Kos Christian Fellowship
Who we are
Alec and Glyn Molton are members of West Row Baptist Church in Suffolk. Alec is in his early 60’s and Glyn in her late 50’s. Both had a general education.
Alec started his working life on the Railway, joined the Post Office and eventually became Self Employed running a Newsagents Shop in Croydon. His business enterprises diverged into Model Shops and Aircraft photography.
Glyn started her working life at the Post Office, then into banking for 12 years, then to being Self Employed in the Newsagents Shop, later taking over her mother and fathers newsagents in Meadvale, Redhill.
In 1991 the family had to move to Mildenhall as Alec’s business had to cease trading. Alec continued in the photography business and Glyn into Caring for the Elderly. After Alec’s restoration and Glyn’s conversion we became members of West Row Baptist Church. Alec being involved in the Leadership, and becoming an Associate with the Open Air Mission. Glyn has been involved with children’s work and also with meetings concerning the elderly.
Alec’s testimony
I had a privilege of being born in a Christian family, where the reading of the bible and church attendance were part of our lives. So going to church on a Sunday was just a normal thing to do - to do other things on a Sunday was considered against my parents teaching. Sunday was a day of rest.
When you live in this type of environment it is very easy for you to think that you are a Christian by family traditions, sadly through the ages many children fall into this trap that Satan has laid for them. The Bible has always taught that faith in Jesus Christ, His death and resurrection and future return must be an individual’s faith.
As I grew into my early teens, in the mid 50’s we lived at a time of the Billy Graham crusade where a call to make decisions for Christ was the norm at many gospel services, and in the Brethren Chapel in Redhill, Surrey where my mother, father, sister and I would go on a Sunday this would happen regularly at the end of the preaching. At this time of my life I had developed a fear that the Lord Jesus Christ could return at any time and would I be ready for him. I remembered the five virgins that had not prepared their lamps.
Our house was situated near a cross roads on a dangerous hill, and I remember one night that in the early hours a newspaper lorry hit a car and turned the car upside down so that the lights went up in the air and shone into my bedroom, at the same time as the car’s horn was trapped on. The effect was for me to wake suddenly in the middle of the night with a blaring sound and bright light shining in my bedroom, I ran into my mum and dad, how pleased I was to see them lying in bed still. I was so afraid that Jesus had come and that I had been left behind.
A few Sundays later on an August evening I remember asking the Lord to forgive me for my sins and to come into my life. I was 14 years old, and in September two years later a dear brother of mine David Caldecourt baptised me, and for a year or so I seemed to hold fast to the faith and the promises of God. However, as has happened so often with many young Christians, there is a turning point of life in the late teens and twenties, and as I entered these years all the things that clutter a young man’s life slowly took over. My work, and most of all my hobbies (as a fanatical aircraft enthusiast) took over and my life progressed from leaving behind the worshipping of God to the worshipping of aircraft.
Through the years, I entered the years of marriage which progressed into a family and after 18 years of working in the Post Office I left to run a small shop in Croydon. Aircraft were never far from all of my plans, and travelling the world to see them was foremost; even more important than my family. Our family business progressed from a corner shop into the world of model shops, selling all kinds of kits etc, plus also my aircraft enthusiasm had turned into a business. In the late 1980’s we expanded into several shops in South London and our trade-stand Milslides models would be seen at most air shows in the UK as well as in Europe. However, in 1991 a combination of high interest rates and mismanagement meant that the whole business collapsed. Over these years, I still had, from time to time, a deep feeling of emptiness and what if the Lord came - would I really go to heaven. Those words of my mother echoed in my head, ‘If the Lord came, would you wish to be found in the place that you are at this moment’.
In 1992 with the collapse of our business we literally had to escape to Suffolk where my wife Glyn was able to get a mortgage on a small house. Other than a few kits we had nothing.
So from about May 1992, I had to start rebuilding again, this time photography only, which soon became successful. However, God was starting to speak to me. I remember going to a local Anglican church with my son and daughter and the hymn was sung ‘Blessed Assurance’. I remember telling the young vicar at the door, that was the theme hymn from the 1954 Billy Graham campaign. I remember my conscience saying to me going down the road what a cheek to speak of the things of God like that. Glyn had become involved with the Sunday School at the same church and asked me to give advice on a Sunday School lesson, I remember telling her that she could not speak about Joseph he was a ‘Christ type’ of the Old Testament. I thought what blasphemy; not her but you Alec.
Glyn felt she should resign as a teacher from the Sunday school as she did not feel at ease continuing in this role at the Anglican Church, this was where a dear friend of our’s Jacqui came in with a simple witness, why do you not send your son Jonathan to West Row Baptist Church, I am quite happy to take him with our children.
After a while Glyn or I would take him to Sunday school, so in 1994 the Sunday before Christmas I was picking Jonathan up from morning Sunday school and Richard the Church Secretary invited the family to come to the evening service as Jonathan would be taking part with the Sunday school. The family seemed to want to go but I had little interest, yet at the last minute I changed my mind, standing in the back row of the church that night brought back to me all the memories of the Brethren Chapel in Shrewsbury Road, Redhill, Surrey. As Richard opened the service in prayer, ‘gracious loving heavenly father’ God spoke through the Holy Spirit very loudly ‘if you walk out of this church you will never hear my voice again’. I trembled as I knew I was on the edge of hell, and after 30+ years without church I still remember those words from Genesis 6 v2 ‘and the Lord said my spirit shall not always strive with man forever’.
For the next nine months, I was in constant conflict; I knew that I was arguing with God. I started to go to church very regularly although on so many Sundays I was working; I even made it my business to be there in the mid week service if I could. On the 9th September on a Sunday morning, Alan Hawes preached a simple message and for God’s good reason on that day the family did not come to church. After the service I drove into a field and stopped, then through much tears and much upset of mind finally surrendered to the Holy Spirit and the Lordship of my life. Two weeks later, I told Glyn what had happened and amidst floods of tears and shear amazement from her. The next Sunday Cecil Bassett who was the Home Evangelist for Norfolk and Suffolk spoke and that day I gave my testimony. I was always told that we are saved to serve, the next week I started weekly door knocking with Cecil, I thought that I was being led into Home Evangelism but this did not work out, I soon joined the local Grace Baptist Seminary in Stowmarket where I was greatly blessed over the years.
Traditional Greek dancer
From above you will see that David Caldecourt who baptised me, he has been an Open Air preacher of many years, I received a letter from him inviting me to go to the annual Oxford Fair where he had led the team of preachers for many years. This I eagerly accepted not realising that he intended for me to preach there and not just give out tracts. To my amazement I was asked to preach, which I had never done in my life, after much debate I spoke for the first time in the open air, and this was to lead to me joining the Open Air Mission as an Associate in 2001.
I can surely quote the hymn writer ‘Lord for the years your love has kept and guided’ and meditate on the words of the Lord ‘The Good Shepherd knows his sheep and they are known of Him’. Backsliding and wandering far from the Lord is always dangerous, but we can be sure that the shepherd of the sheep will always find and bring home His children.
My testimony of saving Grace is that the God of Heaven has done just this.
Glyn’s testimony
I was not brought up in a Christian family; however, I was christened at a very young age, something I knew nothing of, only what I was told as I grew up. I attended Sunday School week by week, and was confirmed in the Epiphany Church, Merstham, Surrey at the age of 11. Then for a number of years, did not attend church at all, only at Easter and Christmas time.
It was in 1969 when I met Alec, and we were married in 1970, I was still a long way from the Lord but he must have had his hand upon my life without my fully knowing it. It was not until we as a family moved to Suffolk, we were looking for a Sunday School for our son at the time, we attended St John’s Church in Beck Row, where I was asked if I could help with the Sunday School, I readily accepted not knowing exactly what implications were involved and what an important task this would be, with what I would be taking on. I was asked if I could tell the children about Joseph, when I went home and told Alec about the request put to me, and with his family up bringing in the Lord, he told me that no way could I take on a commitment of this kind at this time, so I told them that I just could not do this, and within a couple of months the Sunday School ceased. Shortly afterwards, a now good friend Jacqui M invited us as a family to West Row BC to their Christmas Family Service. I began to go week by week, at that time, and in September 1996 in the morning service the Lord spoke to me through PH the preacher that morning. A verse comes to mind 'Seek the Lord, while he may be found, call on him while he is near' Is 55 v 6. After the service I went home, spoke to Alec, and he advised me that I should go to a room on my own, get down on my knees and ask the Lord to come into my life and to forgive me for the many things I had done wrong in my life. I can remember vividly when I prayed that I felt I could see clearly an image of the Lord Jesus sitting along side me in this room, in as much detail that I could describe him afterwards. Since that day, the hymn comes to me often 'What a wonderful change in my life has been wrought, since Jesus came into my life'. I never really understood what having fallen away or being born again meant until this time.
Then on the 14th May 1997 I was baptised at West Row BC, I wanted to show to others what the Lord had done in my life, that he died for me, was buried and rose again. I always had a great fear of water, and can honestly say was bothered about things for a long time, being baptised by submersion. I know the Lord was fully with me on this day, as I stepped into the baptismal pool my fears disappeared. (So if there is anyone else who has the same fears as I did, don't hold back because the Lord will be with you the whole of the way)
My baptismal hymn, a great favourite of mine is Fanny Crosby's 'Blessed Assurance'. 'What a blessed assurance it is to know that the Lord has gone before me to prepare a place for me that I may spend eternity with him. To know that JESUS IS MINE. What a foretaste of glory divine, an heir of salvation, purchase of God, to be born of His spirit and washed in His blood.' WELL THIS IS MY STORY, I PRAY THAT THOSE WHO READ THESE WORDS, IT IS OR WILL BE YOUR STORY TOO.
Amen
One of our family verses is 'Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding in all your ways acknowledge him and he will make your paths straight' Prov 3 v5-6.
As the above verse says, lean not on your own understanding, the Lord had a work for us, very much unbeknown to move to Kos, and go tell the people, that they to may have the wonderful news of the Lord Jesus Christ and what he came to this world to do for each one of us. As the hymn words say ' He possessed no riches, no home to lay His head. He saw the needs of others and cared for them instead.' It goes on to say 'Go tell it on the mountain, over the hills and everywhere'.
Amen
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Kos Christian Fellowship is supported in the UK by:
West Row Baptist Church, Suffolk
Open Air Mission, Luton, Beds
KosChristianFellowship.com Copyright © Alec Molton 2007