It isn’t easy trying to find where to start when writing about yourself so I decided to start with when Linda and I met. We celebrated 23 years of marriage in March this year having met of Friday 13^th May 1977! I am the eldest of five children whilst Linda is an only child. This has led to some interesting ‘discussions’, especially in the early years, about family involvement. Linda has lived all her life in Oldham, apart from the two years she was at Catterick Army base as a QA. I was born and brought up in Manchester but have lived in Oldham for the last 25 years. We have one daughter, Karen, who has been married to Michael, both aged 31, for 10 years this June. There are no grandchildren yet but I believe that I am still too young to be a granddad!

Linda worked in nursing in various forms until about 18 years ago, since then she has been spoiled rotten by travelling with me, both in the UK and overseas, whenever I had to visit suppliers or customers in my former job as a Quality Assurance Manager for an electronics company. I was with that company for 16 years having been a draughtsman for two other firms totalling ten years.

Linda, Karen and myself became Christians at Billy Graham’s Mission England when he came to Liverpool. We had travelled there with the local Methodist Church that we had attended a few times; we have been there for most of the time since then. It was from that church that I started training at Hartley Victoria – back where I was brought up in Manchester.

Training for the Methodist ministry is a scary thing. The studying at college is hard work, which was to be expected after having left school sometime ago! The stationing process is something else. The strange thing is that it works very well but you only realise that when it has happened. We didn’t want to be too far away from Oldham because Linda’s parents are in their eighties and not very well. My Mum is in her sixties and OK but Dad died last October after several weeks in Wythenshawe hospital following a stroke.

If you have read this carefully there will be some questions in your mind, especially to do with dates and ages that don’t quite seem to add up so I think I’ll stop there.

To finish I would like to say that both Linda and I are excited about our move to the ‘other side of the hills’ and the circuit we will be part of. God has a purpose for why you, Linda and myself are where we are, whether it is through being born there or sent there by the Methodist Stationing process! It is our job to find out what that purpose is and for us all to work together to make it happen for His glory.

Regards

Terry.