I was very fortunate to be brought up in a Christian home and the whole
family attended Sunday worship and all other activities at Redcliffe Bay
Methodist Church with my parents being involved in every area of church
life. I became a Sunday School teacher at age 12 and was involved in
setting up a Circuit Youth group which led on to my becoming a Local Preacher in
1986, I still remember my Recognition Service which was a wonderful
occasion.
I often felt that God was calling me into full-time
ministry but with well paid jobs in British Rail and then the Electricity
Industry it was fairly easy to ignore the call. I became quite good at
ignoring it in fact, but God does have a way of getting us to listen to
Him. In March 1999 I was involved in a very serious car accident while on
holiday in India and it was during the 18 month recovery time, during which I
was given time to reflect on my life and what I should be doing with it, that
with God's prompting and the encouragement of ministers and others that I
offered to test my call for the Methodist Ministry. I now listened
attentively to God and was finally sure, during a Retreat in Warminster in
January 2001 that this was indeed God's will and so completed my training at
Wesley College, Bristol.
My first appointment was to the Bude
Circuit which covers North Devon and North Cornwall, I lived in Hartland (the
little bulgy-bit on the North Devon coast - a beautiful place with good people)
and had charge of initially three, rising to five, churches during my six years
there. My Ordination in Leicester in June 2004 was another highlight in my
walk with God and I was supported by family, friends and folk from the Bude
Circuit, Redcliffe Bay and elsewhere.
My motto in
ministry has been to 'Show and Share Jesus' through my life, and to encourage
others to do the same. May God continue to call each one of us - and may
we all be willing to listen and obey.
Every blessing to you.
Love Christine.