I came to a knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ as my Saviour when I was about 12 years of age in August 1971. I had been brought up in a Methodist family in Enniskillen Co. Fermanagh Northern Ireland. My family, particularly my father were church goers and I was brought up in a very happy home. My father smoked but I do not ever remember him taking a drink. It was a very upright family but it was not a Christian home as I now understand it from Scipture. I, and my brother John were sent to the Methodist Sunday School in Enniskillen Methodist church. There I remember one Sunday School teacher in particular who told me that I needed to be saved but at that time the Minister in the Methodist Church in Enniskillen was very ecumenical and modernistic in his preaching and though there were born again Christians in that church their influence was beginning to wane.
Although my father was not a Christian at this time he did attend Church every Sunday morning and he knew enough about the gospel to be disatisfied with the way things were going in the Methodist Church. He started going along to Free Presbyterian meetings particularly those in what was then Lisbellaw Free Presbyterian Church. There in a mission conducted by Rev. John Douglas my father realised that he was a sinner and accepted the Lord Jesus Christ as his Saviour. From that he started attending the Free Presbyterian Church. We were brought to the Sunday School in that church a few times and then it came to be that we were going to the Methodist Sunday School and then we were being brought to the Free Presbyterian Sunday School. So we were going to two Sunday Schools on a Sunday morning. My mother, at this time was deeply opposed to the fact that my father had left the Methodist Church. But my father eventually came to the point where he gave us the choice as to whether we would go to the Methodist or the Free Presbyterian Sunday School. My brother and I were not saved but we recognised that there was a spirit of life and vitality about the Free Presbyterian Church, which I now recognise was the Spirit of God, and so we chose to go there. At that time there was a real move of the Spirit of God and souls were being saved regularly.
Time went on and my brother and I continued in the Sunday School but in 1971 I had a Sunday School teacher by the name of Eric Lucy who had a particular burden for me. He used to talk to me personally after the class and give me gospel leaflets to read. I began to realise that I was a sinner and needed to be saved. I was only young and many would say I had not done too much wrong but when the Holy Spirit of God begins to speak those who in the world's eyes may seem to be upright know themselves to be guilty, vile sinners. The Bible says that, "all have sinned and come short of the glory of God." (Romans 3:23) I also came under conviction of sin in the services. As a result I completely rebelled. I didn't want to hear the gospel and so became disruptive in the Sunday School class and tried to make a noise and stand on the seat and do all I could to stop hearing the word of God. I also would not read any gospel literature I was given. But the Spirit of God strove on with me and one night in my own bedroom I could resist no longer and asked the Lord to take away my sin and be my Saviour.
I was too shy to say that I had done anything but it was not long before my Sunday school teacher recognised a change in me. It only took a week or so before he asked "Gordon have you asked the Lord to save you?" I said that I had. The Bible says that "if any man be in Christ he is a new creature, old things are passed away behold all things are become new."(2 Corinthians 5:17). A person who is truly saved is "Born Again" He leaves the old way of sin and seeks to live as a Christian should. There is a difference in the life. True salvation changes you!
I went through School where I was blessed with good Christian friends and went to University in Birmingham and when I had got my degree I got a job as a trainee Housing manager with the Northern Ireland Housing Executive. When I was at university I felt the promptings to go into the ministry but dismissed it as home sickness. But when I got a job it was not long before the Spirit of God began to deal with me again. As I read the Bible, many verses bagan to speak to me about the need for me to go into the Lord's work. So I applied to the Presbytery of our church and was accepted for training. I was placed by Presbytery in 1984 in the new Aughnacloy Free Presbyterian church and after finishing College I was ordained as the first ordained minister there. In 1991 I received the call to Coragarry church and have been here since.
The Lord has blessed me with a wonderful wife, Florence and three children, Faith, James and Ruth all of whom know Christ as their Saviour.
I would recommend my Saviour to you if you do not know Him. Only Christ can give you real joy and peace of conscience.