A quick interview with ... Johnathon!

1. Explain a bit about who you are, family, where you’re from, work etc.

I grew up in Horbury and, like many children, I went to church from a young age. I attended St Mary’s and, at around 11 years old, I went along to confirmation classes with a friend. It was there that I first learned about Jesus, the gospel, and what it meant to make a personal commitment to faith.

At the time, confirmation was about standing up in front of family and the church community and saying that I wanted to follow Jesus for myself. I understood the words, and I went through the process, but if I’m honest, it didn’t really mean much to me personally. It was something I did rather than something I lived. Before long, I drifted away from church.

2. How did you become a Christian?

Fast forward to when I was 17, life seemed to be going well. I was playing rugby regularly, involved in a brass band, and I had a girlfriend. From the outside, everything looked sorted.

My girlfriend’s mum was a Methodist preacher, so I started attending church again. Initially, it was more out of respect than conviction, but over time I grew to enjoy it. I even got involved in services, especially “all-age worship,” which made things easier to understand and more engaging.

We got married in 1988 and went on to have five wonderful boys. Family life brought a lot of joy, but also its fair share of challenges. We took our children to church and did our best to raise them in a Christian environment, though they certainly kept us busy.

As they grew older, like many teenagers, their interests shifted – and church became less relevant to them. To this day, they don’t seem interested in faith, which is hard, but also something many parents will understand.

For us as a couple, we began to feel that something was missing. We wanted to understand more and go deeper, so we moved to a Pentecostal church in Wakefield. This turned out to be a significant step forward.

There, for the first time, I really began to understand the core message of Christianity in a simple and personal way: that we were created for a relationship with God, that our wrong choices separate us from Him, and that Jesus came to restore that relationship through His life, death, and resurrection.

But even then, understanding something and truly surrendering your life are two very different things.

Life became more difficult in the years that followed. We faced illness, struggles in our marriage, and the consequences of some poor decisions – particularly mine. Through it all, I believed I could fix everything myself. I couldn’t.

It wasn’t until I was in my fifties that things really changed. For the first time, I admitted that I needed Jesus. I had to face my mistakes, let go of my pride, and ask for forgiveness. It was a humbling and, in many ways, breaking moment.

3. What difference does being a Christian make to your life every day?

Even now, learning to rely on God rather than myself is something I work through daily.

After Covid, we felt led to move churches again, which brought us to Grace Church. Here, I have found clear Bible teaching, a genuine sense of community, and real support during difficult times.

Looking back, I can see that God was at work throughout my life – even when I wasn’t aware of it.

4. If there was one thing you wanted to say to someone who doesn’t know Jesus, but is interested in finding out more, what would it be?

If I could say one thing to anyone reading this, it would be this: don’t wait.

I spent over 50 years knowing about God, but not truly knowing Him. I wish I had been less proud and more willing to invite Him into every part of my life sooner.

The difference that has made is something I can’t fully put into words – but it has changed everything.