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Pastor's story
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I was born again in February 1983 in the midst of a time of personal trauma. I was brought up to consider God by my parents but did not really know the Lord although I went to church spasmodically as a child. At fifteen I started work, only going to church on rare occasions. I never denied in my heart that Jesus was the Son of God but until my eyes were opened I did not understand. My working life in the construction industry brought me into contact with many people during the Sixties. Many were involved in unhealthy habits and immoral behaviour and it became easy to pick up these things as a youth, not wanting to be considered different or excluded.
Singing
In the Seventies I joined a country band as a singer and found popularity as people were pleased to listen to us; five of us were together for about ten years, although behind the scenes back-biting and jealousy were rampant and spoiled relationships. In 1979 I set up home with a divorcee; we bought a house and had what we wanted, a car each and every modern convenience possible, but our relationship was very tense for three out of the five years we were together. We went to the U.S.A for a holiday to visit some of her relatives and on a small table I found a family bible.
The Bible
I opened the bible and read the parable of Lazarus the beggar and the rich man. I shuddered and put it down quickly when I saw the rich man’s position. In about 1983 our relationship was at its worst and I was offered a partnership in the company I was working for, and sunk into a constant work pattern with many new responsibilities. Due to the pressure and strain I began to make serious mistakes, and became so emotionally unstable that everyone around me was very concerned by this time. I had left the band, too exhausted to carry on, dreadfully frustrated and unhappy.
God spoke
One day I was in the office and God spoke clearly to me and said, “you are not doing what I created you to do, please stop this.” I just shrugged Him off. Then one foggy Friday night a situation developed which left me devastated, and that was the last straw. I remember waking up the next day to the same voice saying I should go to the local C of E church. Being in a storm of darkness I obeyed that voice and went into the church building.
Help me God
I wept before the Lord and begged Him to help me. When I returned home my girlfriend was out, and I just cried for a long time. When eventually this finished, God’s voice told me to go to a certain place to resolve a personal matter to avoid another further potentially unhealthy issue entering my life.
Find a church
About this time, an old friend from Rothwell was worried about me and asked me to go to a new A.O.G. church in the village. In the end I agreed to go the following Sunday. I don’t remember the preacher’s text, I only remember hurrying to the front to confess I was a sinner in need of Christ. The elders prayed for me; (one of them was to become my future father-in-law, who also baptised me in water.)
Peace with God
I remember feeling a rush of peace and love from God, as if my heart was floating on air with such joy. That night I made a decision to destroy personal items that would offend Jesus, holding back nothing. The next day I began a very difficult job starting very early in the morning in an awful factory. My colleague overslept but when I went to his house and he answered the door in his underpants, looking very uneasy expecting an outburst of anger, I said to him “Alan, I’ve been born again!” That day I remember being there, but it was as if God’s Holy Spirit controlled my hands to work and the job was done well and in record time.
Putting things right
God gave me such a hunger and thirst for Him, and He straight away led me gently to put right my personal life, my business life and called me to minister His Word, and Spirit, preparing His people for service. During all this change, I heard the voice of the Father telling me the wife I desired so much was on the way and one year later He sent Heather into my life. After only ten encounters of courtship and persuading Heather’s parents who were naturally concerned because there were fourteen years age gap between us, we both had the faith to say yes to marriage. It’s been a great blessing and we know God wanted it to be so. Our pioneering years together in the ministry were not easy in Braunton, North Devon but we have learnt so much about the body of Christ and about ourselves through the loving grace of God. After 11 years in Devon we came home to Kettering........
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