A New Home and a New Church

Bedford Bible Church
  • Disclaimer – Why am I writing this? Because people across the world have invested in us for so many years I feel it is right and fair to summarize the rollercoaster that has been our life, a life that many of you have shared with us. A new chapter has begun for us and I wanted to briefly review our story so far.

Our Ministry in the United Kingdom

On October 11, 2017, we announced to Brimpton Baptist Church that we believed God had led us to resign from that ministry and move from England to the USA. It was a big step and we had more questions than answers.

When Carrie and I began to serve the Lord together in 2004 we never anticipated living in the USA. Through many local churches and individuals throughout the USA, UK, and Ireland, God always met out our needs. We have been blessed by all those who enabled us by prayer and financial giving to serve as we have.

We were privileged to serve first of all with Brimpton Baptist Church, then with a small group of believers near Bournemouth, England, we then moved to Faith Baptist Church in Northern Ireland, next we went to work with Bethesda Free Church in Sunderland, and then coming full circle we returned to Brimpton Baptist Church.

During that time God blessed us with four amazing children and we had met and served the Lord with many great friends and co-workers. We saw the Lord save souls and transform lives.

A Change on the Horizon

fter working in Northern Ireland and England for 14 years God made it clear that He had a major move in-store for us.

I believe God began to show us His will, in small ways, throughout 2016. During that year we knew God was preparing us for something, and we explored a variety of options. But all of them were based upon using Brimpton Baptist Church as a base and remaining under the umbrella of that church family. But then by 2017 we knew something else awaited us, and over the summer of 2017 we repeatedly prayed for the Lord to confirm what we suspected – God wanted us to move to the USA.

So, in the Autumn/Fall of 2017 we began telling our family of our plans, and then we announced the plan to Brimpton Baptist Church and our supporting churches.

A Big Move Begins

Once the news was out a wild adventure began! In January of 2018, I began my Green Card application to live and work in the USA. In March Carrie and the children said their goodbyes and departed for the USA. I completed shutting down our life in the UK and finalized my visa application and followed them over in June. Since Carrie arrived in the US she had arranged a home for us to live in and purchased a vehicle. Within a month of my arrival in the USA, God had enabled me to pass my driver’s license, cleared my paperwork to become employed, and I had been offered a job that was ideal for me. One month to the day I arrived I started working for a US company.

Carrie’s family and our home church here in the US for the last 14 years, Faith Baptist in Simpsonville, gave us a wonderful welcome to the country and have shown us more love and generosity than I can describe.

But we always knew God wanted us serving Him in a ministry somewhere, and so we waited and we prayed. A few opportunities presented themselves and we pursued them until the Lord made it clear that we should stand still.

The Next Chapter – Bedford Bible Church

Then, in October/November of 2018 Carrie decided to look on Google for any churches in Pennsylvania looking for a pastor. It was something she did half-jokingly, not expecting to find anything. She laughed to herself and sent me a message at work about a church in her mom’s hometown that were looking for a pastor.

Having looked into it further I contacted the church and was excited about everything I read and saw. As time has gone on, I have increasingly been blessed to see the heart of people at Bedford Bible Church.

We never anticipated living in Pennsylvania, but we have always enjoyed the area, and we have a wonderful family here. When I first visited here with Carrie in 2003 I could never have guessed that one day it would be home.

We went through the candidating process, and then in January of 2019 Bedford Bible Church voted to extend to me the invitation to serve as their pastor. I gladly accepted.

The job the Lord had provided back in July came to a natural conclusion the day after Bedford Bible Church voted me in as their pastor. God had provided a job right up until the very day it was no longer needed!

We began looking for housing in the area and struggled at first. We managed to find three potential options, but then the Lord reduced it to one. But the home we are now in is perfect for us! In big ways and in small, this home is exactly what we need!

Many from Faith Baptist in Simpsonville gave and worked to help us move. They worked hard to help us load the moving truck! Several from Carrie’s family drove up with us and we arrived safely this week. On arriving here the blessings continued as Bedford Bible Church provided us with meals, filled our kitchen with food and supplies, and helped us unload the truck.

Today I will preach at Bedford Bible Church for a third time, but for the first time as pastor. I pray I will honor God and be a help to each and everyone in the church and community.

We are excited to be here and look forward to our future with Bedford Bible Church!

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