Walking With Jesus

This morning an old friend from my days in Zimbabwe was brought to the forefront of my mind, and along with him came so many memories from those now distant days. Distant, yes, but not forgotten by any means. The faces of friends from those days are in my head now as I write my blog this morning, and along with the faces come a multitude of memories, fresh from their wrappers, so to speak. This particular friend is a guy named (Rev) Chris Goppert, and Chris works through TEAM Ministries in Zimbabwe. It was always good to be around him and to share in his walk with the Lord, for it was always a faith-improving experience. The years have sped by since I left in 1984, and in fact I guess that it was about 1980 that I last saw Chris, and so much has happened since then. We are both Grandfathers for a start! Anyway, I have emailed him this morning and hope to enjoy fresh contact with him and have the opportunity for us to each update the other.


Thinking about Chris reminds me of so many friends from my days in Rhodesia/Zimbabwe between arriving in August 1972 and leaving in March 1984. Although my Christian walk began in the UK in 1969 when I handed my life over to the Lord, it was in Rhodesia that it developed in a real and meaningful way, for it was there that, in 1972, I enrolled in the membership of my first church since becoming a Christian. I belonged to the Fife Avenue Baptist Church, a church which had a congregation of all age groups, and which was a lively experience. The folk there were a really friendly bunch and very committed Christians. The Youth Pastor was a young guy by the name of Kevin McGuiness, and he was a good friend to me in those days. One morning Kevin and I met in my office, each eager to share a vision that we had been given during the night, yet the contents of which were unknown to each other. I remember that the air was electric! Who should speak first?


In the end Kevin insisted that, as I had called him before he'd had a chance to call me, I should go first. I shared the vision that I'd been given with him, explaining that I felt that the Lord was calling for a new church to be planted, a daughter to the one that we belonged to, and that He was calling me to be involved in the planting of that church. WOW! If the air was electric before I spoke it was explosive afterwards! Kevin then shared with me that the Lord had shown him in a vision that a daughter church should be planted in the Hillside area of the city and my name was one of the names that Kevin had been given to be actively involved in the planting. Isn't it wonderful the way that God works! here for both of us was not only a call to do something specific, but also the confirmation that the call was from God.


Soon afterwards, the main church having commissioned us, we went out with a couple of other young people and knocked on the doors of the neighbourhood. The whole thing was strongly underpinned with prayer, not only our own prayer but those of the church as a whole. I remember the trepidation with which I knocked on my first door, wondering what sort of reception I would be given, and the joy with which I left that house after being welcomed so warmly, and such interest being shown in what we were doing. It was the same for all of us, and it was not too long before Hillside Baptist Church was formed, and our meetings begun on a Sunday morning in the local school. The church grew from strength to strength, mostly with young people attending. I was one of the older members, being about 34 at the time! I don't now whether it's still going strong, but I hope that it is.


It was in 1975 when I first felt that I was being called to serve in full-time Ministry, although it was not until 1998 that the call was finally fulfilled. Not that I was idle along the way! Prior to entering Theological College in Aberystwyth, West Wales, I had spent about ten years with a very full diary ministering to churches in Mid-Wales and on the Welsh/English border, preaching at a total of 31 different churches through the course of each year, and leading the worship at least twice on a Sunday and often three times, even occasionally four times, although the latter was to help cover for my own Pastor who was unwell for a period. Yes, it was often tiring, but always the Lord sustained me to proceed with His work. Looking back, the only regrets that I might have would be that I couldn't do more, yet as I placed myself firmly in God's hands each day I could always accept that I did as He wanted me to. That didn't always stop me being impatient though!