Sermons on Testimonies (Page 2)
Saved in Tesco’s Car Park (31 min)
Steve West tells the story of how the Lord first saved his wife Lucy, whose life was beset by an alcohol addiction, and then, through the transformation Steve witnessed in her, eventually brought Steve to salvation too – a husband and wife united in Christ. (Testimony given in Chalfont St Peter Gospel Hall, 3rd Dec 2023)
“Kim, I’m going to drown” (49 min)
“You were extremely close to death.” These were the words Scott Hayes heard after waking up from a 10-hour coma, after nearly drowning in the Pacific ocean in 2015. But Scott was ready to die – he had been saved as a young man through the preaching of the gospel. Here Scott tells both salvation stories in one message. (Recorded in Stout, Iowa, USA, 2015)
“If you want to see grandad again you’ll need to be saved” (11 min)
Glenn Moore grew up hearing the gospel in Bracondale Gospel Hall in Toronto, Canada (above), knowing he was a sinner and fearing being left behind when the Lord comes. In April 1966 at the Toronto Easter Conference, he spoke to Harold Paisley about his desire to be saved. Listen to hear how the Lord used 1 John 1:7 to bring light to Glenn’s soul. (Testimony given at Blue River Gospel Hall Conference, Wisconsin, 2008)
“It was for me, yes all for me” (7 min)
The gospel came to Blue River, Wisconsin, in the autumn of 1932 and souls were saved. In 2008 Brent Studnicka gave his testimony of salvation at the Blue River conference and reflected on where he might have been had the gospel never come to his home. Listen to hear how Brent was saved as a teenager partly through the verse of a well know hymn “Was it for me for me alone?”.
“I feared my parents, and therefore I feared God” (5 min)
Philip Pancake’s parents were saved when evangelist Robert Surgenor brought the gospel to the town of New Creek in West Virginia, USA, in the 1970’s. As they raised Philip in the fear of God, his heart was soft towards the gospel, and the Lord saved him as a child a quarter a century after his parents. Reading: Prov 23:14. (Message preached at Blue River, Wisconsin, USA, 2008)
“I know how to do this. I can get saved whenever I feel like it” (6 min)
Jonathan Ward was a “preacher’s kid”. He knew the gospel well, so he thought. “I know how to do this. I can get saved whenever I feel like it.” But when it came to it, he found what the Bible says about the human heart is true – we are all in the dark by nature, and it needs the illuminating work of the Holy Spirit to bring about salvation. Reading: Isa 53:5-6. (Message preached in La Crosse, Wisconsin, USA,…
“My problem was with the word ‘believe’.” (12 min)
Matthew Kundert relates how he was saved as a teenager after a struggle with “how to believe”. He grew up knowing all about the Bible and salvation. He had no problem accepting it all. How then could he “believe” what he already knew, in order to be saved? (Testimony told at the Blue River Gospel Hall conference, Wisconsin, USA, 2009)
“I’m sure of heaven, no matter what!” (10 min)
John Selesnic grew up going to church and trusting in his religion to get him to heaven. But he never felt sure he would make it. What if he got hit in a traffic accident and died before the priest arrived to give him the last rites? Listen to find out how John discovered he could be “sure of heaven no matter what”. (Story told in Brampton Gospel Hall, Ontario, Canada 2022)
“A time when, a place where and a manner how” (21 min)
Ashley Milne relates his story of conversion as a young man growing up, the son of missionaries in Venezuela, South America. “Everyone who is saved has a time when, a place where and a manner how they were saved”. Do you? (Message given in Fleetwood, Vancouver, 2022)
“No wise man will sleep until he knows his sins are forgiven” (28 min)
David Ambrose recounts the story of his conversion to Christ. Born in the fishing village of Portavogie, Co Down, Northern Ireland, David knew the gospel from his childhood. God spoke to him through a number of life’s experiences, but it was eventually in a series of gospel meetings in early 1975 that God saved him at the age of 16. (Testimony given in Portavogie Harbour Drive-in gospel meeting, 29th May 2022)
“I could no longer bear the guilt of my sin” (6 min)
Wesley Pickett heard the gospel often in his youth, but he got so used to it that any concern for his soul seemed to have left him. However, God worked through the preaching of the gospel to bring him to the place where he could no longer live with the burden and guilt of his sin…and then God saved him. (Testimony given in Blue River, Wisconsin, 2021)
“For the first time in my life I couldn’t argue with God” (4 min)
Jon Novak grew up on a farm and knew the gospel from his earliest days. He resisted the gospel until his mid teen when under the preaching of the gospel he reached the place where he “couldn’t argue with God” any more. Listen to hear how he found peace with God. (Preached in Blue River, Wisconsin, 2019)
“Don’t let anyone tell you that you’re saved. You get it for yourself.” (11 min)
David Yoder grew up in the home of parents who had been saved from an Amish background, but his wholesome upbringing wasn’t enough to save him. Noticing the attention that was paid to people who profess to be saved, David too made a profession – but it wasn’t real. Listen to find out how he discovered his need and trusted in Christ. Readings: Psa 37:4, Isa 53:5-6 (Testimony given in Blue River, Wisconsin, 2021) (Photo: Farm in Wisconsin)
What is more valuable than anything else in the world? (10 min)
John Fitzpatrick grew up in Yonkers, New York. He had a traditional upbringing, was christened as a child and went to church. In 1959, a neighbour brought him to children’s meetings where John learned the truth of the gospel and his need of the most valuable thing in the world. (Testimony given in Blue River, Wisconsin, 2021)
“I tried all the world had to offer” (30 min)
James Logan grew up in a Christian family and knew the gospel from his earliest days, but he decided to try all the world had to offer him. Through the tragic death of a friend James was awakened to his need of salvation and went to hear Willie Fenton and Matthew McKillen preaching the gospel. Through “verse 3 of number 36” (“Adore Him, the glorious work is done”) James was saved by the grace of God at the age of…
Saved through a verse on a pen! (19 min)
Jonas Miller tells of his Amish upbringing in Pennsylvania, USA, with household chores, animals and attending the Amish Church. When he was 12 years old, his Dad, John Miller, got saved (in 2005) and the gospel, and a Bible in English, entered the home. In 2009, the Miller family attended a Bible Conference in Matoaca, and a few days later Jonas was saved…through a verse on a pen. (Message preached in Crandon Gospel Hall, USA, 2021)
“I know exactly what to do: I have to believe. Now I’m going to do this” (17 min)
Ammon Miller grew up on a farm in an Amish family, believing that the way to heaven was by being baptised and being good. Then in 2005, his Dad, John Miller, got saved. Then his brothers Henry and Reuben in 2006. Then in 2009 his brother Jonas. A baptism was planned for these 4…but just before it took place God moved again, and Ammon and his mum were saved – so, 6 were baptised on one day from one family!…
I Was an Amish Man, Living the Good Life (31 min)
Chris Schwartz grew up in an Amish family in the USA. He believed the Bible was the Word of God, and attended church all his young life among the Amish, but his trust was always in good works and baptism. He thought being born again was by living a good life. Then his wife got saved, and Chris began to search. He visited various churches until finally he finally found his way, through contact with the Miller family, into a…
Samuel Ussher – Salvation and call to the work (49 min)
Samuel Ussher tells of his conversion to Christ, and his call to the work of the Lord (in Venezuela). He gives some history of the work in Venezuela and some helpful insights into how the Lord has blessed the gospel in that land, and how the assemblies there are very active in gospel work. He brings the challenge of the words in the Gospel of Matthew, “Son, go work today in my vineyard”. Readings: Matthew 21:28-31, Job 23:13-14, Gen 41:46…
God Speaketh Once, Yea Twice | Robert Eadie Testimony (21 min)
Robert Eadie (Bobbie) tells the story of his conversion to Christ as a 15-year-old lad in East Belfast. During a series of gospel meetings by the evangelist Harold German, young Bobbie had two near fatal accidents in one day. He was reminded of the verse “God speaketh once, yea twice” and it concentrated his mind on his need to be saved. Listen as Bobbie Eadie tells of his deliverance through the words of John 3:36. (Recorded in Portavogie Gospel Hall,…
“I wanted to get rid of all the preaching, praying and singing” (12 min)
Tom McNeill (1934-2016) grew up hearing the gospel preached. One particular evangelist, Joe Stewart (1877-1946), spoke personally to Tom around 20 times about his soul, so much so that when Mr Stewart died Tom was relieved he was gone! As a lad, just into his teens, Tom was beginning to look forward to the day when he could “get rid of all the preaching, praying and singing” and go and enjoy the world. But God saved him on 14th December…
“The same message all these years, but I only saw it now” (34 min)
Ronnie Johnston (1929-2007) tells the remarkable and touching story of his father’s and his own salvation. Ronnie’s Dad was saved through the hymn “Trust and obey”, a hymn he learnt from his children as they sang it on Sunday afternoon walks. But Ronnie didn’t get saved until he was 27. While his Dad used to break bread in Cregagh Street Gospel Hall, Ronnie was 6 streets away playing cards. Ronnie would ‘borrow’ money off his godly father but confessed, “I…
My Amish Religion Never Gave Me Any Peace (24 min)
John Miller grew up in an Amish family and community in Pennsylvania, USA. He was baptised and made a commitment to try his hardest to keep the rules of the Amish, but he could never find peace. God brought some people who knew the gospel of the grace of God into John’s life. Through them he obtained a Bible in English. Listen to hear how God revealed Himself to John through the Scriptures and saved a “proud, religious 37 year…
“I tried, for a whole year, to keep the Sermon on the Mount!” (48 min)
Sam Jennings (1928- ) relates the story of his conversion to Christ on 29th November 1944. Sam’s father was a brilliant violinist, but sadly also a violent alcoholic. In his youth, Sam tried to live by the Sermon on the Mount, but failed miserably. As a teenager he developed a foul mouth and was considered “the vilest person” in the bakery where he worked. But God saved his brother Rowan, and Sam ended up hearing the gospel preached by none…
“I cannot go for that operation until I’m saved” (49 min)
Mr Sam McBride grew up in rural Co Armagh hearing the gospel from a young age. He always knew he needed salvation, but let himself drift into adulthood without it. A serious spinal injury in the summer of 1949 left him needing a major operation. Fearing complications, Sam McBride resolved “I cannot go for that operation until I have the matter of my salvation settled.” Listen to hear how he was finally saved on 17th Feb 1952. Mr McBride preached…
“I can’t go on like this: I’ve got to get saved tonight” (26 min)
David Hutchinson grew up in a Christian family and knew the Scriptures from young age. When he reached the 6th form at School he felt drawn to the world…but God overruled David’s choice to neglect the gospel and brought him back to reality. At 16 he faced up to his need of salvation. Listen to hear how he found deliverance. (Testimony given in Bicester 29th Oct 2017)
“It wasn’t about me and what I did” (22 min)
Tim Cawte tells of his conversion one Canadian winter at the age of 13. Knowing he was a sinner who needed to be saved, his main problem was, “How can I ever know for sure that I am saved?” He made a number of attempts at being saved, but every time the doubts kept coming back as strong as ever. He was finally saved when he came to an end of himself and rested alone on the person and finished…
“My sins were taken care of at Calvary!” (28 min)
Marcel Lasalle grew up in a devout Roman Catholic family in the 1950’s in Montreal, Canada. The Mass, the rosary, confession; Marcel did it all. But he had no peace. Eventually he settled down into an ungodly life of nominal adherence to religion on the one hand, but the pleasures of sin on the other. Then God intervened in his life to bring the light of the gospel to him, and he discovered, in January 1978, that the work of…
“A basketball game or a gospel meeting?” (22 min)
Scott Hayes from Iowa, USA, relates how as a proud 17-year-old basketball and motorcross enthusiast he was first awakened to his need of a Saviour through the tragic death of an uncle. Scott was brought to Christ during a series of gospel meetings in which around 40 others were also saved in Stout, Iowa, under the preaching of Albert Hull and Gaius Goff in the 1970’s (Testimony given in Bicester on 17th March 2013)
“I fell 20 feet onto a concrete floor” (25 min)
Joe Potter, from Canada, relates the story of his conversion to Christ. Joe nearly died from a fall at 6 years old that broke his femur. But that didn’t stop Joe’s parents taking him to gospel meetings, in a full body cast! At various times in his childhood, God spoke to Joe, but he didn’t get saved until in his early teens. A helpful testimony for children brought up in Christian families. Readings: Luke 15:3-7, Rom 5:6 (Testimony given 14th…
Jim Walmsley – “Tell him I’m not in” (9 min)
The fascinating story of how a Christian woman in an office refused to tell a lie for her boss, and how God used that incident to speak to her colleague, a Mr. Jim Walmsley (1931-2022). That same lady afterwards asked Jim to come to a gospel meeting. God spoke to the 16-year-old Jim, and he found salvation on 16th May 1947 under the preaching of Harold Paisley. Mr Walmsley was baptised and then received into the Cregagh Street assembly, Belfast,…
“So, you’ve chosen the world” (15 min)
Tommy Wright relates the story of his conversion to Christ in 1952. As is common with young people, on entering his teens, Tommy began to drift away from interest in the gospel and tried to get out of “going to meetings”. But the godly influence of his mother prevailed. With tears in her eyes one day she said to Tommy “So, you’ve chosen the world”. Listen to hear how God used this in Tommy’s awakening and salvation. (Recorded 26th July…
“I rebelled against my Christian upbringing” (21 min)
Aaron Colgan relates the story of how God saved him as a teenager back in the 1980’s. Though brought up hearing the Word of God, Aaron rebelled against the gospel and took up with the pleasures of the world, living for a number of years with no thought about his soul’s salvation. But God spoke to him once more and brought him to faith in His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. Readings: Eph 2:8-9, Rev 21:7 (Testimony given 30th Aug…
35 Years old. 4 in the morning. Saved. (19 min)
Desmond Gilpin (1943-2021) grew up in Bangor, Co Down, with a knowledge of the Bible and the gospel: but until he was 35 years old, that was all he had. He says people thought he was saved, though he had never been born again. On 5th March 1979 he came to a crisis point, where he could no longer continue pretending. Desmond finally found peace at 4.00am through faith in Christ and His finished work.
“If you are not saved, what is all this worth?” (19 min)
Sandy Higgins’s ancestors came to the USA from Italy and Ireland. There, for the first time, they heard the gospel, and some were converted. That meant that Sandy was brought up in a godly home, where the gospel was preached. But hearing the gospel all of his life seemed to make salvation difficult for Sandy. While in medical training one day, the thought struck him “If you are not saved, what is all this worth?” Sandy went through 6 weeks…
“You’ll either end in jail or on the gallows” (41 min)
Jeffrey Harrison (1909-1990) grew up in a strict home in a slum area of north west England. Shoplifting, fighting, gambling and mischief of all kinds marked the teenage years of young Harrison. Said his mother, “You’ll either end up in jail or on the gallows.” But the Holy Spirit worked in his life, convicting him of his sin and of his danger of perishing in hell. When he got a job on the railways, a godly Christian colleague took him…
“I refused 6 invitations to a gospel meeting” (6 mins)
Do you give up easily when someone refuses to come to a gospel meeting? Marco Gebara was asked 6 times, and refused each time! But God was at work, and even when his Christian friend gave up, Marco volunteered to go without being asked a 7th time! He intended to go once and never return…but the Lord had other plans. At the Lurgan conference in 2016, interpreted from Portuguese by Tom Meekin, Marco told his testimony. Marco and Janice Gebara…
Robert Love – “Mother, I’ve something to tell you” (15 min)
Robert Love (1885-1979) was saved at the age of 19 in 1904. This is a recording of Mr Love telling the story of his conversion after 60 years had passed. 10 years after being saved, Mr Love went out full time in gospel work. Robert Love was a character, unique in his delivery and original in his style, and known for his plain speaking. A tireless labourer, Mr Love was used of the Lord to see a work done in…
“You couldn’t have got me to a gospel meeting” (29 min)
Norman Coulter (1941-2012) tells how God saved him in February 1962. Brought up in a godly home, Norman chose to seek out the pleasures of the world and broke his parents’ hearts. However, God convicted Norman of his sin and he was saved in Omagh one night during a move of the Holy Spirit in the town. In 1994, after 30 or so years as an architect, Norman left his business and gave all his time to preach the gospel.…
Leonard Mullan – Saved in Carnlough by the Sea (21 min)
Leonard Mullan (1918-2004) was born the year WW1 ended, and the Spanish Flu pandemic began. He grew up in “Carnlough by the sea”, from whence he would eventually go to Japan to serve the Lord. He was saved in meetings held in his parents’ home, taken by Messrs Joseph Stewart and David Craig. This is a recording made when Mr Mullan was 85 years old, saved for 73 years. The record of his and his wife Agnes’s 37 years in…
Matthew McKillen – “Am I saved or am I not saved?” (21 min)
Matthew McKillen (1936-2018) was saved on 30th Aug 1947 as a boy of 10. In this heart-warming testimony he tells how both his mother and father were saved and reveals the fascinating background to his own privileged upbringing in a godly home. Matthew and his wife Margaret were associated for many years with the Gospel Hall in Cambridge Avenue, Ballymena (formerly Wellington Street). Though a busy businessman, Matthew devoted his life to the local assembly, to the visitation of the…
“I thought I’d Been Left Behind” (30 min)
Willie Fenton and his brother were both saved on the same night in the summer of 1963. Willie had known the gospel all of his life, but the urgency of the matter had never really gripped him; until one night, when he realised that, if the Lord returned, he would be left behind for judgment. This is a touching story, full of interest and weighty spiritual import. Readings; Heb 12:25, Matt 24:38-42, John 3:16 (Story originally told in Northern Ireland)
George Alexander – How God Saved Me (20 min)
George Alexander (1894-1973) was born in Co Tyrone, Ireland, back in the 19th century. (His distinct localised accent may be a struggle for some listeners!). One day, as a mischievous and worldly young man, George made a plan with half a dozen other young lads to interrupt and disturb a series of gospel meetings being held in a barn near his home by evangelists J. McCullough and T. Braidner. But God intervened in George’s scheme. His companions never showed up,…
“I would have given anything to get God’s salvation” (26 min)
Bert Joyce (1927-2017) was raised in a Christian family under the sound of the gospel. He knew the Scriptures from his earliest days and sat under the preaching of mighty men of God like his uncle Albert Joyce, and Herb Harris. However, Bert, like many children brought up in such privileged circumstances, wanted to get away from the gospel and enjoy the world. But God visited Bert with a sickness that nearly took his life. He sobered up and sought…
One word exploded in my mind: “Eternity!” (37 min)
Ben Sutton (1922-2007) grew up in a drunkard’s home. Hardship turned to tragedy when his mother died while he was still a boy. When Ben left school he became a coal miner and then, during WW2, served in the Merchant Navy. He saw the horrors of war close-up, as German U-boats targetted the British and US ship convoys. With the War over, Ben returned home to South Shields in the north east of England, where his favourite places were the…
“If there’s a God, I hate him” (54 min)
Stan Ford (1920-1991), once an atheist and a communist, tells the story of how he was converted to Christ in 1938. A large man, over six feet tall, with a strong voice and a distinct West Country accent, Stan Ford’s story will thrill your heart. He ran away from home at 13 and got a job at 5 shillings a week. Falling in love with boxing, he soon became good enough to make a living at it. His first brush…
I Wanted to Know I Was Saved Before I Was Saved! (8 min)
Dave Bagnall grew up in Winnipeg, Canada, attending the West End Gospel Hall and knowing the gospel from a child. Moving to Vancouver at age 10, he lost his mother at 14. Attending gospel meetings by Albert Joyce and David Adams, one of Dave’s friends got saved. That shook him and he began seeking salvation himself, but he struggled as to how he could know for sure that he was saved. Listen to hear how Dave was saved and knew…
I Took the Gift and Thanked the Giver (12 min)
Redmond Blair (Vancouver, Canada) was brought up hearing the gospel and memorising Scripture, but in later years grew careless and lived for the enjoyments of the world. Shaken by the salvation of a friend, Reddie spend months searching for salvation, but found he was much darker than he had realised. Listen to discover how Reddie Blair was saved on 24th June 1952. (Recorded 27th Dec 2015 in Fairview Gospel Hall, Vancouver, Canada).
“I never thought I’d be an adult and not saved” (24 min)
Seth McKinley, from Vancouver, Canada, grew up in a Christian family, knowing the gospel and memorizing Scripture. He was soft towards the gospel as a child, and at one point thought he was saved, but as the teenage years came he rebelled against the gospel and decided he would just “do his own thing”. University took him further away, but the prayers of his parents followed him and the Holy Spirit began to work in his heart. Listen to the…
Him that Cometh to Me, I Will in no Wise Cast Out (23 min)
After some helpful comments about John 6:37, including details of how this verse was pivotal in no less than John Bunyan’s conversion, Allen McCandless (Sussex, New Brunswick, Canada) relates the story of his own conversion to Christ on July 29th 1979 – in which God again used this powerful verse: “Him that cometh unto Me, I will in no wise cast out” (John 6:37). (Testimony given at Pugwash Junction conference, Nova Scotia, Canada, 2016)
“The Lord Jesus said it: I have it!” (11 min)
Jeremiah Collins grew up “going to meetings”. He knew the gospel from childhood, but that was the problem: the gospel was so familiar to him that he stumbled over it and made very heavy weather of receiving it. When God convicted him of his sin and danger, he earnestly sought salvation, but still could not find deliverance. Listen to how Jeremiah finally found peace and rest in Christ (Testimony given at La Crosse Conference, Wisconsin, USA, 2015)
“I Said the Rosary Every Night” (34 min)
Butch Paquette grew up in a drunkard’s home in a poor community in Northern Ontario, Canada. After his father left, young Butch’s mother raised 7 children alone, reciting the rosary with them each evening at bedtime. Though an altar boy in the church, Butch became a troubled young lad who ended up spending time in numerous foster homes. Life went from bad to worse, leading to a number of visits to prison. But God worked in Butch’s life and in…
I Didn’t Really Care if I Lived or Died (24 min)
Theodore Chiasson, born and raised in a Roman Catholic home in Cape Breton Island, Canada, relates his story of conversion as a 24 year old young man back in the 1970’s, after hearing the gospel for the very first time. Theodore had a wholesome God-fearing childhood, but at college he went into drugs and ended up disillusioned and empty. Then a Christian witnessed to him and gave him a Bible…and the Lord saved him that same day. (Recorded 7th April…
Man Overboard! – Stories of the Sea (51 min)
Deep sea fisherman Alex McLean (1932-2019) recounts how he was saved in Stornoway, Scotland, in 1954 in his early 20’s. He had tried boxing, dancing, smoking and drinking, but discovered that life is empty without Christ. John Noble Steven showed kindness to Alex and shared the gospel with him. Taken to a gospel meeting the Lord saved Alex the very first time he heard the gospel preached. There follows an incredible account of Alex’s life at sea, which includes the…
The Bergsma family – Reached through a Rice Pudding! (32 min)
Andrew Bergsma (1930-2013) grew up in a “Dutch Reformed” home in Canada. His family endured poverty during the Great Depression. All 9 children were raised in the old fashioned way and walked 5 miles to church and back twice on the Lord’s Day. A lady from a nearby Gospel Hall saw the large family of children and visited with a rice pudding and an invitation to Sunday School. That was the opening for the gospel in the Bergsma home that…
From Drugs to Christ | Peter Orasuk’s Testimony (55 min)
Raised in a strict home and taught traditional values as a child, Peter Orasuk (1948-2005) got in with a rough crowd in his youth and ended up a drug addict and dealer, and eventually behind bars. His was the party lifestyle, constantly flirting with danger, always knowing his next fix could be his last. But, in 1976, by a remarkable series of events, light came into Peter’s darkness. Through the gospel message in the Bible he was completely and miraculously…
“Twice Rescued” – Rob Oliver’s story (18 min)
Rob Oliver loved to surf. Catching big waves on the east coast of the USA was a favourite summer activity for Rob and his friends…until one day, when a perfect ‘wave ride’ went inexplicably and terribly wrong, and in Rob’s own words, “I heard a crunch…and suddenly I couldn’t move at all”. Paralysed and submerged in water, Rob realised, “If someone doesn’t come and get me out of this water, I’m going to die”. But this wasn’t the only time…
I Was a Marxist Revolutionary (45 min)
Alec Catchpole grew up not knowing the gospel. Leaving School he got into drugs and soon became an addict. Then he was seduced by the ideas of Karl Marx and became an activist for socialism, even taking part in the riots at the Wapping dispute in 1986. He was full of hate, believing the only answer to the UK’s problems was a revolution where the workers take over the means of production, leading to a communist utopia. However, travelling to…
Saved at Coopers Corner in Killeevan (33 min)
Born in New Bliss, Co Monaghan, Ireland, Jim Smyth (1919-2012) grew up without a knowledge of the gospel. His father drank a lot, leaving the family dirt poor. Jim was a hard working young man who enjoyed the pleasures of the world in the local badminton team and as the drummer in a dance band. He heard the gospel once from two “Faith Mission pilgrims” in a meeting in New Bliss, but he didn’t like it and left the meeting…
“I Chose Never To Attend Another Gospel meeting” (38 min)
Albert Hull (1936-2015) tells the thrilling and heart-warming story of how God saved him “on the roadside” in 1957 listening to the gospel through the open window of a gospel meeting. As a preacher’s son, Albert knew the gospel well, but a point came in his teens when he made a choice never to attend another gospel meeting. Off he went to enjoy the pleasures of the world. Yet, even when he was drunk, he was still able to preach…
“I Tried to Solve the Puzzle of Salvation” (25 min)
Born in Trinidad, West Indies, Andrew Ussher grew up as a child of missionary parents, familiar with the gospel message. During a year’s furlough in Northern Ireland, Mr & Mrs Ussher took young Andrew to gospel meetings. In one of them Andrew heard about the final judgment from Revelation Ch 21 and for the first time in his life realised he was sinner who deserved God’s judgment – but the impression made didn’t last. The following year (1973) Andrew moved…
How I Was Saved Through Luke 19:10 (12 min)
Murray McCandless relates the story of his conversion. Raised in St Thomas, Ontario, in a Christian family, he grew up learning memory verses in Sunday School. As a child he would often ask his parents to tell him how they were saved. He was awakened to his own need of salvation at the age of 12 under the preaching of Oswald McLeod at the Sarnia Conference. He tried to get saved, but could not understand what he needed to do.…
“Pleasure was putting myself right out of my mind” (26 min)
Mark Thomas was born and bred in “the West country”, a few yards from the scenic Cheddar Gorge and just half an hour from the epicentre of the UK’s festival scene in Glastonbury. So, when Mark got into the drug and rave lifestyle as a young man, he had every opportunity right on his doorstep to dive into the ‘ecstasy culture’ where pleasure was defined as “putting yourself right out of your mind”. Despite a couple of close shaves with…
Larry Steers – God Had Other Plans (31 min)
Larry Steers (1937-2024) stopped going to meetings at the age of 13 out of frustration with the gospel. Then at 18 he set his face to leave home and enjoy the world. Heading to Toronto, he ended up in a prayer meeting and a gospel meeting where he was impressed by the evident care Albert Joyce (one of the preachers) had for his soul. Then word came through that Larry’s father was dying. Heading home he made it to the…
“I thought the gospel was a big joke” (37 min)
Born in Canada in 1933, Max McLean grew up on a small farm in a house with no electricity. He moved to the “big town” of Oil Springs in Dec 1945 where his shrewd father bought a business. Sadly Max’s father had a fondness for drinking and gambling, ruinous habits he passed to his son. At age 18, Max moved to Sarnia to work in the Polysar rubber plant. There he met a man called Dave Kember. Dave was known…
“I was a good Church-going person…but I didn’t realise I was lost” (9 min)
David Spurl, grew up going to church (in Iowa, USA). He was a “good guy”. No drugs, no crime…nothing like that. He even asked Jesus into his heart once upon a time. Then, years later, he met a young lady who struck him as “different”. There was something about her. She invited him to come to a gospel meeting. David started going regularly and began to understand what he had never understood before; that he was a helpless sinner who…
“I couldn’t wait to leave home” (13 min)
Aubrey Butler couldn’t wait to leave home. He resented his meeting-going upbringing and rebelled against the gospel. “I don’t want to be anything like you and Dad”, he told his mum. Moving out, Aubrey got involved in sports and much else to try and satisfy himself and fill his life. Then God intervened with a riding accident. Brought to see his need of salvation he spoke to the evangelist Art Ward who gave him a copy of God’s Way of…
“Are you saved or are you not?” (11 min)
When you are a 15 year old teenager with serious thoughts about eternity, there’s only one question you need to get settled – “Are you saved or are you not?”. That was Darrel Raynor’s concern until matters finally came to a head on 19th August 1988 while attending gospel meetings with Peter Orasuk and Albert Ramsay, on Prince Edward Island, in Canada (Island view above). Darrel told his story of salvation at Cedar Falls Conference, Iowa, in 2018.
“I’m gonna lose my sole” (7 min)
It’s amazing what God uses sometimes to wake people up to their need of salvation. Robert Orr, from Iowa, USA, grew up hearing the gospel, even being privileged to sit under the preaching of giants like Oliver Smith and Louis Brandt. However, he remained careless about his soul…until one day, in August 1950, in the middle of a casual conversation, a neighbouring farmer looked down at his old work shoes and said “I’m gonna lose my sole.” Immediately Robert’s mind…
A Wild Night on Mount Rushmore (36 min)
Mr Ward, an alcoholic purple heart WW2 veteran, used to beat his wife and get his 8 year old son Art (pictured right) drunk, much to the amusement of the men at the tavern. Small wonder that Art’s tragic childhood turned into a wild adulthood filled with drink, drugs, violence and fast motorbikes. Art heard the gospel message as a young man, but it made little impact on him. Then God intervened in his life. On a bike trip to…
Saved as a boy of 12 (8 min)
In this recording, made in 1961, Eric McCullough (1925-2020) tells how God saved him in Bangor, Northern Ireland, as a boy of 12, the day after a series of gospel meetings with David Craig had finished. Eric’s father, James McCullough, was a preacher of the gospel who had moved from the UK to Nova Scotia, Canada, to preach the gospel. It was on a visit back to Ireland in 1938, young Eric was saved. Back in North America Eric was…
Troubled and Empty, But I Didn’t Know Why (9 min)
Born in the USA in 1939, Jerry Jennings grew up without a Bible or the gospel. Tragically, his alcoholic father drowned in 1948. Joining the navy, Jerry would serve in Korea and Vietnam, but still he never heard the gospel. Looking up at the stars as a child had convinced him there was a God but now, aged 34, married and back in the USA, he found himself troubled and empty, but he didn’t really know why. Then a lady…
If there’s a God, why is there all the suffering in the world? (19 min)
Born in 1948 in “industrial Scotland” (Govan, Glasgow), Matt Reid left School at 15 to become an apprentice in the Glasgow shipyards. His Presbyterian upbringing quickly fell away as Matt got into drink and drugs and soon became a hardened foul-mouthed cynic, very bitter against God. His reasoning? – “If there’s a God why is there all the suffering in the world?” He had a strong antipathy towards organised religion. That was his “pet peeve”. Emigrating to Canada, Matt ended…
Norman Crawford – How God Saved Me (16 min)
Norman Crawford (1927-2017), from North America, was saved on Friday 1st April 1938. 58 years later, in 1996, standing in the pulpit of the Gospel Hall in Cambridge Avenue, Ballymena, Northern Ireland, he told how the gospel had reached his family in a previous generation not a mile from where he was standing. Returning all these years and generations later, he testified to the grace of God in saving his soul as a young man. It’s clear from this recording…
“I went to 4 meetings every Sunday” (10 min)
Alec Dryburgh (1936-2022) relates how he was converted to Christ in 1949. Raised in a Christian family in Scotland and taken to meetings 4 times every Sunday, not to mention mid-week meetings, Alec was a spiritually privileged, but spiritually dead in sins – something he had to learn before being saved. Awakened in gospel meetings in his local Gospel Hall, Alec was saved through Isaiah 53:5. Mr Dryburgh has served the Lord as an evangelist and Bible teacher in Canada…
Beaten, bitter and bruised…then Jesus came” (19 min)
Norman Mellish grew up in the slums of Moss Side, in Manchester, England, during the 1930’s and 40’s. His description of those nightmarish childhood days is heart-breaking; but, by the grace of God, Norman was sent to Sunday School at the local Gospel Hall, where he heard the way of salvation. The bitterness of life turned him towards atheism as he grew into adulthood and moved into employment, but a Christian gentleman at his place of work was used by…
Fleeing to Toronto – Finding Christ (45 min)
Born in Germany, Fred Krauss attending a Protestant Sunday School and learned the 10 commandments, but not the way of salvation. As a young boy he witnessed the horrors of World War 2 under the Nazis, only to find himself under Communist rule in “East Germany” once the war ended. He fled to West Germany in 1948 and then emigrated to Canada at the age of 19. He tried philosophy, culture, religion and pleasure, but found nothing to answer the…
Robert Craig – “I fought at the Battle of the Somme” (36 min)
Robert Craig’s (1898-1987) life story is hard to take in. Running away from home in 1914, he “signed up” and joined the British Army. Sent off to France at the beginning of World War 1, he saw action at the battles of the Somme, Ypres and Saint Quentin, and survived 4 full years of conflict. He relates how, time after time, he was the only one who survived an attack, or a shell or some other mortal danger. Returning to…
Drink and drugs and rock ‘n’ roll (49 min)
Paul Thomas grew up in a traditional Christian family with wholesome old-fashioned values. He went to church meetings every week. But Paul wasn’t the type to just blindly follow his parents. You know how it goes. First cigarettes, then drink, then drugs…eventually the whole lifestyle associated with the rave scene and events like the Glastonbury Festival. But God intervened to stop Paul in his tracks. First a near heroin overdose, and then the death of his grandfather in 1999, whose…
What Has God Ever Done For Me? (54 min)
Robert Surgenor (1928-2024) (photos below) tells the amazing story of God’s grace and mercy to him during the first 24 years of his life when, first as a mischievous child and then as a reckless youth, he had repeated brushes with death but was spared every time. He was later saved through the witness of his wife and the preaching of the gospel, all in answer to his mother’s heartfelt prayer when Robert had pneumonia as a child. Robert’s wife…
An Answer to My Mother’s Prayers (40 min)
Bill Black grew up in a religious home in Northern Ireland but knew nothing about God’s way of salvation. Moving to Perth, Scotland (photo above), to work in the Health Service, he met a young lady called Anna who was later to become his wife (whose godly mother was praying daily for the salvation of both of them). The Lord answered those prayers when Bill met a young man called Jim Legge who preached the gospel to him (Jim would…
What my Presbyterian Catechism Taught Me (9 min)
At the annual conference meetings in the Gospel Hall in Manchester, Iowa, USA, in 1957, evangelist William Warke (1898-1974) stood to announce a hymn. Before it was sung he took nine minutes to relate his testimony of conversion. Raised as a Presbyterian in Ireland, he learned he was a sinner through his church’s catechism. However, not until 1916 did he hear and understand the way of salvation, being saved during a series of Tent meetings taken by evangelist Tom Campbell…
Sydney Maxwell – My Salvation and Call (27 min)
[Photos below] One memorable day in September 1983, Mr Sydney Maxwell (1919-1993) stood to his feet in the Larne Conference and related the thrilling story of his salvation and how he saw the truth of baptism and gathering to the Lord’s name. Sydney was willing to go where the Word of God led him, no matter the cost, so when he learnt the truth of the local assembly (under the wing of a “Sunderland” in the Shorts aircraft factory in…
Harold Paisley’s Testimony and Call to the Work (83 min)
In Toronto, Canada, in 1956, on the final night of 5 weeks of gospel meetings, Harold Paisley (1924-2015) related how, when and where he was saved by the grace of God. At the outbreak of World War 2, at age 15, running from his godly upbringing, he joined the RAF, afterwards joining the Mercantile Navy. Then, coming home, he joined the Police in Enniskillen, Northern Ireland, but was dismissed due to a lifestyle of drunk and disorderly behaviour. About to…
Frank Knox’s Testimony – H.A.T.H. spells “Hath”! (70 min)
The evangelist Frank Knox (1884-1975) preached annually for many years in a large Tent in Belfast to thousands of people. His labours were blessed with many souls being awakened and delivered, even when World War 2 raged on. His own story of conversion, recounted by Mr Knox in this old recording in the 18th year of the Tent, is full of interest and power. Awakened to see he was “condemned already” – under the preaching of David Rea and Alex…
I Was Only a Worthless Pebble (46 min)
In 1985 Mr Albert Ramsay (1913-1993) came from Canada to preach in various parts of the UK. While there he recounted the unforgettable story of his conversion to Christ back in June 1934 at “Gambles Corner” in Prince Edward Island under the preaching of Albert Joyce and the Harris brothers (Herb and Russell). Around 30 souls were saved during that series of Tent meetings and a New Testament assembly was formed on the island. From the start Albert became a…
Eddie Fairfield’s Testimony and Call to the Work (81 min)
Mr Eddie Fairfield (1902-1994) tells the remarkable story of his conversion to Christ and his subsequent call to the Lord’s work in Venezuela (back in the 1930’s). It is an unforgettable message, full of interest and power. Listen as Mr Fairfield giving eloquent testimony to the reality of the work of God in a life surrendered to Him (Recorded in 1983). In the photograph below, taken in Venezuela in 1957, Mr Fairfield is 4th from the left on the row…
God Moves In Mysterious Ways (30 min)
John Fleck relates his story of conversion as a boy growing up in County Antrim, Northern Ireland. In addition to hearing the gospel regularly preached, John was spoken to by a number of events, including the funeral of a neighbour, and a dream about the Lord’s coming. He sought salvation and found rest and peace in Christ one cold February night alone in his room pondering the work of the Saviour on the cross for him (Testimony given 5th Jul…
I Discovered I Was the Chiefest of Sinners (43 min)
Raised culturally Hindu, but also occasionally attending church services, Mr Baiju Balan did not hear the gospel until he was 20 years old. Pressured to pray a “prayer for salvation” before he even understood he was lost, Baiju carried on unchanged in his sins. However, a brush with death intervened and, while convalescing, he read the Sermon on the Mount and discovered he was the “chiefest of sinners”. Another person tried to get Baiju to put his name in this…
“I hadn’t a clue how I could be saved” (24 min)
Aaron Callaghan tells his story of conversion to Christ while at University in 2013. Growing up in a Christian family and taken to gospel meetings from childhood, Aaron’s story demonstrates conclusively that “knowing the facts” of the gospel is not enough. Aaron wanted to go to University far from home in order to get away from the influence of the gospel – but God overruled his circumstances and Aaron was graciously brought to salvation (Testimony given in Bicester 22nd July…
Escape from a Cult – Clive Barber’s testimony (62 min)
Clive Barber’s testimony Born in the UK, baptised as an 8 day old baby and given communion from 6 months old, Clive Barber spent the first 17 years of his life in a legalistic religious cult known as “the Exclusive Brethren”*, However, during that whole time, Clive never learned he was a lost sinner in need of God’s salvation. Excommunicated and told to leave his home at age 17 (for infringing the Exclusive Brethren’s rules), Clive turned against Christ, the…
I wished I was as Godly as Pope John Paul II (7 min)
Raised a Roman Catholic in Poland, Kamil Golebiewski grew up wishing he was as godly as Pope John Paul II. However, after coming to the UK at the age of 20, Kamil stopped going to church. He later took up attending another church and was even baptised, but had still never been born again. After attending a series of gospel meetings in a Gospel Tent in 2017 Kamil finally understood he was a lost and helpless sinner – but that…
The Story of the Two Crosses (36 min)
Tim Coltman tells the amazing life story of his great grand-father William Coltman (VC, DCM & Bar, MM & Bar), the most highly decorated non-commissioned officer of World War 1 (British Army). Coltman, a believer in Christ, would not take up arms, but served as a stretcher bearer on the battle fields in France and Belgium. He was awarded the Victoria Cross for valour in the saving of lives; but his greater interest lay in “the cross of Christ” through…
“I was the son of a Pastor but I didn’t know I needed to be saved” (6 min)
Though raised in a Christian family, the son of a Pastor, and a faithful tithe-paying member of a Presbyterian Church, Mr Seongmin Jeon did not know he needed to be saved if he was ever going to be in heaven. He learned his need, as a lost sinner, through the witness of his wife, and found salvation in Christ and assurance of salvation through Hebrews 9:12, a verse which speaks of eternal redemption obtained once for all by the Lord…
I Just Knew I Hadn’t Got What Others Had (13 min)
At one point, as a young child, Thomas Proctor thought he had been saved, after he knelt and “asked God to save him”. However, he remained without real peace and there was no change in his life, a common experience for children brought up in Christian families. But Thomas continued to listen to regular gospel preaching and some years later discovered what was missing. Are you missing the same thing? (Recorded 18th Sept 2016) (Photo: Ballymoney Gospel Hall)
Is it “Him” or “Me”? (15 min)
Once an atheistic scientist, but now a scientist who believes in Christ, Geoffrey Guile has a story to tell of the providence of God in his conversion. Raised as a Roman Catholic and expected to regularly go to confession and the Mass, Geoffrey’s belief in God crumbled at Secondary School and University as he learnt about and imbibed Darwin’s theory of evolution. By the time he left University with a science degree he was a thorough-going atheist. However, God worked…
