After Loss and Three Near-Deaths, Healing Began

“I did not see that type of fake hyper faith like ‘all is well and we are great.’ It was, no Pastor, I'm going through, this is tough right now. This is hard.”

In 2021, Ian Alls, a minister, had already had two heart attacks that almost killed him. Then, at 53 years old, he had a stroke. Even then, the couple had faith that God would carry them through. For Ian and Janella, that faith lesson didn’t come out of their years in ministry --- it came in the hardest of trials. It started when their middle child, 8-year-old Rachel, was diagnosed with bone cancer in 2004. 
As always, the family went to God in prayer, believing in healing despite the doctors’ words. Despite years of chemotherapy, and even an amputation, Rachel continued to decline. Friends, family and church members continued to pray for a miracle. Their miracle never came.  In 2008 at 12 years old, Rachel lost her battle with cancer. That week shattered Ian’s faith. He shares, “watched her take her last breath. I was so angry that I, that I punched a hole in the door.” Janella was also deeply sorrowed and disappointed; she says “I felt that we did everything that we were supposed to do. We fasted, we prayed, we fought -- we stood truly believed.”

Anguished, Ian thought he’d never serve the Lord again and considered leaving his position at his church. His senior pastor, David Forbes of Columbus Christian center, came alongside them. Pastor Forbes said, “I did not see that type of fake hyper faith like ‘all is well and we are great.’ No Pastor, I'm going through, this is tough right now. This is hard.” He then shared, “I had my face in God's arms as well, like, show me and help me to show and to demonstrate how to walk them through this,”

As for Janella, she refused to give up on her husband, or their calling. Ian says, “I thank God for my wife, because I told her, I don't want to do this anymore. And she's like, I can't do this by myself. So that right there just let me know, that, ok, there’s still people depending on me.”

Despite his doubts and shattered faith, Ian decided to press on in ministry for years while trying to come to terms with his daughter’s death. Then, in 2017 he had a heart attack that almost killed him.  Two years later, he had another. By then, his and Janella’s faith had started to take a turn. Then, again in 2021 Ian almost lost his life when he had a stroke. It was then he realized that after years of loss, pain and doubt, he emerged with something deeper than survival — the lord had restored his faith. Ian shares, “the Lord had to sit me down, and he just told me, he said, ‘it didn't surprise me -- it didn't catch me by surprise what happened. And, he said, you got to walk by faith and not by sight. And that it doesn't change who he is.”

Ian also found peace, knowing Rachel had always been in God’s loving arms. 
Today, Ian, Janella and their family are still serving in ministry. Their message to those walking through a crisis of faith.

Janella says, “just take one day at a time.”
“When I see what God has done for Ian, God is definitely who he says he is, but sometimes things don't just happen like we want, and I think that's where your faith comes in.”

Pastor Forbes said, “watching Ian walk through,  the test of his daughter and then a health challenge, and then a health challenge, and then a health challenge. I almost, what I saw was the emergence of an actual faith champion.” Ian closes with saying, “faith is not a light switch, it is constant. Even when things don't go our way, I want people to know that God is still real, God still loves you, he is still a Healer. He's the great I am.
 

View Ian All’s recent message to his church, Columbus Christian Center here.