In 1998, Bishop William J. McDuffie received a Word from the Lord to plant a church in Sierra Vista, AZ. After receiving this Word, he was assigned to Fort Gordon, GA where he and his family attended services at Faith Outreach Christian Life Center with Bishop Richard B. Peoples, Sr. Two years later, First Sergeant McDuffie was assigned to the Republic of Korea for a period of one year and there he began to conduct Bible studies in his quarters on Sunday afternoons.
After returning from Korea, he resettled at his new duty station as a newly promoted Sergeant Major at Fort Huachuca, AZ (Sierra Vista area) and God prompted his heart to begin holding church services at home in August 2001. In direct obedience to God, and knowing that if he could not lead his own family in church services, he very well could not lead an entire congregation, he began to conduct bi-weekly services in his home.
In April of 2002, William McDuffie Ministries (WMM), the parent organization of Seed of Abraham Christian Center International (SACCI), took a great leap of faith and began to conduct Sunday services downtown at the Sierra Suites Hotel. During the summer of 2002, SACCI began to conduct both Sunday and Friday night services at the downtown location in a small conference room in the hotel.
Later in 2003, WMM facilitated its first Faith Crusade hosting Bishop Richard B. Peoples, Sr. As Bishop Peoples culminated the crusade with the benediction, he told SACCI that they could not go back to the small conference room and they would have to stretch for something greater. Trusting the Word of the Lord from his spiritual father, Bishop McDuffie inquired about a larger meeting space. The hotel staff offered a larger conference room upstairs that more than doubled their meeting space.
In May of 2004, SACCI moved into its first fully dedicated facility at 968 E. Fry Blvd. The facility was a commercial storefront that looked nothing like a church. After a few weeks of renovations, Seed of Abraham began to conduct 3 services per week in its new home. The spring months offered the children an opportunity to go outside and conduct children’s church activities.
In January 2006, SACCI expanded the storefront to include 970 E. Fry Blvd. Additional renovations were required, but the end result allowed the children’s church program to expand, which allowed more space for its growing body of Believers.
In January 2007, one month after retiring from the U.S. Army, Bishop William and Lady Yvette McDuffie received a word of instruction from Bishop Peoples to look for a property to purchase to house the growing congregation. With little money on hand, they acted on the word from their bishop believing it was from the Lord and began releasing their collective faith and preparing the flock for transition.
In August 2009, SACCI purchased its first property at 1100 El Camino Real in Sierra Vista. This new property consists of two buildings with combined space exceeding 13,000 square feet and has given SACCI room to grow like never before; reach the community in new ways; and expand their children’s ministry. For some, 1100 El Camino Real would be a stopping point, but SACCI knows that this is just another step on the journey God is taking them on to reach Sierra Vista, the surrounding areas, and the entire world.
In 2013, in response to meteoric growth internationally, Bishop McDuffie established Seed of Abraham Alliance of Independent Ministries (SAAIM). SAAIM is a worldwide fellowship of independent churches and ministries that embrace the common goal of proclaiming the Gospel of Jesus Christ globally.
“The Fulfillment of the International Vision”
While attending the Kenneth Copeland Ministers’ Conference in January 2004, Bishop McDuffie awoke from a dream hearing the words: “Seed of Abraham Christian Center International.” He interpreted this dream as a mandate from Heaven to extend his footprint from his local responsibilities in Sierra Vista to encompass the world. A staunch believer in the “Blessing of Abraham”, Bishop McDuffie fully embraced God’s promise to Abraham, particularly when He said:
…I will bless you and…you shall be a blessing…and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.” (Genesis 12:2, 3 NKJV)
In 2010, the Lord opened a tremendous door of opportunity into East Africa and subsequently into West Africa in 2014. Today, Seed of Abraham Alliance of Independent Ministries (SAAIM) consists of churches in Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Burundi, Democratic Republic of Congo, South Sudan, Liberia, and Sierra Leone.
Worldwide, SAAIM consists of more than 100 independent, yet cooperative churches with approximately 15,000 members who have agreed to work together with the goal of expanding the Kingdom of God globally.
On November 12, 2011, Bishop McDuffie became SACCI’s first episcopal leader when a College of Bishops, led by his spiritual father, consecrated and installed him as International Presiding Bishop and Chief Overseer of Seed of Abraham Christian Center International. Becoming a Bishop was no small task. This position in the Lord’s Church is not for self-acclaim or vain ambition, but provides a vehicle to mentor and develop multiple overseers, bishops, and pastors thereby assisting them to their God given destinies.
