TESTIMONY:  BROTHER JAMES WELLMAN

My name is James Wellman, I would like to take a few minutes and tell you what the Lord has done in my life.  I was raised in a Christian home and had a praying father and mother.  As a child, I often made promises to God at different times, telling Him if He would keep His protecting hand on me, I would find time for Him.  When I became a teenager, I wanted to stray as far as I could from Christianity. 

After graduating from high school, I enlisted in the U.S. Air Force.  The year was 1952, during the Korean war, and I was immediately shipped overseas.  Soon, like other young men, I was introduced to alcohol.

I thought of my family, and wondered if I would make it home.  At that time, I made a promise to God, that, if He would get me home safe, I would live my life for Him.  I returned home in 1956, safe and sound, with an honorable discharge.  God had kept His hand on me and I was reunited with my family, but I didn't keep my promise to Him.

That same year, I married my beautiful wife, Vicki, and moved to Chicago Heights, IL., where I was employed with Ford Motor Co.  In 1958, we became the proud parents of a son, Randall.  Within five years, we had four children, Randall, Kimberly, Rhea and our last, Jerome, born in 1963.  My wife wanted the children in Sunday school, She wanted us to become a church going family, but I refused, saying all the churches wanted was money, that it wasn't for me, but deep down I knew better.

My life begin to change for the worse.  I got involved in sports, and that became my god!  I started gambling on ball games and the drinking had started again.  I would tell myself, that I wasn't going to gamble anymore and lose my hard earned money, but payday would come, and it would happen again.

My parents had no idea what condition my life was in, so when Mom, and my youngest brother Robert, came for a visit, taking a bus from W. Va. to IL, we were thrilled to see them!  ON Sunday night, Mom ask me to take her to church.  That was the last place I wanted to go, but I didn't want to hurt her feelings.  When we walked into that United Pentecostal Church for the first time, I felt something I had never felt before!  A young man began to testify about when he was overseas he made a promise if God would bring him home safe, he would give his life to Him.  He was telling MY life!  God was speaking to me through this young man whom I had never seen before!  I made that same promise!

I broke down and ran to the altar with tears running down my face, I began to cry out to God, asking Him to forgive my sin's.  I felt so clean and so light just knowing God had forgiven me!  The Bible tells us in 1st John 1:9 if we confess our sins He is faithful and just to forgive us.  Before leaving the church, Pastor Cardwell showed me in the Bible how I could have more of God than just repentance and I truly wanted more!  Two nights later I received the Holy Ghost!  They had asked if anyone wanted the Holy Ghost to come forward.  I ran to that altar, lifted up my hands and begin to worship god!  Suddenly, I begin to speak in tongues, just like they did in the book of Acts 2:3.  I spoke in tongues for over an hour, even thought I wanted to speak English, to tell others what had happened to me, it came out in another language!  God had gloriously filled me with the Holy Ghost!  What a wonderful joy that came into my life!  Pastor Cardwell showed me in the Bible where I should be baptized in the wonderful name of Jesus, and I obeyed, as they did in Acts 2:38.  Since that day, my life changed completely.  Old things were passed away and behold all things became new!  {2 Cor. 5:17} What a love He put in my heart!  People I once hated, I now loved!  All the drinking, smoking, gambling, and all sin, I  no longer did.  Now, 38 years later, I thank God every day for that wonderful experience!

My wife, Vicki, and I attend the First United Pentecostal Church at: 750 Green Valley Drive, Mountain Home, Arkansas.  Pastor, Fred Ruff. 

James Wellman