Gospel music legend Pastor Norman Hutchins recently shared his testimony exclusively with Path MEGAzine. An interview that left Hutchins in tears as he recalled the horror that his family felt when seeing him with no pulse on the rigid confines of a hospital bed.
Just 8 months ago, the Pastor of Frontline Ministries in Dover, Delaware was promoting his new album ‘Hosanna’, when a doctors call took his life on a difficult Path. Diagnosed with chronic kidney disease, Hutchins tells Path MEGAzine publisher Kris Patrick that he needed a new kidney soon or he could die. Placed immediately on dialysis, Hutchins shared the diagnosis with the church that he founded. That day 30 people stood up during service and volunteered to get tested to see if they were a donor match for the “God’s Got A Blessing, With Your Name on It” singer.
Knowing that God’s favor was on the couple, the couple would face a risky transplant, and complications that threatened to take his life as recently as just a few weeks ago.
Seemingly out of trouble Hutchins’ body was responding to the kidney well, and Karen was quickly recovering. Anxiously claiming a complete healing Hutchins soon found himself short of breath and later found out that his lungs were 90% filled up with fluid. Doctors quickly told Hutchins that he must undergo another procedure to drain the fluid that was literally causing him to drown. It was during the follow up operation that Pastor Hutchins’ storied career that has impacted the lives of so many nearly came to an end.
Hutchins flatlined while doctors operated. Doctors went to get Norman’s wife Karen (who was still in a wheel chair recovering) and she begin to pray for her husband’s life with oil. While Norman’s wife and sisters looked on, doctors were frantically searching for solutions. After a few tense moments a nurse emphatically says, “We have a pulse!” With relief spreading across the face of those around, doctors were able to succeed in getting the fluid out, and now hoped the Pastor didn’t sustain any brain damage. Doctors succeeded in stabilizing Hutchins 16 hours later.
During the interview Pastor rejoices, “I went in for one miracle and I came out with 5 miracles!” The first miracle was that the transplant worked as soon as they put it [kidney] in. The second miracle is I didn’t drown in the fluids, my lungs were 90% full.” “The third miracle is I flatlined. I was dead for two whole minutes, and God brought me back to life!” “And the fourth miracle is I didn’t have any brain damage.” “And the fifth miracle was in 16 hours God turned the whole situation around, and I was up and moving about and began to recover.”
This wasn’t the only time Hutchins had a brush with serious medical ailments. During doctor visits for his kidney transplant doctors discovered that the singer had an undiagnosed mild heart attack that they believe happened at some point. Pastor Hutchins also battled bouts of acute blindness years ago due to complications with diabetes he’s battled since childhood. After 6 months of living and preaching blind, Pastor says he remembered God told him “This is going to be the last day anybody leads you down this aisle.” Hutchins tells Path MEGAzine’s Kris Patrick, “It was one week after that date that God begin to restore my sight.”
It was at this point in Hutchins’ testimony that we gained insight on how he overcomes obstacles. “A lot of times we ask the question why me?” “My response to that is why not you?” “Can you think of somebody else that you would wish that on other than yourself…Why not you?” Hutchins elaborates, “God will always do one of two things.” “Either he will deliver you from it, or he will give you the grace to go through it, and either way is victory.”
Before the transplant and while on dialysis, Pastor Hutchins described his lowest point when the enemy begin to come harder after his faith and will to survive. Pastor said in his sub-conscious the enemy said, “Look at you…You the preacher.” “You been preaching all these years about how faithful God is, and he’s the healer but look at you sitting up here in the chair getting dialysis; Where’s your God now?” Pastor said he fought the attack, by realizing it could be worse. “The lady next to me has an oxygen tank that she has to carry with her everyday [on dialysis], but I don’t.”
It was such reasoning that lifted the spirits of Pastor during those lonely treatments. Pastor Hutchins says that, “There’s somethings that God allows you to go through, because there’s a level of grace you would have never known.”
Later in the interview Hutchins was moved to tears, “I thank God that in the midst of all of this I’ve seen his mighty power, I’ve seen his hand.”
At an early age Pastor Hutchins new what he wanted to do. He begin preaching at 8 years old, and became an ordained minister at only twelve. It was at that tender age that Hutchins began touring the country preaching to packed out congregations. Standing on boxes so he could be seen over the podium.
Confident that he still has more to give to the Christian community Pastor Hutchins states, “The fact that he [God] brought me back to life tells me that he’s not finished with me…That my work is not done.”
Hutchins plans to continue to preach and record new music next year when the doctor clear him to travel. He shared with PATH MEGAzine that he is currently working on a deal with a new label, and says God is continuing to give him ideas for songs.
Pastor Hutchins says that his health is improving, and asks you to keep him and his family in your prayers. You can email words of encouragement to Pastor at: normanhutchins@yahoo.com.
After following the call of God for over 40years, I think we can all agree that this time Pastor Hutchins, ‘God’s got a blessing with YOUR name on it.’
Check out the powerful interview in the player above.
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Trudy
January 18, 2015 at 9:23 PM
I’m so very glad to hear this miraculous testimony and I do look forward to seeing and hearing as well as witnessing more and more of these kinds of MIRACLES! I’ve heard pastor Hutchins teach and preach and what a gifted and talented young man of God. God truly had a purpose for his life if non other than to have him to deliver a word from our Lord! May God continue blessing and using him to bless others is my prayer.