Unlocked 2 Love: An Interview with Ann Rolle
[blockquote author=”Anne Rolle”]“I asked God to give me the purest form of love, and the purest form of love is to see people as He sees them. Even when I might not understand them, God sees them as His children. That’s what I asked God to do, and God did it.”[/blockquote]
God’s response to Ann Rolle’s humble request came in the form of Unlocked 2 Love, an intimate support group sparked by her own wounded past and fueled by her unrelenting passion for people. Ann took time out to share her heart and part of her testimony, granting us a glimpse into her new yet growing ministry.
Dani: Thank you, Ann, for agreeing to sit with me to discuss Unlocked 2 Love
Ann: You’re so welcome
Dani: Before we jump into that, can you tell me a little about yourself?
Ann: I was born in Alabama and raised there by my mother and stepfather, who was a pastor. My mother divorced my father and we moved to New York, where I lived most of my adult life. I was married at one time for about eighteen years, and I have two adult children and a grandson. I have a Bachelor’s in Business, and, I’m just Ann!
Dani: Now, for those who may not know, what is Unlocked 2 Love?
Ann: It’s a very private, intimate support group for men and women who have encountered or who are still dealing with physical abuse, spiritual abuse, sexual abuse, or any type of trauma or soul wounds.
Dani: What lead you to start Unlocked 2 Love?
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Ann: I came out of a home that was crippled with a lot of physical, sexual, and emotional abuse. We endured a lot of that. My mom endured a lot of it, so I saw the pain of it, you know? The pain of being in church and seeing that no one really spoke up, and they knew that we were going through a lot of physical abuse. I had a lot of deep wounds that came from my childhood in such an unstable home, and that became my passion.
Dani: What is the vision that you have for Unlocked 2 Love?
Ann: Right now, my vision is for us to just be intimate, to be able to meet people where they are now, both people who are inside of Freedom Church as well as those who are outside. We want to be able to work with people and pray with them, and to give them the materials and the support that they need. We’re going to eventually go into to juvenile homes and detention centers, as well.
Dani: What is the mission of Unlocked 2 Love?
Ann: To help people to love again, as a whole person, and to be free.
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To join Unlocked 2 Love or for more information, email Ann Rolle or call (713) 633-3733.
There is a $5 fee to participate in Unlocked 2 Love.
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Dani: What are some challenges or roadblocks that you face as you execute the mission and vision of Unlocked 2 Love?
Ann: One of the things that I find a roadblock , is seeing a person whose heart is just torn to pieces and they really don’t put in the work that they need to be set free spiritually or naturally, and they give up during the process. You so want to push them to keep going but you have to balance and set boundaries. That’s a hard thing for me-seeing when someone really hasn’t reached their full potential of being completely unlocked.
Dani: On the other hand, what do you find to be most rewarding about what you’re doing through Unlocked 2 Love?
Ann: It gives me an opportunity to love– to show my love walk. Also, to see people really be whole and to see people live free and to really be unlocked to love others in every aspect of their lives. They can love their family– their children, their husbands, their friends, and have well-balanced relationships. It’s very rewarding when I do see that. And just to make God smile! I like that. I love that, rather.
Dani: What are some things that you want others to know about Unlocked 2 Love that they may not know already?
Ann: I want for them to know that it’s a safe place; we do take confidentiality seriously, we are all transparent, and that we are there with them through the process. We don’t look at ourselves as though we have arrived-we are there in that process. It’s a safe place. We want them to know that through their wounds-their soul wounds, their father/mother wounds, whatever it is, we are there with them. There are people there who have walked that journey also.
Dani: That’s a very comforting thing to know, for people who may want to be part of Unlocked 2 Love but are afraid of opening up, or might not feel so secure. It’s great to have that security. What are some of the measures that you have in place to ensure as much confidentiality as possible?
Ann: At the beginning when we have meet and greet and orientation, we issue confidentiality forms that everyone signs and that we keep on file. What goes on in that group stays in that group.
Dani: You mentioned earlier that Unlocked 2 Love is also open to those who are not part of Freedom Church. What are ways that people who are not connected to Freedom Church can become part of Unlocked 2 Love?
Ann: We have a Facebook page and we’re working on a text messaging system for people to sign up with. This summer we’re going into parole offices to pass out flyers to open it up to people from every walk of life. We’re doing a lot of marketing and advertising.
Dani: I’m sure people hear about it through word of mouth, and I imagine there are so many success stories from the first session that people are hearing news about, as well.
Ann: Yes! As a matter of fact, there were a couple of people who called to sign up because they heard about it from someone else.
Dani: That’s great to hear! Is there anything else that you’d like to say about Unlocked 2 Love?
Ann: I want to say that, yes, God gave me Unlocked 2 Love to birth, but the vision is not just about me-it’s bigger than me. It’s a God-sized vision. It’s not just me throwing out my views and my feelings-there is a team of us: There’s Gloria Mathis, Clemente Calloway, Jason Ledet, and April Moore. We all push forth. It helps us, too-God starts challenging us to think about certain things, like wounds that I thought had been healed, so we’re all being unlocked. We’re going to forever be learning until we leave this earth. It’s beautiful.
Dani: I like that people on either side are becoming unlocked throughout this process, not only those who are enrolled in the sessions. It’s pretty amazing how God is choosing to work in that way. Before we go, can you let us know when Unlocked 2 Love meets?
Ann: Unlocked 2 Love meets Saturdays at 10:00 am, here at Freedom Church. You can come and get Unlocked!
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To join Unlocked 2 Love or for more information, email Ann Rolle or call (713) 633-3733.
There is a $5 fee to participate in Unlocked 2 Love.
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