GEORGE HENRY,STAR Writer

Patricia Campbell-Deacon has been walking with Jesus Christ for two decades. Her walk started while she was a young lady after giving birth to a son.

"I decided that if I were to lead him (son) to Christ, then my life itself should be an example; and, therefore, I would have had to live a Christian life for him to emulate, and to be a Christian as well. Not only to talk the talk, but to walk the talk," said Campbell-Deacon.

For the last six years, Campbell-Deacon has been working for the Lord in the capacity of superintendent of her church-school ministry, at the Sunberry United Church in Clarendon. According to her, working in that capacity is a fun-filled experience.

"It is one that really calls for me to be dedicated and to have a mission, with the view of helping the children to come to know Christ; and that's the main purpose of the ministry, which is to lead the children to Christ," shared Campbell-Deacon who is the mother of Samuel Deacon Jr.

Campbell-Deacon believes that it is a great thing to work for the Lord, because it is fulfilling. She added that, although she is not expecting to be paid by man, she is aware that her reward is in Heaven. She also added that the reward is really seeing persons growing into loving Christ from her input of teaching them and witnessing to them about the Lord.

"Jamaica is considered to be a Christian country. It is only wise for us to start from the cradle. We consider our church-school ministry to be the cradle of the church, where we actually help the children to develop the sort of relationship, not only with their fellowmen, but also with Christ, at an early age," explained the church worker.

Campbell-Deacon noted that, although the life of a Christian can be a challenging one, especially if one does not know where he or she is going, there are ways in which the challenges faced can be dealt with.

"As a Christian, first and foremost you have to remember that you are a Christian and then having the Bible as your guide. I refer to the Bible as my curriculum. I use it as my curriculum to direct my path, and I have always referred to stories in the Bible where people have faced many challenges and they have been able to come through," said Campbell-Deacon.

Great challenges

She said Bible character Job can be viewed as a good example of someone who went through great challenges as a man of God. Despite the challenges, Campbell-Deacon pointed out that Job was able to overcome them. She added that what Christians are experiencing these days is nothing in comparison to what Job went through, yet he did not succumb.

"We should depend on Christ; and our faith in Him will really help us to overcome the many challenges," suggested Campbell-Deacon.

She wants young people who are not yet following Christ to 'come taste and see that the Lord is good'. Campbell-Deacon shared, that when young people do so, they will like the experience with the Lord, as they are given guidance in learning how to live a good life for and with Christ.

Campbell-Deacon noted that, whenever young Christians are born for Christ, those more experienced Christians need to take them on like their own sons and daughters and give them the necessary guidance needed to help them to grow in the Lord.

"We tend to just want them to come to church, but what we need them to do as Christians is to do what we call 'evangelising on a one-to-one basis', going out to the doors, knocking on the doors and taking the church to them and not waiting on them to come to us in the church building. At least, we need to go to let them know that Jesus died for them," noted Campbell-Deacon.

The female church worker, who loves the word of the Lord with a passion, was quick to point out that her favourite Bible verse is 1Timothy 1:16. Her favourite chorus is 'Ancient words ever true, changing me and changing you'.

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