Our Pastor

Hi, I’m Grant Lawley, the Pastor of Ruiton Congregational Church.

Thank you for taking the time to look through our website.

Below is a brief introduction to myself and my family and how

we came to be serving the Lord here at Ruiton CC.

 

I am married to Emma and we have two children, Liam and Faith.

I was born in Birmingham where I spent one half of my life, but moved

over to the Black Country in my mid twenties where I have been for

20 years now. I was raised in a non-religious home, with my only

understanding of the Christian faith being what I heard in Religious

Education lessons at school. I began an apprenticeship when I was

18 years old in accident damage repair of motor vehicles. I completed

the course and went on to be an Accident and Repair Specialist for 

17 years. I was always reasonably fit growing up and when I began

full time work I decided to try a local kick-boxing class to improve my

fitness. I took to kick-boxing like a fish to water and with the

encouragement of my trainer I went on to train full-contact and enter

competitions. In 2005, I won a Midland title and in 2006 won a British title. 

My last fight was to a crowd of 3000 people at the largest martial arts show in

the country at Birmingham NEC. Despite being at my peak I knew that this was my last

fight. Through my twenties there was a much bigger fight I was going to deal with, it was a

fight only I knew about, it was a fight which led me to discover my true purpose in life. For years I was internally struggling to find purpose and joy and nothing I tried, sought or obtained was able to fulfill this searching.

 

I had many dark times and thoughts throughout those years and had tried different avenues such as kick boxing, money, alcohol, relationships, and even drugs to escape the darkness.  I went to places and did things that brought much shame and guilt upon me, I was an angry young man and treated people in a way that did not consider their feelings. My heart was in a bad place but I never knew how to get out of that darkness.

 

It was in 2007 when my partner, who is now my wife Emma, saw an advert in the local newspaper for a Church of England church plant that was aiming to attract young people back to church. Our son was 5 years old at this time and Emma felt a draw back to church as she wanted our son to experience the friendly community she had growing up with by attending church each week. Emma was raised differently to myself, she went to an Anglo-Catholic church every Sunday and attended primary and secondary Catholic schools as a child. She would have said she was religious and knew lots about the Bible and could repeat the creeds and liturgy with ease. Although she thought she was a Christian, she was culturally a Christian. Emma stopped going to church when she was around 14.

 

Emma showed me an advert for the church service and my response was to just laugh at the thought of going to church. I was a convicted atheist and couldn’t care less about attending a church, the idea to me was absurd. Emma continued to push for us to go, more so for our son, to have good people around him and for him to be part of a friendly community. It was one Sunday a month to begin with so I decided it wouldn’t kill me if I went along.

 

We went to the first service and I came away thinking 'these people seem nice and caring, but what a bunch of lunatics!' I found it strange to think that they actually believed they were talking to a being who created them. I told Emma on leaving that I would not be going back, but she somehow talked me around each month. Eventually, I began to listen to what was being said and heard things about Jesus I had never heard before.  I considered that it all sounded great - it was real for them and it didn’t hurt anyone but deep down I wanted to prove that God didn’t exist after all.  I decided to ask the Pastor around one evening so I could ask him a list of questions I had prepared, totally convinced that I was going to stump him and cause him to give up the crazy thought that he was talking to God.

 

That night, my life changed forever. To cut a long story short, what I considered as complete fantasy became real to me. Everything that was missing from my life, the questions I could not find answers to were answered that night. My purpose? Why I am here? Where I am going when I die? That evening, I met the One and Only Person who could answer those questions and the One who could release me from the guilt and burden I was carrying, from all the sinful things I had done in my life.

 

For the first time, I saw Jesus with eyes I didn’t have before, I heard Him calling me to Himself through the gospel and I saw the cross for what it really was. That night, myself and Emma received Jesus, confessed Him as our Lord, Saviour and God and received the forgiveness of sins. Our lives where changed forever and have never been the same since.

 

Since that time, I had a confirmed calling from God into ministry so I quit my job, spent 4 years at Bible college, planted a church, merged churches, revitalised a church and now I'm here at Ruiton CC, by God's grace. All the time looking back and seeing God’s hand leading our steps.

 

Now, as the Pastor of Ruiton CC, my desire is exactly the same as it was from the night of our conversion; to share with people the good news that sins are forgiven through Jesus and to see individuals, families and a community transformed by the amazing grace and Spirit of our Saviour and God, Jesus Christ.

 

Hopefully you find the website interesting and informative. It would be great to hear from you and meet you. Maybe you are looking for the answers I was and have tried the things of this world but have never been satisfied? Why not get in touch or come along one Sunday, Ruiton CC would love to see you. Allow us to introduce you to our wonderful and awesome God. 

Every Blessing, Pastor Grant Lawley.