| I was born in 1953
to a godly mother and a sadly backslidden father in Glasgow. From
a very early age I was conscious of attending church with my mother
and consider it a great privilege to have sat under the ministry
of Dr. Oscar Bussey at Tollcross Central Church of Scotland in my
home city. I vividly remember the Christian Endeavour meetings, which
were so faithfully conducted by Mrs Bussey every Friday night. Memories
come flooding back every time I hear "Wide, wide as the Ocean" or "Marching
beneath the Banner".
October 5th 1967 was the turning point in my life when on the
final night of a Bible Rally led by the Rev. John Metcalfe at Tollcross
Victoria Church I was led to profess my faith according to the
two verses in Romans 10: 9,10. Since that day I have never doubted
the faithfulness of God's inspired Word. Soon after that I sought
to be baptised by total immersion. I began attending my mother's
old Brethren hall in the Old Shettleston Road, Glasgow, and it
was there that I was baptised in 1968 truly repenting of my sins. After finishing my fifth year education at Eastbank Academy, Glasgow
I left Glasgow to work in Arbroath where I attended the Old Parish
Church under the ministry of the Rev. T. Gemmell Campbell. I found
it a great privilege to serve as a Sunday School teacher and greatly
enjoyed the fellowship of God's people. I came to London in 1972 where I frequented a few churches for
nearly 15 years until I discovered Vernon Baptist Church (now Kings
Cross Baptist) where I sat under the ministry of the Rev. Humphrey
Vellacott, where for the first time in 15 years I was welcomed
as one of their own. I was immediately co-opted onto the diaconate
and became totally involved in all the activities of church life. In 1987 I met Sarah, who was already in membership at Uernon,
and gradually got to know her well through midweek meetings and
fellowship gatherings, which were held in my flat. I knew that
she had wanted to travel so I invited her to come with me to Scotland
for the Easter weekend not knowing that God was working to join
us as one. I proposed that weekend and she accepted me to be her
husband. We were married in 1989. Sarah had come from Cameroon to study Business Administration.
She was born in 1957 and was brought up by her grandmother who
practised and encouraged Christianity at home. She cannot tell
when exactly she came to faith in the Lord Jesus but in her teens
after six months of inquirers' classes at her local church she
publicly declared her faith in the Lord Jesus. Shortly after these
classes she was baptised in 1968 in Bethany Baptist Church, Buea. Sarah writes: "Years later my job took me to the capital,
Yaounde. I found a small group of believers who worshipped in a
classroom of about 30. One year later we decided to run an evangelistic
week. We borrowed a large tent and pitched it on land we intended
to buy. God blessed those meetings nightly, which meant we could
no longer return to the small classroom. The plot was purchased.
Today it houses a church, flats, and even a dispensary for the
use of the whole community. When I left, membership was between
400 and 500 on Sunday mornings. I found it a privilege to be appointed
as the choir leader, the youth leader, and also a deaconess." In 1989 I began working for the PTS part time, and Sarah joined
me also part time. Gradually becoming more involved in all aspects
of the Society’s work we now work full time. Our responsibilities
are varied. I am now Company Secretary and am grateful that my
time is fully occupied. Sarah deals with a multitude of tasks and
is a true helpmeet.
The bookshop gives us both the opportunity to witness to those
who inquire and we try to get the message across. Sarah and I both
seek the lost and consider this ministry a gift from God in absence
of the children we would have loved to have. We moved to East London and began attending the East London Tabernacle
in 1996 where we sit under the ministry of Dr. Ken Brownell. Our
church is well placed for the continuation of the Great Commission
set before us. Both Sarah and I continue to experience the greatness
of God and constantly feel His presence in all we seek to do for
Him. George & Sarah Rae |