I was raised in a conservative Christian family in Brooklyn, New York. I was taught that Jesus died for our sins at approximately 7 or 8 years of age.
This was the 1960s and, much like the Harry Potter trend of today, the culture was pushing the supernatural trend at the time. A family member purchased an Ouija board, and a book on witchcraft, out of curiosity.
Things got scary and bad around the house, so bad that I ran to the Bible at a young age. I tried to read it the best I could, but I did not understand a lot. I prayed without stopping. Then, everything stopped, and there was a comforting peace.
However, as I got older I entered into sin and I knew I was lost.
In 1995, I started attending a church that taught the word of God clearly. I went forward during an altar call and I asked Jesus into my life. Having the Lord Jesus on my side has preserved me through many trials, although, by now, I should have been dead.
When I moved to Maryland, one of my neighbors started talking to me about my spiritual journey. He invited me to attend a men’s group meeting on Monday evenings at Grace. We attended together for several years, and I grew stronger in my faith and understanding of God. I want to get baptized simply to obey God’s command to do so.
— Carl Shaw, Baptized April 2019
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