I grew up in Detroit, Mi and attended various churches and even spent my last three High School years in a Catholic school. I was not following the Lord. I joined the Army and wandered from the Lord. I even teased a young Christian man for trying to live a righteous life and not going to clubs to pick up women. About a year later after a sergeant from my unit asked me to attend church with him. I was still going to the enlisted clubs. I went to church a few times with him. One day I went before the altar and asked Christ to me my Lord.
The church I went to was charismatic and I was both curious and skeptical about all of the gifts of the Spirit. I spoke with other Christians in my army unit and began to find out who the Christians were. I found out who the Baptists were and who the charismatic believers were. I went to the Christian bookstores, picked up Moody’s Book of Theology and studied the scriptures and denominations to determine that I’m an evangelical Christian. I began to follow Christ in this way since 1987 and had some opportunities to lead bible studies and even occasionally preach. I got married and later joined the Coast Guard. The Coast Guard doesn’t have chaplains at sea so I filled in as the unit’s Protestant Lay Reader. I put together the weekly programs at sea and had a message for the crew. I am due to retire this year and I would like to go full time into the ministry.
Name: James
Association: Other
City: Lynn
State: Massachusetts
Country: United States
