Northern Soul

Would it bother you if your vicar or pastor was a former skinhead, punk-rocker and football hooligan? What about your Sunday School teacher? For that matter, what about St Paul who was a persecutor of Christians and then had them thrown into prison, or Moses who murdered a man?

This is a timely modern story of how God chooses sinners, any of us, and makes them into saints for his glory. David O'Brien was a least likely candidate for church leadership but God had his eye on him from his childhood amidst the ordinary working class culture of Greater Manchester.

Having appointed David to be a vicar in Shropshire, I was alarmed when his Criminal Record Bureau form came back with 'stuff' on it. To my relief, it was related to his former hooligan past: 'Drunk and Disorderly' and 'Criminal Damage'. When I suggested he could go to a particular town in Shropshire, he replied, "I can’t go there; that's where the incident happened!"

This is a book that shows how God can turn lives around. If God can reach the Davids of this world, He can reach anyone. An inspirational story and a compelling read, this is ideal for encouraging Christians, spiritual seekers and those who have never heard the Gospel.

God chooses unlikely people to be his messengers and I am delighted to have David serving as a vicar in Shrewsbury.

I highly recommend this book to you.

Mark Rylands
Bishop of Shrewsbury

This is not just a good story written by a fine storyteller but also a down-to-earth, honest yet sensitive look at a young life that in the midst of difficult circumstances finds not an answer but the answer. It is inspiring, impacting and talks about his journey to and with God in a very real and clear way. "I believe in a God I never expected to meet." There is something extraordinary about the naturalness of the story, in which we not only see the grace of God coming to a lonely young man but also the way in which God comes close to David and his family in the very difficult times they faced. I commend the book to you. Read it with an open heart.

Revd Steve Hepden
Pentecostal Pastor and International Speaker