Bierton Strict and Particular Baptists, 3rd Ed, by David Clarke

176 David an Electronics lecturer at a Polytechnic explained: “ I ‘ve already persuaded some old villainous pals to come along. I want to pack the church with criminals, but it’s going to be a tough job”.

The former thief and drug user left Borstal aged 18 and decided to lead a life of luxury based on crime.

“I was in a car ringing business, thieving vehicles and knocking them out again,” he confessed. “ I’ve broken into an old peoples home to steal a colour telly, taken garage equipment, nicked from tills, walked of with speed boat engines, and taken drugs. I’ve even sold drugs and got involved in permissive sex.

“There were times when I used to keep an axe and a mallet in my car just in case. Now it has all changed.

His life took a drastic change when he “met Jesus Christ” during LSD trip and joined the Baptist Church.

And when detectives questioned him about an offence he did not commit he confessed to 24 he did carry out.

He Added “ I’ve had a clean sheet for 13 years. I’m not going to preach the bible at the bad boys --- Just show them how God helped me and let them make up their minds”.

Ends.

Memo to news desk: Service on June 5th. We believe this man is absolutely genuine in his actions.

Memo End. Out Come Of The Meeting The meeting went ahead as planned but not many people turned up. I heard that some did not come because they did not wish to be associated with each other. Pat Jones and Malcolm Kirkham were now enemies. Pat Jones had not long ago been around Malcolm’s house to blast him with a shotgun. Malcolm had been in evolved in drug pushing and other things.

Mike West said he wasn’t prepared to sit or be associated with drug pushers and criminal’s etc.

I had spoken as faithfully as I could at that meeting of the Lord Jesus Christ and I remember saying from the pulpit how good God had been to me in blessing me with a good Job, a wife, a nice house, children being in church and many friends what more could a natural man want. I had comments made by several people that God had really blessed me providentially and I knew it.

On reflection it seems from this time I was battered from every way. First my church membership was lost, then my health, which affected my call to preach. Then my children were attacked, then my home was lost, and then