REV. ED

I attended school in both Sandford and Port Maitland, and was very active with the youth activities of our church. I was baptized at age 12 because someone said it was time for me to be "done".

The World's Smallest Drawbridge - Sandford,NS

When I turned 16, I quit school, because of some trouble I had with a certain principal and moved to Ontario to live with my sister, Karlene. After a year, I returned to Nova Scotia and attended the Yarmouth Vocational where I was able to find something that I enjoyed and was able to complete.

After graduating, I moved to Halifax, partly to look for work but mostly to follow my girlfriend (Elaine). All during that time, God had very little space in my life or even in my mind. I decided to join the Air Force, because it would provide a future for Elaine and I. However the Air Force also provided me with a drinking problem as well. We were living in Calgary, Alberta where my oldest son, Ed was starting school and my second son, Christopher was still a baby. I almost lost it all because of my drinking.

We were posted back east,(Oromocto,NB) after I started to get help with my alcoholism. Elaine started taking the kids to church but I didn't want anything to do with it. I had seen the church of my youth; how people would go to church on Sunday and live like the devil for the rest of the week. I didn't want to do that! It was so much easier to stay at home and point at others.During our time there, I developed some serious medical problems concerning my back and nerves. Much to the delight of my family, I left the Armed Forces and we moved back to Nova Scotia in the summer of 1976.

Under the pressure of my father, who only had my best interests in mind, I took a job long before I was ready. But with no money coming into the household, you do what you have to do. Soon after coming home, the drinking started again, Elaine and I both found good jobs, we built a house, drove a new car and had cash to spend on parties and booze. But life was soon to change.

Elaine began attending church and both boys were involved with the youth groups and summer camps. I started to feel a little left out so when Elaine asked me to come to church one day....I said "Yes". I remember going and feeling very strange, almost a feeling of anger. I didn't go back for a long time, but the pastor came to visit me. I remember being ready to tell him what I thought, but he never asked. He became a friend, but I was still very much on my guard.

In September of 1981, my mother, who had always tried to get us back into church, had a very serious heart attack which resulted in a great deal of damage. In early November of that same year, I had a bad accident at work and re-injured my already bad back. Mom and I were both layed up but good. During that time, I had alot of thinking to do or at least, alot of time for thinking. Elaine and I had been through some pretty rough times in our marriage, but the one thing that I knew was that I didn't want to lose her and my boys.

I was scheduled for a trip to the hospital in early January and Mom said that she was feeling well enough to travel to Ontario to spend Christmas with my sister and her family. She and Dad came out to the house to say good-bye....three days after Christmas, my mother died.

Nothing made sense anymore....Mom was gone, too young, not fair. Elaine was carrying the load at home because I was still basically laid-up. My kids were needing and trying to understand. How could a God that loves do this to my family? Mom had served Him all her life and my family was trying to. How could I get out of my bed, not being able to walk, and make all the arrangements for the funeral?

Sometime during all I was going through, somebody gave me a verse from the Bible..Psalm68:19. So I put God to the test. Not only was I able to make all the arrangements but made the trip to Halifax and had the operation. The doctors told me that I might not be able to walk after the operation. They gave me a slightly better than 60% chance.

The operation was over and I am able to walk with only a 30% loss in one leg. God came through and I wanted to thank Him in the only way I knew how. I decided to serve Him.

We sold our new home and I went back to school.

I have been an ordained Baptist minister since October 1987. During which time the Lord has called Elaine and I to minister in:
Stoney Creek,NB
Zealand,NB
McKee's Mills,NB
Digby,NS
Kentville, NS
back in McKee's Mills
and am currently serving at Erb's Cove Baptist Church on the Kingston Peninsula in New Brunswick.

The cost was high because of what all this meant for Elaine and my boys but I pray that someday, when I see my Lord face to face, I call tell Him how much I love Him and I pray that I will always be reminded of the cost which Christ paid for me!

MY FAMILY

Click on our family picture to turn back time.

My Favourite Links

Atlantic Baptist Convention
Ontario Baptist Convention
Billy Graham Evangelistic Association
John Hagee Ministries

Drop me a line.