Based in West Sussex.
My name is Graeme Turner and I am 77 years old. When I was born my father was on a training course to become a teacher. He had left the Royal Air Force in 1945 and completed a short-term teacher training course.
I was born in Cardiff in 1949, where my mother and older sister were staying with my grandparents. We lived with them until I was 18 months old.
Then moved to Thatcham in Berkshire. Where my father had obtained a Deputy Headship at the local County Primary School.
About three years later, he became Head Teacher of St Mary’s Church of England Primary School in Thatcham. I began my primary education in the County Primary School with my father as Deputy Head, and continued at St Mary’s with him as Head Teacher.
Struggles at School and Loss of Confidence
Being the son of the Head Master should have been good for me. However, because my father enforced discipline at the school, I was bullied. It didn’t help that I was not strong academically, and when the 11+ examination came along, I failed.
This meant I had to go to a Secondary Modern school where many of the children my father had disciplined were.
The bullying continued, I fell further and further behind. By the age of 16, I left school with no academic qualifications. Not what was expected of the son of a Headmaster.
I worked hard to complete a general engineering course which helped me find work. Then over my working life I had 14 different jobs. I also moved around the country many times due to work.
I was married twice, which sadly resulted in two broken marriages.
My relationship with my father was never very good. Because of this I always felt a failure in his sight. This caused me to lack self-confidence and insecurities. Especially when I was with others who I felt were more knowledgeable than me. I believed my views were unimportant, so I kept silent.
1994 - A Turning Point
Things began to change in 1994. I had been married to my first wife for 19 years and we had two children together. Despite attending church for some time, I became involved in an affair with a married woman.
I knew I had to end the relationship. It wasn’t right. I did not want to lose contact with my children.
However, breaking off the relationship plunged me into deep depression. At that point I turned to a book I had never really read before — the Bible!
Despite being a regular churchgoer, I had never read it properly. I had a Bible that had been sent to me by my sister. Inside the front cover were lists of scriptures for times of need.
I found this passage from 1 Corinthians 10:12–13:
“So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful you do not fall! No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted He will also provide a way out so you can stand up under it.”
The scripture really spoke to me, and where I was in my life. After reading this, I began to devour the Bible.
Discovering Alpha and the Holy Spirit
I moved churches, and on my first visit to Kings Church in Hastings, they announced they were running their first Alpha course. I decided to enrol because I thought I knew all about Christianity, but how wrong I was!
It was a 10-week course, and I learned so much about the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Halfway through, we had the Holy Spirit weekend on Saturday 17th and Sunday 18th June 1995.
On the Saturday we had talks and prayer, but nothing seemed to change for me. However, on Sunday the assistant pastor was preaching on the Cross. I had a vision of flames across the church. When the pastor gave an altar call, I walked forward and it felt like a warm overcoat coming over me. When the pastor came up to me, he simply blew on me and I was slain in the Spirit.
I had a truly born-again experience on Sunday 18th June 1995 at 12:30pm. I know that when I went to church that morning I was not a Christian, but when I went home, I was. At 46 years old, I was changed.
Joining the Fellowship and Mission to Romania
The following year I joined the Full Gospel Businessmen’s Fellowship International, as it was then. I travelled around and visited many different chapters. Then in 2004, I attended a National Convention in Llandudno, North Wales. It was an amazing experience, and we really saw God move.
I met a man involved in humanitarian aid to orphanages in Romania.
After others independently encouraged me to go to Romania, I felt prompted to learn more. Through a friend in FGB, I was introduced to Clive and Ann McIntyre of the Barnabas Outreach Trust. It was a small evangelistic missionary organisation working in Africa and Romania.
In March 2005, I joined my first mission to Romania. With the exception of the COVID years, I have now visited Romania 24 times over 20 years. I intend to return again this June. This has given me opportunities to preach, pray with people and lead others to Christ. As a team we have also presented Alpha courses in Romania, and I am also involved in presenting Alpha in a local church.
Over these 20 years we have seen many miracles, and I am believing for more in June.
Restoration in My Relationship with My Father
Things also changed in my relationship with my father. He was a Freemason, and through FGB I became aware of concerns about that organisation. At the age of 92 he developed dementia, and much of his involvement faded from memory.
He had been a churchgoer all his life, and I believe he turned back to Christ in his final years.
He died in 2016 at the age of 100 years and 7 months.
A Father Who Does Not See Me as a Failure
I can say with certainty that the Father I discovered on the Alpha Course in 1995 is a Father who does not make me feel a failure.
Father God loves me more than any earthly father can.
There is much more I could tell about the 31 years I have known Jesus as my Lord, but I would run out of pages trying.
Blessings,
Graeme Turner
Treasurer — 1066 Hastings Country Chapter ✝️