of the land and told him what the Lord said to her. After a few weeks he called her and gave her the exact spot of land they prayed on. To God be the glory.
They began to build Peytonville Deliverance Temple church. Many souls were saved, delivered as she flow in the gifts of the Spirit. Amazing testimonies of salvation healing and miracles. The ministry is still on the spot of land at Churchill, Roosevelt Highway, Arima, Trinidad and Tobago under the leadership of Dr. Michael Lewis and Pastored by Bernadette Nelson. To God be the glory.
She also did missionary and pioneering work in St. Vincent for two years. She felt the Lord leading her to Canada In 1995. She has since then, served and assisted in various ministries in Canada.
The History of Victory Tabernacle Of Praise Ministries
Our history dates back to 1998, when a small group of people, including Senior Pastor Apostle Juliete Wallace Simmonds, gathered for prayer and fasting for God’s direction.
A ministry was birth Out of these meeting into a church Victory Tabernacle Of Praise Ministries. Our ministry has gone through transitions of challenges and changes but through it all, we have learn to trust in the Lord. God has remains faithful to His words.
As Apostle Simmonds continued the work of the Lord with unwavering faith we know her labor is not in vain. She shall reap if she faint not. She has ministered throughout many congregations in the West Indies, USA, and Canada. She is a dynamite, prayerful, powerful woman of God, a woman of great faith, a mentor, and counselor. She is indeed a tremendous blessing to the body of Christ. It’s a great honor to have her as our Pastor.
