Converted!

Throughout the 1980s and 1990s I had been involved with various cults and other religious groups.

The first was with an ultra-conservative group who it seems tends to suppress every spiritual manifestation, and paranormal experiences were seen in a bad light. Yet for some reason I seemed to be drawn to this group, I really don't know why.

I had been going to the youth group attached to this group for a number of years, and I had been approached on a number of occasions to "convert" to this group, to be as they say "born again". I rejected their advances every time but I kept on going to the youth group.

One Friday night back in May 1983 the youth group attended one of a series of special "crusades" meetings in town aimed at gaining converts to the faith. I went along with them.

The time for the "altar call" came, that is, the appeal to the audience for the "unconverted" to come forward and be "converted" or "born again". At this time, a very strange feeling came over me, it was most decidedly "paranormal" which is remarkable for a group the rejected all that is "paranormal"!!

Suddenly I found myself standing at the front along with hundreds of other potential converts, and I thought to myself, "What's the heck I am doing here!!??" Yet there I stood, seemingly unable to move or go back to my seat. Indeed I felt that I WANTED to be there, which is definitely NOT how I'd normally react to such a situation.

Well the "conversion" process duly took place, which was nothing more than a simple prayer containing the words of repentance from past deeds, the promise of leading a better life, and embracing Jesus as one's Lord and Savior. This is supposedly the process of being "born again".

Then I was overcome with total emotions.... I could neither speak nor move too much as the counsellor attempted to talk with me in the room behind the altar.

Whatever happened there, it really affected me, changing my outlook on life..... I started attending their Sunday morning worship meetings with this group. I was baptised in water, that is, by full immersion, some four months later.

I was to continue with this group for another four years, until I was excommunicated from them.....

I will explain later why I was excommunicated from them.