I was first introduced to Capernwray during the Christmas period of 1960, when as a new Christian I travelled across a rough irish Sea overnight, as part of a group of teenagers, accompanied by Eric and Lettie Lawley, who represented Capernwray Missionary Fellowship of Torchbearers in Northern Ireland. This couple were to become my closest friends over the years and I am eternally grateful for their ongoing spiritual support down the years.

We arrived at Capernwray at the crack of dawn. Most of the guests were still in bed. I recall wandering wideeyed around “the castle” wondering what on earth I had come to. On peering into the lounge, despite the early hour, there was a group of “teddy boys” all from the East End of London, engaged in a Bible study. Their group leader had led them all to Christ that summer. What a sight. There they sat, Bibles in hands, dressed in their knee-length jackets, drainpipe trousers, bootlace ties, DA haircuts and high crêpe-soled shoes. I started to relax. I was very impressed.

Over the next few days, through the combined ministries of Major Ian Thomas, Stuart Briscoe, L.A.T. Van Dooren, Dr John Hunter and Billy Strachan, I was to learn all about the indwelling Christ, and how to really live the victorious Christian life dependent upon Him. What a release.

During those early years at Capernwray, there was no swimming pool, sports hall or conference hall. We held all our meetings in the library in the main building, and the pre-meeting wisecracks across the room between Major, Stuart and Billy still live on in my memory. The central heating was less than adequate, and very often we washed in the morning in freezing cold water, sleeping on strawfilled ex-army mattresses with lumpy pillows. But it was wonderful.

Pillow fights in the dorms always preceded sleep, with Major Thomas very often storming up the stairs to ascertain whether or not we were wrecking the place, and threatening to send us home. He never did. One night a previous group had a rotten apple fight. The dorm walls were covered in apple mess. Up the stairs he came. He was not amused. Instantly everyone was asleep. The next morning the place looked like a bomb had hit it. We were late getting up, and so didn’t have time to clean the walls before going to the meeting. When we came back to the dorm it was spotless. We found out later that Major had come in and cleaned it all up whilst we were in the meeting. He never said a word. We never did it again, but we loved him. That single act of kindness and caring changed lives.

Throughout my youth and early twenties I revisited Capernwray Hall many times, benefitting from its ministry; and when I married Dale it became our joint spiritual home. Capernwray’s message has remained unaltered, because biblical truth and its application to our lives does not change.

In recent years I was approached to become a CMFOT board member, and this has afforded me the opportunity to put back into the Fellowship at least a little of all that it has given me over the years. Occasionally, if I am there during the Bible school terms, when the students are gathered for a break in the main hallway, I’ll climb to the top of the stairs and gaze down on them. Then I’ll quietly thank God for all the changes He is working out in their lives, some willingly, others mentally kicking and screaming during the process. This is what Capernwray is all about.