Staff Testimonies

Having grown up in a Christian home I always loved Jesus and never had a rebellious phase, but studying theology as an undergrad was a huge turning point for me. I suddenly had so many questions about faith, but God in his grace brought me through those to a deeper and stronger relationship with Him, as well as to a love for theology which has shaped the whole direction of my life.

Jesus is the horizon of my life: he is the one who I endeavour daily to set sail towards, although I’m certainly more successful some days than others. But that Jesus is the risen and ascended Lord of this world means I know that “all shall be well, and all manner of thing shall be well.” And because of this, I try not to take myself too seriously (although, again, some days I’m more successful at this than others!) and I know that any competence I have as a priest-theologian comes to me as God’s gracious gift.

I grew up attending church, but like many others in this country, didn’t realise how much of a privilege that was. At one point, I realised that there was a difference between ‘attending’ church, and actually worshipping God. After a while, God showed me what the ‘good news’ was, why my sins needed forgiving and I committed my life to Jesus. I recognised that I was living in a way that separated me from God, and that through Jesus I was able to call God my Heavenly Father. Since then, I have been given so many opportunities to share this good news and God’s word with others, in the UK and overseas, and each time I am amazed again at what Jesus’s sacrifice means for us. Each time, God gives me a different or fresher insight into His Word and this enables me to keep persevering, although as you know, this isn’t always easy. Meeting other believers, reading God’s word together, and praying with each other are some of the ways that I try to keep my eyes fixed on the author and perfector of our faith.

When I first went to Boarding School at the age of 5, it was a lifeline for me that Jesus could come with me, even if my parents couldn’t. That sense of being held in the love of God, through everything, is so precious. Nothing can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus.

My parents are Catholic and they passed their faith down to me, so I have always known Christ. When I was five years old, my parents felt the calling from God to leave everything and support the church wherever God should choose to send us, so they offered themselves as a family in mission. We were sent to a church in Brixton, here in London, by Pope John Paul II and we have been here ever since supporting our local church and spreading the Word of God.

I have not always been a faithful follower of Christ, though. I was quite disobedient as a child and I put affection, appearances and gratification over Christ. But the more I listened to the Word of God the more it began to change me. I began to open up to my parents and show them my sufferings and the sins that I had hidden from them.

Having grown up in a Christian family, I have called myself a Christian for as long as I can remember, knowing Jesus as my friend and a constant in my life. My parents have been great examples of faith to me, and going to Spring Harvest each year definitely strengthened my faith.

Jesus makes a difference in my life because of the freedom He brings, allowing me to be who God made me to be and know that He has a plan and a purpose for me.