I was brought up in an ordinary home in Belfast that was not a Christian environment. Like so many of my generation I was sent to Sunday School as my mother thought it was the respectable thing to do! She didn‘t attend church regularly herself but thought it was good for me, and later for my sister.

As I approached early teenage years, this became irksome, but I still went and I thank God for faithful Sunday School teachers who taught me God’s Word. From them I heard that I needed a Saviour, and that the penalty for rejecting the Gospel was an eternity in Hell.

Like many young people I felt that whilst I believed the gospel, there was plenty of time to make such a serious decision; giving my life to Christ and following Him. I wanted to “enjoy” myself first - a foolish idea, shared by many, that being a Christian is a miserable existence, to be endured, not enjoyed! God had his plans for me and in His mercy continued to work in my heart however much I tried to stifle His voice and run away. This continued for some time until one day I returned from work to long and sad faces at home. I learned that my childhood playmate across the street had died at work from a brain haemorrhage; I was stunned – this didn’t happen to a 16 year old with all of life ahead!  I realized that life was very brief and if I had been the one to die, I would have gone to hell – there was no time left after all.

This was almost 56 years ago; I gave my heart to the Lord and at once knew the wonderful peace that follows such a decision.
Life has been more exciting that I could have imagined and God gave me a good Christian husband to share it with. We recently celebrated our Golden Wedding!

I count it a great privilege to serve the Lord as a deacon in this church, and pray that I may do so with all my strength.