A change of church

As a child and a teenager, you have a way of life that is predictable.  You have friends, you go to school, you listen to popular music and life is ordered.  One day something happened that changed my life.  The church where I went to Sunday School closed and I decided not to go to the church they were joining, in fact I wanted to have nothing to do with church at all. 

However, I thought there were be a row if I said that to my parents.  My mother said she wanted me to go to a church even if I did not go to their church.  I decided to go round all the churches in the town over a period of time and wear my parents down and then I would drop out of church.  At least that was my plan.  God however had another plan.

On the Sunday when I put my plan into action, I decided to go to the North Parish.  I knew a couple of boys there from school so I thought that the worst thing that could happen is that I could have a good chat with them.  I said in my heart, "God, if I am ever going to go to this church a second time, I am going to have to be very impressed with the preaching, and as I have never heard impressive preaching, that is not likely to happen, is it?"

I went to the church and there were no hymn books left.  I went up on the balcony and a lady was there with her daughter.  The lady could see I had no hymn book, so she gave me hers.  That made me feel good.  What shocked me more was the preaching. It was very personal and I had never heard anything like it.  As I came down the stairs from the balcony, I said in my heart, "God, I must admit that was impressive preaching".  As I was leaving, the minister stopped me at the door.  This was my introduction to Gordon Jenkins.  I had intended to go to the church just once, and being stopped at the door like that made a difference.  Gordon introduced me on the spot to the tait family and to Kate Foster.  These people would become very dear to me indeed.

Gordon became a major influence on me with his teaching. It was he who led the prayer meeting that Agnes Whiteford invited me to.  He became my mentor and counsellor and I needed a great deal of that.  Much of the man I have become is due to his teaching.  My starting point for life is something I learned from him.  He saw himself as a learner, and he once said to the children that he thought that in heaven we would still all be learners.  I saw in that statement his humility and I sought to emulate that in my own life and I hope that it can be said that I still do.