What this research is about

This research is about people who arrived at adulthood without a relationship with Christ - but against all odds, found that relationship.

Jack from Carrabelle

Jack grew up in West Virginia. His dad was a coal miner so he grew up in a coal mining camp. Although he went to church some as a boy, as soon as he was 16, he left home and church became of no importance to him.

Then Jack joined the military. Before the military, he smoked some, but after joining, he began to drink too and "carousing with women." During some of his bad times of drunkenness he remembers praying that God wouldn't let him die in his current state. He even remembers going to a church with some other guys when he was 22. The reason: the girls were there. But the message from the preacher was convicting to him - but not enough to change his ways.

Jack spent 20 years in the military. During that time, his older brother came to know Christ. So when he would go to visit him, his brother wanted him to accept Christ. According to Jack, his brother wasn't any fun to be with anymore. They used to go out to party and drink together.

Jack wasn't married. He decided not to get married because he knew that if he did, he wouldn't be faithful to his wife.

He left the military at age 40.

Jack's brother prayed for him as well as others in the family who had also become Believers. Then, one Sunday afternoon while he was watching football, Jack said the Holy Spirit "dropped on me" and he fell on his knees and ask Christ to come into his life. Just like that. His life was changed. He credits his turnaround to people praying for him.

Once saved at the age of 41, Jack felt he needed someone to spend his life with, a mate he could love and be faithful to and share life with. So circumstances happened to bring his now current wife into his life. That was 28 years ago. Jack is now 73 and is a faithful member of Carrabelle First Baptist, doing ministry wherever he can, particularly to the elderly.

Learnings: This was a matter of Jack coming to Christ through the loving and persistent ways of his brother, and other family members. There was no crisis, he just felt it was time.

The Other Side of the Coin

Just because someone may be first in their generation to come to a saving knowledge of Christ doesn't necessarily mean their children will do so. But it does provide an environment for children that is compelling. The nurturing and guidance that comes from a home environment where both mom and dad are serving the Lord is a powerful influence. Most children, and sometimes brothers and sisters and parents are influenced through the life of one person.

But the other side of the coin is that second and following generations can fall away. We are provided and example of this in the Old Testament. David had a true heart for God. Solomon, his son, prayed too, but not as passionately. He was into building stuff and furnishing it. Then, Rehoboam, Solomon's son, had only a distant reverence for God. And God let his enemies plunder the empire. So even being brought up in a Christian home, it is important for children to make knowing and loving God their own experience.

Ted from Port St. Joseph

Ted runs a local Radio Shack store. As I was browsing the store, I heard music in the background that sounded like Third Day. It was.

That, plus the Praise God plaque that appeared on the outside of the brick building led me to think this may be my next interiew. It didn't take long.

As we talked about the declining economy for a few minutes, Ted said his primary interest was as pastor of a local Methodist church where he has been for over 10 years. I soon learned that he was a true believer. Coincidentally he knows the seniors pastor at Brownsville who was also a Methodist minister.

Ted's story of conversion began simply by reading Hal Lindsey's book The Late Great Planet Earth. It was given to him by a Jehovah's Witness person who didn't agree with what it said. Reading this book gave him a thirst for more about God.

I was not able to get a lot of the details but suffice it to say, Ted is a strong force for God in this community.

Buddy Kelley from Panama City

Buddy made a decision for Christ at the age of 68, five years ago. His wife had been praying for him for 46 years. Even his parents and children were saved but he never had made a commitment. Then he was given the news of his prostate cancer. With this crisis in his life and with full knowledge of what it means to become a Christian, he felt the time had come.

Learnings.

It's never too late to make a decision for Christ, although some will not take that step even with full knowledge of the need and what is required. But through the persistence of a faithful wife and family, Buddy did take that step.

Terry From Pensacola

Perhaps the most unlikely people to come to a saving knowledge of Christ as adults are those who are genuinely good people yet not saved. Terry was one of those.

Terry was 39 years old. He was a banker with over 20 years in the business. He and his family were prominent and faithful churchgoers in the Methodist church. By all accounts, they were a family who had it all together, including their religion. Whenever the pastor needed something done, he knew he could depend on Terry to get it done. He was the church treasurer, consistent with his role in the banking business. And he also voluteered to become the leader of evangelism for the church.

Occasionally, the regional Methodist leadership would have crusades involving many churches. So when one was beginning to organize in the greater Mobile area, Terry's pastor volunteered him to be the representative for their church to counsel people at the crusade. Terry agreed. As it turned out, the person responsible to work with counselors was a true born again spirit filled Christian. His name was John

Preparing for the crusade involved working with the leadership to go over counseling techniques, including a book on how to lead someone to Jesus. Terry read the book from cover to cover and was intrigued by what he read, most of what he had not heard before in his church. Then, John, the crusade director called a meeting of all counselors for training. In the meeting, he asked Terry to play the part of the sinner for the group to see how to counsel people. Later, John complimented him on how he did and asked him to do it again for another group to witness.

By this time, Terry was realizing it was he who needed to make a decision for Christ in earnest. So he called John for coffee and made him aware that he really was the sinner - not just playing a role. At that moment, John prayed with him and he accepted Christ. At our interview, he still recalled how Romans 10:9 became so real to him.

So at the age of 39, Terry turned his life over to Christ. His entire family followed, which is unusual when the children are already in their teens. They are still serving the Lord today.

Terry also felt the call of ministry on his heart. So he left the banking business and enrolled in Asbury Theological Seminary. Following seminary, he was placed in various churches as pastor in the Methodist church. He had a ministry that lasted 20 years until he was finally asked to leave because of his ministry that was contrary to the teachings of the Methodist church. This was in 1995, about the time the Brownsville Revival in Pensacola, Florida was at the beginning of its five year run. So Terry and his wife decided they would start attending Brownsville to be used in any way God would have them minister. They had a thirst for more of God and His leading in the church today.

Initially, Terry became one of the helpers for the hundreds who were being baptised as they came to know Christ.

Today, Terry is full time on staff at Brownsville Assembly of God, doing evangelism and visitation. His wife is one of the greeters whom we met as we entered the church last Sunday.

Learnings

This was one of the more unconventional conversions in that there was not crisis in Terry's life. In fact, things were going fine. I'm pretty sure that crusade director knew Terry needed to know Christ early on and skillfully brought him to a saving knowledge of Christ. This kind of sensitivity is so important in evangelism work.

Norman from South Haven

When Norman Forrest asked God for a girl, even when his wife was supposedly pregnant with twin boys, his prayer was answered. They got a girl as one of the twins. This was a type of fleece that he put before the Lord as a condition. But even when that prayer was answered, he did not stay committed for another 18 years.

Then, 18 years later, he became convicted of his ways. On 10/1/99 he decided to go to church and heard a sermon from a Rev. McLain. The message to him was powerful. After hearing it, he cried for two days. The sermon and his action took permanently. Now he is an active part of his church in South Haven.