Bishop John Nathaniel Hardy - From Boyhood to Manhood: Beating the Odds Guided by the Mystical Supernatural True Adventures of the Authentic Hardy Boy

FROM
BOYHOOD
TO
MANHOOD

BEATING THE ODDS
Guided by the Mystical Supernatural
TRUE ADVENTURES
OF THE AUTHENTIC
HARDY BOY

Bishop John Nathaniel Hardy

Copyright 2018 Bishop John Nathaniel Hardy.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by any information storage retrieval system without the written permission of the author except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

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Scripture taken from the King James Version of the Bible.

ISBN: 978-1-9736-0329-0 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-9736-0331-3 (hc)

ISBN: 978-1-9736-0330-6 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2017915699

WestBow Press rev. date: 09/25/2018

CONTENTS

I have been acquainted with Bishop John Hardy for approximately thirty years as Island Youth and Christian Education Director for Jamaica and Grand Cayman. He is an academician of no mean order, a man of distinction, fortitude and gravity; a visionary who accomplishes where others have failed. He has ministered in many places and particularly Fort Lauderdale, Florida where he tended to us personally. His ministry is on the cutting edge, electrifying, informative and soul stirring.

From the desk of Bishop Dr. Michael Coulson, DD
Senior Pastor Unity New Testament Church of God

Endorsement

I am so very humbled and honoured to direct the torch of one of my greatest encounters on my own journey through life John Nathaniel Hardy, Brother John.

An old village sage once instructed me about purpose. He said that purpose cannot be killed; it must be served. It was a hazy rain drenched morning when a young bright-eyed boy entered my quiet village of Glengoffe, Saint Catherine; he was seemingly raw and innocent in his humanity, as if commissioned by unseen Commanders, to plough pathways, in order to reach the human spirit existing in such a place.

On this trail, like many others to come, his own life was emerging in a chartered path that saw him transcending sunsets, some haunting and dreadful. I watched him from the shadows of the many years, as he emerged from his personal cocoons one after the other, always emerging with triumph. With great determination, he ploughed his chartered courses past the rocks of child abuse and dysfunctionality, to find new avenues of civility and promise.

He embraced that great universal truth which opened his eyes to see that he was suspended between heaven and earth. Once he realized where he stood, a new spirituality dawned upon him. He then became engulfed in encounters with the supernatural and the Divine that would unfold mysteries around him. These mysteries opened trails into halls of academia, and from obscurity, this boys name became etched in registers of renowned Colleges and Universities allowing him vast and varied learning that baffles the ordinary mind. Without embracing pride and arrogance, he used his acquired knowledge to help many to move towards self-actualization. Still, he finds quality time to serve as a full time Pastor and Mentor to many congregations and organizations.

John Nathaniel Hardy, thanks for beating the odds from boyhood to manhood, to be able to share this journey with us, for using this book to connect our minds to a new depth of perseverance, obedience and trust in that higher calling that has allowed one man to transcend time, leaving footsteps of change for others to follow.

Dr. Loretta Sewell-Drummond, PHD, MA., BA, Dip. Sp. Ed. Dip. Th.,
Psychotherapist, Lecturer, Educator

Endorsement

From the rustic environments of the communities of Grants Pen and Barbican Roads, John and I grew up facing many challenges, although from a humble up-bringing he had an attitude of a good conversationalist. As children, we had the responsibility of getting our parents the Daily Gleaner each morning before we went to school. John was not a literate person in his formative years, but his arguments were very constructive.

It is evident that John possesses an indomitable spirit that can surmount any obstacles in life. Even from his childhood days; it could be seen that he was a tough Hardy boy. He has been through many dark days as a child, yet it did not daunt his spirit or blunt his vision to aspire to heights of excellence in life. Although he did not have the privilege of an early childhood education, his determination and tenacity afforded him to defy the odds, and today he has emerged as a poet, journalist and a lover of academic pursuit. His inspiration will no doubt live with many generations to come.

Doreen Morris, BSc. M. Ed., Dip. Admin. Mgt.
Former Academic Dean Shortwood Teachers College

Endorsement

It has been stated that people and movements can be defined by the books they read and remember, so it is with great expectation that I introduce Bishop John Nathaniel Hardys book From Boyhood to Manhood to the world. As the co-founder, President and CEO of Gateway Church, I have witnessed the growth and transformation of Bishop Hardy and his ministry over the years. The Miracle Tabernacle organization is one of the most productive ministries that we have supported as a missions outreach in the West Indies.

As the late Maya Angelou once said, There is no greater agony than bearing an untold story inside of you. Bishop John Hardy has shared his sojourn in life, how he arrived at pivotal choices, his extraordinary rites of passage to manhood and the wisdom gained from his growth and transformation to lead him to the realization that there must be a supernatural God. He faced the daunting task of opening his heart and pouring his soul to share his understanding of the metaphysical without focusing on his pain or prior abuse to demonstrate the rewards and possibilities for personal growth in his tales of the Authentic Hardy Boy.

By bearing his untold story, Bishop John Hardy has unlocked the challenges of facing the supernatural and exploring with his readers as his future self. My late husband and Founding Senior Pastor of Gateway Church, Rev. Dr. N.G. Hyatt and Maya Angelou would share in my joy in the revelation of the divinity in this autobiography.

Rev. Dr. N.R. Hyatt
President and CEO - Gateway Church, Ft. Lauderdale, Florida

John Hardy is a Jamaican and an ordained Bishop of the Church of God, Cleveland, Tennessee. He has been in Christian ministry for over 40 years. During these years, he served in many capacities in the church such as pastor, district overseer, and national youth and Christian education director for the New Testament Church of God in Jamaica and the Cayman Islands.

This book is an authentic narrative that is very unique in its contents and portrays the true experience of the author. The author, Bishop John Hardy (The authentic Hardy Boy) is personally known to me for over five decades. He is known to his ministerial colleagues as a very dignified, honest, respectable, trustworthy, and hardworking gentleman. He hails from a very respectable and law-abiding family. He is a person whose word can be relied on, and he always complies with such rules as he is required to adhere.