Fuchsia Pickett was one of the finest Bible teachers of the 20th century. When she passed away January 30, 2004, she left a legacy of revelation that will impact the church for years to come. Among her greatest contributions were her prophetic view of God’s plan for an upcoming revival, her call to the crucified life, and her understanding of the nature of the Holy Spirit and His role in a believer’s life.
Born in Virginia on December 29, 1918, Pickett was saved as a teenager through the influence of a Presbyterian co-worker and called to preach shortly afterward. The Lord sovereignly opened a door for her to attend Bible college while her husband, George Parrish, was stationed overseas and her only child, Daryl, was small.
As soon as she graduated, Pickett began ministering across the country. For 17 years she preached and taught as an ordained Methodist minister and pastor of a church.
Then, in 1958, Pickett became seriously ill. She thought the service she attended at a Pentecostal Holiness church in Virginia after planning her funeral might be her last. But the Lord prompted her to go forward for prayer, and she was completely healed and filled with the Holy Spirit.
From that moment on, Pickett began to receive revelation from the Holy Spirit that made the Scriptures come alive to her. She wrote: “My Teacher moved in. For the first time in my life I began to understand, through revelation, the same Scriptures I had studied and taught faithfully for many years.” This revelation became the foundation of her teaching and provided the content for the more than 10 books she wrote, including a definitive work on her “Teacher” titled Presenting the Holy Spirit (Charisma House).
In 1971 Pickett established Fountain Gate Ministries with her second husband, Leroy Pickett, whom she married after George died. Fountain Gate included an interdenominational church, a Bible college, and a Christian academy, as well as a daily radio program and weekly TV ministry.
In the fall of 1988, Pickett resigned as pastor of the church to fulfill her final mandate from the Lord–to go out as a “mother in Israel” to train leaders in the body of Christ. She began to travel extensively, speaking in churches and at conferences and Bible schools. Her ministry impacted many prominent Christian leaders, including Benny Hinn and Judson Cornwall.
Pickett, who had earned doctorates in both theology and divinity, was an adjunct professor at Beacon Theological Seminary in Columbus, Georgia, and taught video courses for the Christian Life School of Theology. In addition, she served on the boards of several internationally renowned ministries and received a number of awards.
Pickett paved the way for other women in ministry by her example and by personally mentoring many who were called. She died peacefully in her sleep at age 85 after more than 50 years in ministry>
