Meet Jonny Tate, Diocesan Evangelist
I grew up in a rural church–going family, but in all those years of sitting in church I had never met with the person of Jesus Christ. As an adult I wandered through life and became more and more lost. I went round and round in circles searching for truth about myself and the world around me but always arrived back where I began, each time feeling a little emptier than before.
In 2008 I was 30 years old and out of steam! One day my older brother shared the Gospel with me as we worked together in his yard. He had just become a Christian after doing a course called Christianity Explored. At first I laughed and said sarcastically, “Well done, sure I’m a Christian too!” I didn’t know that I actually had no peace with God. That afternoon as we talked about atonement, I came face to face with Jesus. I remember thinking, “Finally, this is the truth!”
In the years that followed God continued rebuilding my ruined walls, but He also put a stone in my shoe. I had nagging questions like ”What about other people? Don’t they need to hear the truth too? If no one tells them how will they know?” My wife Gill and I moved to a new church where I talked to our rector about what the Lord was doing in my life. Not long after this I found myself on the Evangelism Training Course!
While on the course, Gill and I moved house twice, we welcomed our first child Robin into the world and I changed career twice. It was an exhilarating, exhausting, beautiful season which the Lord used to build our faith. God provided knowledge, skills and experience through the Evangelism Training Course, preparing and equipping me for my current full time position as Mission and Operations Co–ordinator at Bangor Parish Church. I loved every second of it!
I am married to my wonderful best friend Gill, we have a son called Robin and a baby girl on the way later this year (2021).