Today we’d like to introduce you to Cathiana Brantley.
Hi Cathiana, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
My story is one of rescue, deliverance, and complete transformation.
Several years ago, I became deeply involved in modern-day spiritualism—what many would recognize as New Age practices. What began as a search for healing, identity, and truth slowly led me further away from God and deeper into spiritual confusion and bondage. On the outside, I was successful and functioning. I was a registered nurse, educated, driven, and helping others. On the inside, I was spiritually deceived, tormented, and increasingly disconnected from who I truly was created to be.
Jesus didn’t meet me with condemnation—He rescued me.
Coming out of that lifestyle required real deliverance and deep healing. Jesus completely intervened and turned my life around. He restored my mind, my identity, and my direction. I am not the same person I was. What once bound me became the very testimony God now uses to help others find freedom.
The biblical story that best captures my journey is found in Mark 5—the man delivered by Jesus in the region of the Gadarenes. This man was isolated, tormented, and spiritually bound, living among tombs. When Jesus encountered him, He didn’t just set him free; He restored him and then sent him out with a mission. The man went from bondage to purpose, from being known for his affliction to being known for his testimony.
That story is the foundation of everything I do—and why the name Mission Gadarenes was born.
Mission Gadarenes Ministries, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to prayer, discipleship, deliverance, inner healing, and biblical teaching. The ministry exists to help people encounter Jesus, be set free from spiritual bondage, and learn how to walk in intimacy with God. We focus on spiritual restoration—helping people come out of deception, trauma, and cycles of brokenness and into wholeness in Christ. Because we are a nonprofit, our work is supported through donors and partners who believe in making healing and discipleship accessible to those who need it most.
Alongside the nonprofit, I also lead Mission Gadarenes, LLC, which is the coaching and equipping arm of the vision. As a seminary-trained pastor and faith-based life, leadership, and business coach, I work with clients—primarily online—to help them apply biblical truth to their personal lives, leadership roles, and businesses. This allows me to broaden my reach and serve individuals globally, helping them walk out purpose, clarity, and sustainable transformation after healing has taken place.
The two entities are distinct but deeply connected—just like the story in Mark 5. The ministry focuses on freedom and restoration; the coaching practice focuses on growth, stewardship, and purpose. One helps people get free. The other helps them live free and walk in their God-given purpose, identity and authority in Christ.
At the heart of it all is this mission: to see people rescued from spiritual bondage, restored by Jesus, and empowered to live transformed lives—just as I was.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
It has been a beautiful road, but it has not been an easy one.
Growing in Christ and experiencing His love, healing, and restoration has been the most life-giving part of my journey. At the same time, one of the greatest challenges has been navigating reintegration into the church—especially after coming out of a spiritually deceptive lifestyle that included involvement in the occult and later stepping into pastoral leadership as a woman.
While I expected opposition in the world, I did not anticipate how difficult it would be at times within church spaces. In my denomination, women pastors are not widely accepted, and that reality has come with isolation, painful comments, misunderstanding, and moments of deep loneliness. My testimony, instead of always being received as a story of God’s grace, has sometimes made people uncomfortable. Leadership, particularly when God is shaping you in ways that challenge tradition or expectations, can be costly.
There have been seasons where I’ve had to grieve the gap between what the Church is called to be and what I’ve personally experienced. And it shouldn’t be that way. Yet walking through those tensions has profoundly shaped my heart. The things I’ve endured have made me more aware of—and deeply compassionate toward—people who feel unseen, misunderstood, or overlooked, both in society and within the church.
As a deliverance and discipleship pastor, my calling is to journey with people, not rush them—helping them heal, grow, and come into freedom and clarity in Christ. I am passionate about walking alongside those coming out of spiritual deception, trauma, or isolation and helping them reach a place where they are living full, healthy, and grounded lives in Jesus.
Rather than becoming bitter, I’ve chosen to allow God to use the pain for purpose. Those challenges have shaped the kind of pastor, leader, and mentor I strive to be today. I am intentional about creating the kind of safe, honest, and grace-filled spaces I once needed—places where people can ask questions, heal, grow, and encounter God without fear of rejection. The road hasn’t been smooth, but it has been refining. And through every hardship, God has remained faithful, using even the difficult moments to deepen my compassion, clarity, and calling.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
Mission Gadarenes is a founder-led, faith-based work centered on one clear conviction: people don’t just need encouragement or motivation — they need freedom, healing, and practical rebuilding.
Mission Gadarenes Ministries, Inc. is my 501(c)(3) nonprofit, and it exists to confront spiritual bondage directly. I provide biblically grounded deliverance ministry, prayer, inner healing, and discipleship for individuals coming out of spiritual deception, involvement in the occult, trauma, and long-standing spiritual oppression. Deliverance is not a side focus of this ministry — it is central. I help people identify and renounce spiritual strongholds, break ungodly attachments, receive healing through Jesus Christ, and then become firmly rooted in Scripture so they remain free and spiritually healthy.
Mission Gadarenes, LLC is my faith-based coaching and equipping practice, designed to help people walk out the freedom they’ve received in everyday life. Through highly personalized 1:1 life, leadership, and business coaching, I help individuals rebuild identity, gain clarity, establish healthy boundaries, overcome burnout, and step confidently into leadership and purpose. My coaching is intentionally affordable compared to most programs, because access and long-term transformation matter to me more than exclusivity.
What sets my coaching apart is the depth of experience I bring. I am a registered nurse by training and have served as a nurse educator and director in healthcare leadership. Because of this, I understand high-pressure environments, compassion fatigue, and emotional exhaustion at both a clinical and human level. Building on that experience, I also lead group coaching, trainings, and in-person seminars for churches, ministries, healthcare facilities, and organizations.
In these settings, I help teams:
• overcome burnout and compassion fatigue
• build mental fortitude and emotional resilience
• strengthen leadership and communication
• develop sustainable rhythms for high-stress roles
• regain clarity, morale, and purpose in their work
These sessions are practical, evidence-informed, and faith-centered, integrating leadership development, emotional health, and spiritual formation. People don’t leave inspired for a moment — they leave equipped with tools they can actually use.
Brand-wise, what sets Mission Gadarenes apart is that I do not separate the spiritual from the practical. In my denominational context, spiritual gifts, deliverance, inner healing, and the active power of the Holy Spirit are rarely discussed or emphasized. Because of that, the work I do is often viewed as trailblazing — particularly as a woman in pastoral leadership. I believe the Church is called to be both biblically grounded and spiritually empowered, and I am committed to creating safe, scriptural, and healthy spaces where people can experience real transformation without fear or shame.
Ultimately, Mission Gadarenes exists for people who are bound and need freedom — and for those who are free but need structure, clarity, and resilience to live and lead well. Whether through deliverance ministry, discipleship, 1:1 coaching, or organizational training, my mission is to help people become whole, grounded in Christ, and equipped to sustain a healthy, purpose-filled life.
Do you any memories from childhood that you can share with us?
I don’t have one single childhood memory that stands out above all the others per se. My childhood was made up of many ordinary moments, and as life has unfolded, my focus has shifted more toward the journey of who I’ve become rather than trying to hold onto one defining memory from the past.
That said, one moment from my school years has stayed with me in a quiet but powerful way. I was sitting in my history class when my teacher, Mrs. Arias, asked us to identify whether a particular region of the world was considered rural or urban. Everyone wrote down their answers. When she began asking the class to share, the overwhelming majority said “urban.” A few students said “rural,” but as she questioned us further, she intentionally applied pressure, encouraging people to reconsider their answers based on what most of the class had chosen.
One by one, students changed their responses to align with the majority. Eventually, I was the only one left who had not changed my answer. I stayed with “rural,” not because I was trying to prove a point, but because it was what I genuinely believed to be correct. When she revealed the answer, she confirmed that I was right—but what followed is what I remember most.
She looked at me and asked, “What made you so confident to stand alone and not follow the majority?” I didn’t have an answer. I simply shrugged and said, “I don’t know.” She smiled and said something I’ve never forgotten: “Never change that.”
At the time, it seemed like a small moment. Looking back now, it feels like an early glimpse of how I would move through life—learning to trust conviction over consensus, and choosing integrity even when it meant standing alone. Today, as a leader, pastor, published author, and coach, that lesson feels deeply relevant. My focus now is on walking faithfully into who God has shaped me to become—and helping others find the courage to do the same.
Pricing:
- Free Discovery Call – Complimentary introductory session to discern fit and next steps
- 1:1 Faith-Based life, leadership, or business Coaching – Sessions currently start at $50, with flexible options based on individual needs
- Group Coaching & Seminars – Pricing varies depending on organization size, format (virtual or in-person), and scope
- Church, Ministry, & Organizational Trainings – Custom workshops addressing burnout, resilience, leadership, and spiritual health are priced based on organization size
- Nonprofit Ministry Services – Many prayer, deliverance, and discipleship resources offered through Mission Gadarenes Ministries, Inc. are donor-supported or low-cost to ensure accessibility
Contact Info:
- Website: www.missiongadarenes.org (nonprofit ministry site) & www.missiongadarenes.com (coaching site)
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/missiongadarenes
- Youtube: https://youtube.com/@missiongadarenes?si=Nh9MA7Gffp6O5V1e
- Other: https://www.calendly.com/missiongadarenesllc
