Nothing brings me more joy than a baptism!
On Sunday the 3rd of May, we are baptising three men, all of whom have very different stories and are very different stages of life, and yet, they are bound together by one thing: Jesus Christ.
Each one has a powerful testimony of God’s love at work in their lives. In the words of Aaron Burr from ‘Hamilton’: “I’ll let them tell it.”
Hillary Kanyanga
“Without a test, there can be no testimony, and my trials have left no doubt in my very being that Jesus Christ is the son of God and the Saviour of the world. The fact that I still exist in this world today to give this testament is irrefutable proof of the mercy, grace and salvation offered by Jesus Christ alone. For I should have been in jails, institutions or dead. I stand here today only through HIS mercy, HIS grace, HIS provision, HIS protection, HIS SALVATION.
“I could speak of all my sins – from the violence and pain I have inflicted on others in my youth – to the drugs sold, the lies told, the deception involved, the hearts I broke, and much, very much more – sins in action and thought I bore, many of which I forgot – but only the Lord knows – and only God knows why he chose to, time and time again save a sinner like me.
“I always felt like I never had a place I belonged. With my name, Hillary, being bullied and teased that it was a girl’s name from a very young age, I fought the world like I was trying to prove a point. I stared into the darkness and, for a long time, I liked it, I enjoyed it. It brought me some sort of status and recognition on the streets that I walked. Never knowing that the path that I chose would disappoint and lead to issues of an ill mind and addiction. Addiction, my cross, has led me to suicide attempts and mental health institutions. HIS grace has kept me from prisons. HIS mercy has kept my life afloat.
“There are vast reasons why I am now choosing to dedicate my life to Christ. Most importantly, it is because I, 100 per cent believe in the existence of the devil. The Devil on the wall I saw, clear as day, as I now see you all. The professionals called it alcohol induced psychosis. But I am no psycho. For me, drinking too many spirits opened a gate for evil. My malady was spiritual. In that madness, Satan himself showed up and tried to take my soul. One evening as I sat in my back garden watching the clouds form, Jesus himself appeared and in the clouds, his face the clouds formed. He spoke, his voice clear that I could not ignore. He told me I was loved and to him I belonged. This is not the only occasion of which his face I truly saw. Time and time again HE has revealed is presence, picked me up, put me on his shoulders and carried me along when I could no longer take another stroll.
“So now I understand the significance of making a covenant with my Lord, a public declaration of my intention to always be humble to his word and for the rest of my days only Jesus Christ and the Almighty God I will always follow.”
Danny Bigwood
“For many years, my life was filled with chaos. I made a lot of bad choices, and at the time I didn’t fully understand how those choices affected not just me, but the people around me. My life involved regular drinking, drug use, and unhealthy relationships. I was living without real direction or purpose.
“I did try to change at different points, but I kept falling short. There were times I returned to faith, and during those periods things would improve. But I always told myself it was down to me, not God. Looking back, I can see that my ego was getting in the way.
“Over the last few years, my choices caught up with me. I lost my wife, my home, my job, and my financial stability. My mental health suffered deeply, and I reached a point where I ended up in hospital. It felt like everything had fallen apart, and I questioned everything.
“In that place, I felt like I was living the life of Job. That’s when I made the decision to return to church. Over time, through prayer and the support of my congregation, things began to change—this time in a real and lasting way.
“Now, I pray daily and begin each day with prayer and scripture. My relationship with God feels different. I feel a sense of peace and connection that I never truly understood before. I’ve come to realise that even in my darkest moments, I was never alone—Jesus was always with me, walking with me through the fire.
“Being baptised is my way of giving my life fully to Jesus. It’s a commitment to live in His love, His guidance, and His purpose. I’m grateful for the journey that has brought me here, and I’m ready to continue walking forward in faith.”
Maurice Mundia
“So, I mentally decided to get baptised on the 29th of March, 2026. That was a Sunday, and not just any Sunday, it was Palm Sunday. Before I even stepped foot in Church that day, I was thinking about whether I was ready to get baptised. Truthfully, I think I’ve always been afraid to get baptised. This is mainly due to often feeling like I’m not reading my bible often or I’m not sharing the gospel as much as I should. I often feel like I’m not doing enough for Jesus and because of that, I’ve felt like I’ve been unworthy of being baptised.
“All this changed on Palm Sunday. I remember Ian was preaching and I felt like he was sending out a message directly to me. He had Beth read out Matthew 28 verse 1-8 and it reads,
“After the Sabbath, at dawn on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to look at the tomb. 2 There was a violent earthquake, for an angel of the Lord came down from heaven and, going to the tomb, rolled back the stone and sat on it. His appearance was like lightning, and his clothes were white as snow. The guards were so afraid of him that they shook and became like dead men.
The angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay. Then go quickly and tell his disciples: ‘He has risen from the dead and is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him? Now I have told you.” So the women hurried away from the tomb, afraid yet filled with joy, and ran to tell his disciples.”
“The part that really stood out to me was that Mary, Jesus’ Mother, and the other Mary, were afraid and still decided to do what they were asked to do. I felt like this was a direct message to me saying to do what the Lord has asked me to do, even if I’m afraid to do it. For years I’ve managed to = talk myself out of getting baptised but that reading and what it meant to me might’ve changed my mind. As if that message wasn’t enough, Ian gave us a fun fact. The fact was that the command “do not be afraid” is one of the commands that have been repeated the most in the bible. At this point, I couldn’t talk myself out of or convince myself from getting baptised. I came into Church that morning thinking about getting baptised and asking myself if I was ready and I left confident in the decision I made because I felt like God spoke to me that day, telling me to not be afraid to commit to him.”
Coming Up
Elim Leadership Summit
Tuesday 12th May – Thursday 14th May
Every year, all Elim ministers and lay representatives gather at Harrogate’s Convention Centre for our annual conference. The three days are full of worship, teaching, fellowship and business meetings, in which all constitutional matters are debated and voted on. Neil, Ian, Sarah and Susie will be away for the conference. Please pray that we not only enjoy our time together but also come back refreshed and reenvisioned for all that God has for us.
If you would like to connect with the conference, all of the main meetings (10am and 7.15pm) are being live streamed on YouTube here.
SAVE THE DATE: Church Away Day
Saturday 20th June | Barnstondale Centre, CH61 1BX
This is a day for the whole church to be together. There will be time for worship, Bible teaching, discussion and games. Please make this a priority in your diaries. Here’s a rough timetable of the day:
Time: 10am-6pm
Activities: Worship, Discussion, Games, Walks, Chat
Separate activities for Children
Food: BYO lunch; Tea: Fish & Chip Van!
Price: £20 adults; £10 under 16s
As always, if you need prayer, support or advice, don’t hesitate to contact us, we are here for you.
Praying for you and cheering you on!
Ian
