Hywel George is a pastor in Wales.
When did you trust Christ?
I was convicted of sin as a child and longed to be saved. When I was eight years old, I was singing a song in church that included the line 'Jesus crucified for me'. Quite unexpectedly, I was overcome with the knowledge and assurance that Jesus had died for my sins. I've never had reason to doubt that this experience was my conversion or the gift of assurance.
What have been the defining moments of your Christian walk?
Growing up in a church where the Bible is preached has shaped me the most. Going to University was a difficult few years where my health suffered; the Lord's faithfulness in supporting me in that time was formative. When I was young, I lost a close friend who had been a pillar in my life. The pain of that was immense, but Jesus held me and carried me through it. When I was working away from home for a year, I attended the local church. For the first time, I was given the opportunity to minister the Word in a Bible study. The following Sunday, an officer in the church prompted me to consider whether I was called of the Spirit to ministry. I resisted this for some time, but about a year later, I found myself preaching and later left my job as a hospital pharmacist to become a pastor.
What do you hope to gain from participating?
I hope to gain a broader appreciation of how big the Church is and how impactful it can be on a continental scale. I also expect the Forum will plug me into resources and networks, which I can bless with my gifts and from which I can draw to bless the flock here in Maesycwmmer and Wales. It will teach me skills and equip me in ways that I would not be able to achieve by myself, due to blind spots and having so few leaders around me.
What is your ministry?
I pastor the church in Maesycwmmer, a small village in South Wales. Most of the work is ministering the Word in preaching and teaching. It is a difficult place to minister, because there is so much family dysfunction and unbelief. Despite the hardness of heart in the village, the church has nearly tripled in size over the last few years. I also try to write books and record my teaching on a podcast to enhance the ministry locally.
Why should someone invest in your ministry?
This village church is my first pastorate, I'm a few years in and it's blooming. Many have been converted and been baptised. Yet I am aware that I am quickly approaching my peak and soon will reach a point in which it will be difficult to continually grow. I also have so few leaders around me to pour into a minister like me. I am excited at the prospect of drawing on the Forum's pool of leadership and skill to grow my spiritual gifts and skills so that I can be the best pastor I can for the people Jesus has entrusted to me. I am also actively trying to acquire sufficient resources and experience so that when the time comes I am most ready to pour myself into training and equipping the next generation of pastors.
