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JACQUES
Hi,
I was born in Bathurst, New Brunswick, Canada. My parents were practising Roman Catholics. My first introduction to an understanding of the organization was in grade one reading the catechism. I remember distinctly reading "Remember the Sabbath to keep it Holy." The Sabbath it was explained was the seventh day. I knew that the seventh day was Saturday and that the church observed Sunday. I was shocked and appalled.
I continued to attend church with my family but would usually faint during services. Around the age of twelve I stopped attending. For the next decade or so I was influenced by sex, drugs and rock and roll. In my mid twenties I decided to read the Bible for myself, to see what was in it and what was not. After reading it from cover to cover I found myself in need of instruction. I visited various congregations to hear what they preached. I listened to various television evangelists. I allowed the Jehovah Witness to come into my home for a while. These people knew a lot about the Bible, they read it. However they taught things and attitudes that I did not believe in so I asked them to stay away.
Finally in December 1983 I came upon The Plain Truth magazine published by Herbert W. Armstrong and the Worldwide Church of God. This magazine and its advertised other publications really opened my mind to understanding. I read everything I could get my hands on printed by this Church. Then in 1984 I began attending services and requested to be baptized.
I was baptized in 1985 by one minister and put out by a new minister latter that same year. For the next few years I knew of no other organization that genuinely taught about the Kingdom of God, Biblical truth. Then I found the Church Of God International with Garner Ted Armstrong. I learned that he also had been put out of the Worldwide Church of God. It was comforting to know that he did not believe in putting people out for no good reason and that he had yet to find reason to put anyone out.
After a few years with CGI I became troubled and left. Shortly thereafter a schism occurred in that organization. Latter I was diagnosed with schizophrenia. A brother, Simon Post, had heart failure, fell from a ladder, broke his neck and became a quadriplegic. I visited him in the hospital on the Sabbath for the better part of five years. He died.
Since 1984 I have been observing the Sabbath and the seven Holy Days, sometimes with others, sometimes by myself. In October 2002 I began congregating with the United Church Of God. The minister there happens to be the one who baptized me.