How God Called One Tentmaker to Tear Down Barriers
My dear friend Amie Kendall knew she needed spiritual depth before entering her career. Like the Apostle Paul, she sensed God preparing her for tentmaking ministry—using secular work as a bridge for the Gospel.
During her gap year she received a powerful vision. This wasn't just spiritual revelation—it was a tentmaker's commissioning. A glimpse into why God calls ordinary Christians to extraordinary places, using their skills and careers to reach people traditional ministry cannot touch.
I'll hand over to Amie for this week's guest post
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After university, I knew I needed to dig deeper in my faith before heading into working life. So I took a year out with a global missionary organisation. During that time, I spent several months in Indonesia, the world’s largest M-majority nation and one day, I had a vision. I saw a covered woman, then her head covering tore in two… I sensed God saying, “Everyone has the right to come directly into My presence.”
That moment stayed with me. It planted a seed that would later shape my career, my relationships, and both how and where I would live.
When I returned to London, I started working at Accenture. But that vision didn’t go away. I began to wonder whether God might be calling me to the ME. I pursued every opportunity I could to explore that: work trips to Kuwait, Bahrain, Jordan, even personal trips on my own. But it wasn’t until I met a young man in a church small group that Turkey was put on the table. That first conversation turned into a short-term trip… then a relationship… then marriage… and within two years, we were moving to Turkey and inviting some wonderful people on the journey to see a new community established in the most unreached people group in the world.
In the middle of all that, I was progressing in my career — I’d been promoted to manager, and I’d worked hard to be known as someone reliable, capable, and driven. Opportunities for relocation often only come to those the company can trust, so I made a point of proactively connecting with the right people in the business. I kept myself informed about how that ME region was developing and made sure I was on their radar for the right reasons. When I told Accenture I wanted to move to Turkey, they didn’t want to lose me. We agreed on an 11-month sabbatical where I studied the language intensively, and then I returned to work in Istanbul, somehow managing in my not-so-perfect Turkish!
It felt like the best of both worlds. I was able to respond to what I felt Jesus was calling me to, while continuing in the workplace — where I’ve always known God’s favour and genuinely enjoy being. I’ve also learned along the way that making a job work for you while juggling ministry isn’t just about flexibility. It’s about understanding the priorities of the company and my boss, making sure I’m helping him succeed too. It can’t just be what works for Amie. It has to work for the business and for me.
My favourite chapter in the Bible is Isaiah 61. I’ve always felt a deep conviction that I’m called to rebuild, restore, and renew — wherever I am, whatever I’m doing. I’ve never drawn a line between sacred and secular; I passionately care about both.
Together with my husband, who is in full-time ministry — we’ve planted several church communities with a vision they’d help the city flourish. We’ve learned how to balance corporate work and ministry by seeing ourselves as a team. We’re called together to rebuild, even though our daily routines look very different. Communication and mutual support have been essential. As I’ve taken on more responsibility at work, and with two young children at home, I often need to work in the evenings. So we’re intentional about deciding together where I go and where I don’t. My husband knows that if he asks me to be at a dinner or meeting, I’ll 100% be there, but he’s also great at saying, “You’re not needed here, I’ve got it.”
For the last six years, I’ve worked in a medical device company. When I joined as E-commerce Manager, the brand lacked clarity, we had no defined mission, and our focus was mostly on numbers. Now, I’m Head of Marketing and part of the senior leadership team. I’ve helped launch our brand in new countries, shaped our mission — Empowering Health at Home — and built strong partnerships to give people the tools and knowledge they need to live longer, healthier lives.
“They will rebuild the ancient ruinsand restore the places long devastated;they will renew the ruined citiesthat have been devastated for generations.” — Isaiah 61:4
After nine years in Turkey, we’ve recently moved back to the UK. Yes, there’s been processing and some rest is still needed, but my husband and I are deeply thankful to have seen what we dreamed of… a Turkish-speaking church, established with a strong team which is now led by a local believer.
As I step into this next season, my prayer is for opportunities to continue to rebuild, in both my work and in the Church. Because for me, there’s no divide between the spiritual and the secular. I believe God is at work in both, and He’s called me to be part of it. Whether in business or ministry, I want to see more people reached, more partnerships built, and more lives impacted. He’s made me this way, He’s put His Spirit on me to bring change, carry joy, and help make the world look a little more like He intended it to be.
