Wiveliscombe Evangelical Congregational Church

As a result of many years searching for any real meaning to my life I became involved with many aspects of the occult. I knew, somehow, that there was another level or plain of existence and during the "swinging sixties" the drug scene seemed to offer access to a liberating and more fulfilling experience of life. I had been involved in secret societies (one, being the Rosicrucians which advertised in national papers offering spiritual answers to life etc etc). I became disillusioned by what these societies offered. I was drawn to the drug scene which resulted in experiencing a period of great darkness and fear.

I thought there was no way out until I started to turn back to the church which I had left during my teenage years and during this time was  released from the darkness from within by the ministry of deliverance.

This experience led me to know without doubt that Jesus Christ is all He claims He is and that He is the One with ultimate authority and power. To be filled with His Love and Spirit was far greater than anything I had ever experienced before and He still amazes me today many years after meeting Him.

I was brought up in Christian home in Lincolnshire and as a Baptist used to go to chuch 3 times on a Sunday. It was not until I reached the age of 13 did any kind of personal faith in Jesus mean anything to me. Our Pastor at that time was a man from Cheam in Surrey and often had young people come to take a holiday Bible Club outreach. It was one of those times when sitting in church and listening to a girl give her testimony, that  I realised that as she was speaking her faith was real and personal. I wanted that kind of faith. After sharing this with the pastor he led me to pray the prayer of salvation and I asked Jesus into my life, to forgive my sins and make me His child. I was baptized at the age of 16 and was given the verse from Joshua 1 v 5 "I will not fail you nor abandon you."

During my late teenage years I began to drift away from God and although still going to church I found myself not as committed and others things took God's place in my life. However God did not give up on me and during this time of drifting was given the opportunity to join a choir doing a performance of Come Together in Lincoln Cathederal.  it It was at that time when I had an encounter with the Holy Spirit and was filled with a new sense of God's love for me and a new sense of direction for my life.

Since then there have been many challenges along the way but I can truly say that the words of the verse given to me at my Baptism have proved true and I believe will continue to be so throughout my life

 

God, who said, “Let there be light in the darkness,” has made this light shine in our hearts so we could know the glory of God that is seen in the face of Jesus Christ.

2 Corinthians 4:6

Ian and Sue Beckett of

Wiveliscombe