Celebrating 40 years of Ministry Across the World Entry #3

Celebrating 40 Years of Ministry Across the World. Entry #3

If I look back on my life, I had always believed. I have never doubted the existence of God but I didn’t have a relationship with Him. Even in my early life I had read the Bible. I used to carry a Bible with me all the time. That is probably why I was given the nick-name ’Holy Joe’. I even used to carry the Bible to the swimming pool and the movies.

Elwyn Court was situated between the two churches Christ Church Addington and St Peter’s Catholic Church. There were quite a few days that I cut the grass at the Catholic Church. It was probably my way of thinking I was doing something for God. At one time I even wanted to become an Altar Boy or choir in the Catholic Church even though I was not Catholic.

Church was always a part of my life in some shape or form –always in a church building. I was baptised as a baby at Christ Church Addington in Point Road. I went to a spiritualist Sunday School at Robin-hood hotel where Mrs Rippon attended, I went to the Catholic Nursery/Pre-school in Mac Clean Road in Umkomass, I went to Christ Church Addington Sunday School.

This 27th July 1974 I was now right with God.

Living Waters Church

Kenny & Mercia invited me to go to the church they attended in Redhill, Durban North called Living Waters Church. It was situated at 55 Church Road, Redhill. I would attend both Living Waters Church and Christ Church Addington from then on.

The reason that Kenny & Mercia used the hall of Christ Church Addington was that Mercia’s mom & dad attended there. The minister at Addington Christ Church was Nigel Walker.

Going to Living Waters Full Gospel Church at Durban North was like nothing else I had ever gone to before.

Pastor George Wilhelm Dillman was the senior pastor / minister along with his wife Heloise. The Church had a Gospel group called ‘The Boys’ The boys style of music was very much like ‘The Shadows’ who backed Cliff Richards. They were amazing musicians.

There was something about that church that was amazing. I remember the services in the morning and evening. The morning service was very different to the evening one. The place was super friendly and the people were very inviting.

Heloise ‘Lois’ Dillman – we called her Sister Dillman would lead the choruses and the hymns. The theme song would be sung “Drinking at the Springs of Living Waters”

Chorus:

Drinking at the springs of living water

Happy now am I, my soul is satisfied

Drinking at the springs of living water

Oh wonderful and bountiful supply

Many years later I learnt that this was the chorus from the Hymn “I thirsted in the Barren land of Babylon.

Pastor Dillman was a powerful preacher; his sermons were captivating and electrifying which spoke to your heart. The church was always full when I began attending the church. If you did not get there early, there were no more seats available. I would always sit in the first 2 – 3 rows of the church if possible. I loved the hymns we sang from the Red Redemption Hymnal.

Number 5 was Praise my soul the King of Heaven, number 99 was ‘the Lord’s my Shepherd.

Just as I am; Pass me not oh gentle Saviour….157 Crown Him with many Crowns,165 King of my life (Lest I forget Gethsemane, 160 Jesus Oh how sweet the name, 696 Wounded for me, 186 Low in the grave He lay, 413 Bring me higher up the mountain, 369 Redeemed by the blood of the Lamb….

They were very inspirational. I still love the hymns to this day (2021)

Sunday nights was a very different service. It started at 6:45pm. If you didn’t get there by 6pm or so, you couldn’t get a seat. The messages were hard hitting, convicting and many many people responded to the invitation to accept Jesus Christ as their Saviour & Lord.

The highlight of the evening services was the prayer line. God was always faithful to confirm His Word with signs and wonders. I saw and witnessed many many miracles right before my own eyes. During those early years, the prayer lines were always very long. We had church for a few hours on Sunday night. There were many a night when people were called out with a Word of Knowledge; there were always Tongues & Interpretations. You sensed and knew that God was in the house.

From that very first year I would attend the Tuesday night Bible Study, Thursday night Prayer Meetings, Friday Youth Ministry, Sunday morning and evening services.

Tueday night was a full house with some 100 -150 attending for Bible Study. Pastor Dillman would hand out notes of his teachings. It was here that I was given a very solid Bible grounded foundation. Subjects included, the gifts of the Spirit, the 3 Heavens, The humanity & Divinity of Christ etc, lots of doctrine. I have been fortunate to receive recently a whole collection of these Bible Studies.

Thursday prayer meetings were the power house of the church. Again hundreds attended as we prayed and interceded.

Baptised in Water

I followed the Lord through the waters of baptism on the 27th October 1974.

I was also attending Christ Church Addington at the time. An Elder from the church came to see me a few days before I was scheduled to be baptised at Living Waters Church. He tried for quite a while to dissuade me from going through with the baptism. He said I had already been baptised as a baby in the Anglican Church and that it was not necessary. I had already made up my mind. I also understood that I had not repented as a baby simply because I didn’t know what it meant. The Bible says “Repent and be baptised.” Repentance is something you knowingly do.

Living Waters Church would be my Spiritual home for the next 23 years as a member and 16 years as a Pastor on staff.