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78670 U.S. Hwy 111
PMB 117
La Quinta, CA 92253
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I became a Christian aged 17, after never being in a church, with a dramatic conversion experience. I visited a local church that was helping my mother after my father had walked out, and I had two brothers, one aged 15 the other, 1 year old.
It was my first experience of a place full of worship, life, and talk about relationship with Jesus. Given that the violence and abuse in my home, when the youth pastor told me becoming a Christian might make life more difficult, he gave me a hard sell.

But I was invited into a life meaning, adventure and purpose, with something to live for and something to die for. I gave my life to Jesus on the spot, when I heard that.

Then I knew everything had to change, that my life was His, and my future plans were now His to direct.

I ended up working for a bank, then doing a theology degree, then working as an investment broker in London whilst helping plant churches, and started my family during this time, having met my wife at seminary.

Carl was a huge part of my story. I wouldn't have planted a church if it wasn't for one particular meeting in Brighton, that he was involved in, that allowed me to step out within my denomination.

Then in the midst of planting, I had a full nervous breakdown in 1999, overwork, my drug of choice, instead of my parent and siblings use of alcohol.

Very few people were there during that time outside my church, finding mental health hard to get involved with. But Carl was, I remember his phone call to me, and the relief in knowing someone had been through something similar, and he helped me find hope and connection to Jesus.

So several years later, I'm still in ministry, still trying to keep it real, as I know lecture and teach at seminaries, and have found that Jesus had an academic as well as church planting journey for me.