A Childhood Surrounded by Faith and Family
Looking back on his childhood, there are many happy memories that stand out. Including a very special family holiday to Disneyland with his nan, dad, sister, cousins and extended family. But alongside those family memories were experiences that would have a lasting impact on his faith.
One of those was attending Power Praise praise and worship nights. Where he remembers helping Trevor (FGB Chairman) and Helen Bendrien load equipment into the van and trailer before and afterwards. He remembers the music, worship and powerful atmosphere, but perhaps most importantly, he remembers the way he was treated.
Those experiences of worship, Christian community and people investing in his life would stay with him. Even through some very difficult years ahead.
The Pull of Drugs and the Nightlife
When he turned 18, his life began to move in a very different direction.
An invitation to go clubbing with friends quickly became a regular part of his life. What began as Friday and Saturday nights soon sometimes extended into Sundays.
It wasn’t long before he was offered drugs. What started with cannabis progressed to other substances. He found himself increasingly caught up in a lifestyle of drugs, nightlife and addiction.
The choices he was making were taking him further away from the faith. His life moved away from the experiences that had shaped his childhood.
But God had not finished with him.
A Night That Changed Everything
When Jamie was around 19, a frightening experience in Clifton Park, Rotherham would become a major turning point in his life.
He had gone to a Fair with around seven or eight friends. Unknown to them, two rival gangs from different areas were also at the Fair.
Towards the end of the evening, he and three friends went to say goodbye to someone they knew. They didn’t realise but that person was with one of the gangs, and suddenly the situation changed.
The gang leader told them they were going to confront a rival gang and demanded that they go with them.
When one of the group laughed, the situation became even more threatening. A knife was produced, and they were threatened with serious violence if they refused to go.
There was nowhere to turn.
It was around 12.45–1am, the park was virtually deserted and there was nobody around to help. In that moment of fear, Jamie prayed silently:
“Lord, save me and I will serve you.”
Then something happened that he still cannot explain. He describes hearing an incredibly loud sound, which he says reminded him of a police siren but far louder. Everyone around him started to panic in confusion, the gang suddenly fled the scene.
There were no police cars present, and as far as he knew, nobody had called the police. But the potentially violent situation he’d found himself him, had dispersed.
For him, it was a moment he would never forget.
“You Saved My Life, Lord”
When Jamie returned home that morning, he knew that something had changed. His response was simple:
“Lord, you saved my life, so now I will live and serve you for the rest of my life.”
The experience became a catalyst for a dramatic change. He decided that he didn’t want the nightclub lifestyle anymore.
No more drugs. No more cigarettes. No more pornography. No more living for himself.
Jamie describes making a decision that his life was no longer his own, but that he wanted to live for Jesus.
Freedom from Addiction
The change began remarkably quickly.
Within days, he says, he had turned his back on the nightlife and the lifestyle that had controlled him. Within a month, he was completely free from drugs.
What had once seemed to have such a powerful hold over his life was no longer defining him.
He describes himself as healed, free and walking in the freedom God has given him. His testimony is not simply about escaping a destructive lifestyle. It is about discovering a new purpose..
A New Life, a Wife and a Family
Today, his life looks very different.
He gives God the glory for blessing him with a wife who shares his passion for Jesus and describes her as being just as “on fire” for God as he is.
Together they have two young children:
- Gideon, their one-year-old son
- Joy, their four-year-old daughter
For him, his family is another expression of God’s blessing and faithfulness.
Another important part of his current journey is his involvement with Full Gospel Businessmen (FGB). He currently serves as President of the FGB Rotherham Chapter.
For someone whose own life has been changed through encountering God, FGB provides an opportunity to share his testimony. As well as encourage others who may be facing difficult circumstances.
Helping other find Freedom
Jamie’s past has given him a particular desire to help people who find themselves in situations similar to those he once experienced. He now wants to point people towards the hope he has found in Jesus.
“The Lord Gets All the Glory”
His story is ultimately one of transformation. From a young man caught up in drugs, nightlife and destructive choices, to a husband, father, preacher, ministry leader and FGB President, he believes that the difference is Jesus.
“The Lord has blessed me and keeps blessing me and my family. Because of the Lord’s blessing, I can help others who are in the same situations I have been in and help those who are in need. I can be a light and shine my light in the darkness. Through the Lord, I can make a difference in the world, and the Lord gets all the glory.”
God can meet us in the darkest moments, bring freedom where there once seemed to be none, and give a life a completely new direction.