Our Stories...

Julian Clarke

Place of Salvation: Near Filey, Yorkshire
Date of Salvation: 12/09/1966

My Story

Depressed and totally without hope for the future, I just about survived from one day to the next. I was working in my father's business and helping nurse my mother, who was almost totally paralysed. I hated working for my father and also felt trapped by the demands of my mother's situation.

It happened that my father, because of his uncertain health, decided to take a week's holiday and go to a Christian holiday conference near Filey. My brother and I went with him and professional nurses were brought in for my mother.

There were a lot of meetings at the Conference and I avoided as many as I could. Being a Butlins Camp there were plenty of other things to do, although they had closed things which were not Christian-friendly. However, on the Wednesday I came across my brother with a group of people, and it seemed to me that he was chatting up some of the girls, one in particular. So I forced myself on the group, determined that my brother wouldn't have the best piece of the cake - her name was Susan.

In the afternoon there was a 'sports day' in which everyone possible took part, and I saw that Susan was involved - therefore, so would I. I chatted with her and after the sports suggested we took a walk together...

That evening there was a meeting, and in order to keep contact with Susan, I suggested we sat together with my father and brother. So that was one meeting I wasn't going to miss. At the meeting there were missionaries talking about their work - I was bored, but Susan was next to me. Then someone stood up at the end to summarise what it meant for Christians to give themselves to full-time service for God. I couldn't wait to get out of the meeting thinking I would then persuade Susan to go for a a nighttime walk.

They started singing a hymn: 'O Jesus I have promised to serve thee to the end, be thou forever near me my master and my friend...'In the second verse I was out of there - but not the meeting. I looked up and saw a very bright light and to me it was as if I was looking at God's throne. Knowing what my life was like, I was cut to the heart and did not know what to do with myself in the face of His holiness. 'You're right, you're right, I'm a sinner,' I kept saying. 'Yes, yes, I will serve you the rest of my days.'

As I was bent before Him, I saw, as it were, a river of blood flow from that throne and come sweeping down and all over me - I was immersed in it ... and I felt wonderfully clean on the inside of me. Then, almost immediately after that, I was baptised in the Spirit. And, to cut a long story short, a year later Susan, a fine Christian, and I were married - and how that happened was a miracle, too.

And so here we are, many years,four grown up children and two granchildren later. Since our marriage, Susan and I have worked closely together with leadership in a number of church situations and para-church organisations.

Today we have the glorious privilege of being partners in Carmel Church at Carmel Christian Centre. Susan is the senior pastor's personal assistant and I work at the Centre on a full-time voluntary basis. I am responsible for the Men's Ministry, sub-edit the church's magazine called twenty-four-seven, account for the photography and video department,lead a mentor group, and, overarching all this, I pastor, with Susan, an outreach centre in Stroud, Gloucestershire, called 'Carmel: Stroud'.

To be part of a large body of people who are significantly influencing this world with the principles of the Kingdom of God as found in the Bible is a great joy to both of us.

I often joke, that about a month and a half after I was born the news got through to Hitler and as a result he shot himself - he knew it was all over. Joking apart though, I truly believe that such is the Kingdom of God and His power expressed in the lives of those who truly serve Him through His church, that radical change for good can be brought about in the lives of individuals and nations such that the world is left in no doubt that Jesus Christ is Lord of all.

Do you believe that Jesus is alive from the dead? Are you willing to bow your knee to Him and become His disciple? If so, please let us make contact, or contact Carmel Centre. Julian.