Who is Paul?

 

Paul, an Englishman based in Wales, has been an itinerant missionary since 1987, and has had the privilege of visiting many nations preaching the gospel, praying for the sick and dying, teaching in Bible schools, working alongside churches, and helping with aid, relief, and development on an individual and corporate level in many third and developing world countries. Paul first started in full time ministry in January 1979, with British Youth for Christ, then in Youth group leadership and church Eldership until 1987. He lived in Northern Ireland from 2009-2018.

A Londoner – Stratford born, so a genuine East-Ender/Cockney! – by birth, Paul became a committed Christian at 18. For 9 years, he worked in a bank, before accepting God’s call on his life to move into full-time ministry in 1979, beginning to work for British Youth for Christ, in East Sussex as God called him to trust for salary, home, and security. In 4 years that ministry grew to encompass involvement in hundreds of schools in south-east England, many churches, and the local prisons. God’s next challenge, in 1984, was to spend almost a year doing some Bible and ministry training, at Roffey Place Christian Training Centre, Horsham, England. For practical purposes, this meant selling the house and home: since that day, Paul has had to trust God for home, security, and income.

Since becoming a missionary, he has travelled worldwide, having the privilege of being in some 111 nations to date. His travels have taken to some of the major revival ‘hot spots’ in the world – China, Brazil, Argentina, Mexico, Colombia – where he is a regular partner with some of the Pastors involved in the Cali, Colombia, move of God documented in the ‘Transformations’ video (though having been going to Colombia for 23 years now, Paul would say that there are certain aspects of that video that were overstated and incorrect). Also, to Eastern Europe, (especially Romania from within 4 weeks of the revolution in 1989), India, Australia, and to many African nations, including Ghana, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Kenya, and others, where it has been his privilege and joy to see God move in awesome miracle power. Paul is also privileged to have ministered in some of the ‘tougher’ nations like Cuba, and Haiti, and a number of restricted access nations.

Paul has been actively involved over 40 years in various aspects of church Leadership – from home groups, youth groups, pastoral work, Eldership, teaching in Bible Schools from Youth with a Mission Discipleship Schools (and many other of their schools) to a huge Bible University in South India, speaking at a wide range of conferences, Itinerant Preaching, Secondary Schools Work, men’s ministry with organisations like the Full Gospel Businessmen’s Fellowship International, AVM in Ireland, and many more.

Visiting China for the first time in 1987 was a life-changing event for him, spending time with people who have been incredibly persecuted for their faith, yet who, in persecution, move in revival power: where salvation is expected in phenomenal numbers, and miracles are a daily occurrence simply because (in the words of Chinese pastors) ‘if it says it in the Bible, it WILL happen’. Meeting two ladies who had both been raised from the dead changed Paul’s life and perspective forever…..causing Paul’s spirit to respond and say ‘Lord, I have to see this happen as it changes communities and I don’t care what it costs me’. Be careful what you say to God as he has this habit of taking you at your word! – and over the years, it’s cost Paul everything that Jesus declared in Mark 10:28-31 – Peter began to say to Him, “Look, we have left everything and followed You.” “Truly I tell you,” said Jesus, “no one who has left home or brothers or sisters or mother orfather or children or fields for My sake and for the gospel will fail to receive a hundredfold in the present age—houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and fields, along with persecutions—and in the age to come, eternal life.…”. It has cost Paul his family, wife, home, job, income, pension, security and some friends – but to see four people raised from the dead (after ten ‘failures’!), limbs growing from nothing, and countless miracles beyond anything Paul had seen to that point, is a reward worth paying for.

Involvement in many social projects has been a big part of Paul’s life as a missionary – from raising money for poor pastors homes in the developing world, hospital wings, toilet blocks in African bush villages so that children don’t play in human waste, an incredible ministry to abandoned elderly people living on the streets in Cali, to the building of extensive houses and facilities for street kids.

He has regularly had the opportunity to be involved in Mexico at the time of the ‘Day of the Dead’ Festival, a huge occult-based festival nationwide, and seen God bring salvation and healing on the streets, in meetings of all types, and even in cemeteries! His heart is very much FOR the world, and God has certainly burned his own heart for the world into Paul.

 

Leadership

Paul has been involved in many aspects of leadership in church life, for some 35 years or more: as a home group leader, Elder, youth pastor (one of his delights was to have some of the young men who went on to become the worship band, Delirious, in his youth group), and for those last 32 years as a missionary. He is a member of the International Association of Healing Ministries (www.iahmglobal.org), and was an associate of Youth with a Mission for many years.

He has a wonderful group of pastors, friends, and ministers to whom he goes for advice and  input. Having a group like that (men from his own church and a wide range of churches in the UK and the USA) is a privilege, a pleasure, a blessing, vital, and absolutely essential.

 

Paul’s Ministry

Paul is primarily a storyteller, exhorter, and motivator/encourager, believing greatly in the power of the testimony of what God does, is doing, and who he is. Revelation 19:10 tells us that the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy… which means that when we hear of what God is doing it gives us the right to believe those things will be replicated everywhere else.

Over many years, God has grown faith in Paul to believe increasingly for healing from a number of diseases, especially arthritis/osteoarthritis, scoliosis, stress-related illness (fibromyalgia /chronic fatigue syndrome / ME), and for terminal sickness, including cirrhosis, pancreatitis, AIDS and cancer. Amongst many wonderful things, Paul has seen the dead resurrected, blind eyes opened, the dumb speak, the deaf hear, limbs growing, and paralysed bodies restored instantaneously.

He is ordained (World Bible Way Fellowship, Irving, Texas, USA, and Ripe Harvest Ministries, also the USA), but he is not a great lover of titles, much preferring testimonies! It’s highly improbable that you’ll ever see a ‘title’ attached to his name! If you ask him ‘how do we address you, or advertise your meetings – Reverend, Apostle, Pastor, or what?’ Paul will generally just say ‘Paul’!

Paul’s heart is to build relationships, network with other people, and in turn be a catalyst for networking and kingdom building. Paul’s focus is really on motivation and encouragement; urging Christians to ‘live a life worthy of the calling’ and to live life to the maximum rather than settle for ‘minimum’ Christianity. Most of Paul’s invitations come through ‘connections’ and recommendations.

Since 1979 to the present, he has not earned a penny in salary, but has seen God provide in varying ways for the ministry he is involved in. It hasn’t always been easy! Paul relies on the support, love, and prayers of a number of Christians, and on realistic offerings for speaking engagements.

 

So why does he do what he does?

Until the late ‘80’s, Paul was one of the quietest, shyest people you could have met! In 1983, a healing conference with Ian Andrews, and the influence of an American preacher, Tony Campolo, began the process of change there…! The conference ‘planted’ in Paul a raging passion for seeing people healed, for seeing God do miracles: something it has been Paul’s privilege to see and be involved in increasingly as the years have gone by…..including those people that God has raised from the dead…

He spent many years as an associate of and ministering to, with, and alongside Youth with a Mission worldwide, taking the opportunities afforded through their network to make mission more available to a greater number of people. In truth Paul’s heart is to see CHURCHES set ablaze with vision, dreams, and the power of the wonderful Holy Spirit, and raising faith to believe that we can ALL do what Jesus promised in John 14:12 – that we WILL do what he has done and GREATER things because he has gone to be with his father.

One of Paul’s passions is to see others released into supernatural ministry, and loves to take people with him on trips who are ‘willing’ to be ‘dropped in it at the deep end’ to find that they, too, can do the things that Jesus did, and, God willing, the greater things that Jesus promised we’d do….

Paul is soccer (football anywhere outside of the United States!) mad – West Ham United & Brighton & Hove Albion, loves cricket and rugby with an almost equal passion, loves music, Indian curries, and watching films. Not surprisingly, he loves to travel, though that was far from always being the case!

 

Angels…

He was miraculously rescued by an angel from a car wreck in which he should have died, on the M4 motorway (interstate for American friends!) right by Heathrow airport, London, a few years ago: and was in another almost as exciting car wreck in Mozambique 3 years later in which God saved his life again! An ‘angel story’ page might well follow!