Fifty not out!

 

It was no seaside holiday 50 years ago this week when I was inducted to my first pastorate - as Assistant Pastor at Eastbourne Elim Church in the south of England county of Sussex as it was. I was 19, and had just graduated after 2 years at Elim Bible College in Capel, Surrey. I had only been a Christian just over 3 years, and for the first few weeks was single, as I married the wonderful Diane on September 9th that year (1972). The Senior Pastor, John Lancaster, had just been elected as the President of the Elim churches, and so was expecting to be away from the town around half the time during his year of office, leaving this young sprocket in charge of the church of 2-300 folk, and responsible for the pulpit! As you can imagine, he was a man of great faith!

As Eastbourne was (rather unkindly) known then as the 'costa geriatrica' where many folk went to retire, I spent most of the early part of my twenties visiting people in care homes, sitting with the dying, and taking funerals, as well as leading and preaching at services in the busy church. It was a steep learning curve, but made all the easier by the amazing folk that I served. Among my 'heroes of the faith' at that time was Samuel Gorman, an early leader of the Elim movement and author, who had been forced to retire early through ill-health. He took me under his wing and mentored me, sharing his wisdom and insight graciously and patiently. Two other early Elim pioneers were also in the church - E.J. Phillips and his brother F.B. Phillips, with their wives. E.J. was just a shell by then of what he had been, but he would be brought to the prayer meeting midweek and would sit at the piano before the start and just begin to play worship songs and choruses from years before, all by heart. Great people!

Eastbourne Elim today

Our neighbour was a Miss Chrissie Jardine, who had been wheeled in to one of George Jeffrey's early Gospel and Healing crusades in the 1920's in a wheelchair, quite paralysed. (Principal George Jeffreys was the founder of the Elim Churches). She was healed instantly after prayer and rose up from her chair never to need it again! She was full of stories of those days, and remained an ardent follower of Jesus all of her long life.

So, after a half-century in full-time Christian ministry, on three continents, I give thanks for the people and places that have been a big part of my journey, especially Diane and Matthew. And, as I set off hopefully and excited into the next 50 years, trusting in the faithfulness of God, I thank God for the many who have made this journey with me, and alongside me, in my first innings.