A visit with the Pawsons...

Our first adventure saw us finding the hide-a-way house of our dear friends, David and Enid Pawson in a semi-rual location south-west of London. It was a real joy to see them and to hear the freshness of these self-confessed ‘matue-aged’ people. David told us of some of the things he had been doing and introduced us to some of the more than 20? books that had been added to the 1200 audio and video tapes he had made and that now are listened to in every corner of the earth. He told us that because some of his videotaped teaching series were now used on television, he was effectuively preaching/teaching 24 hours a day – even while he is asleep!

That’s not bad for a bloke in his seventies! But then Enid and he had just been on a holiday in the USA and had been on a bus tour that meant every day they were woken at 6 am with a call at 7 am to ensure their bags were packed ready for the bus and then they had till the 8 am call to have breakfast and get on the bus for the days adventure.

David gave us a copy of the book he was never going to write. ‘David Pawson – not as bad as the truth’ and subtitled, ‘Memoirs of an Unorthodox Evangelical’ is a unique honest autobiograhy which traces the life, adventures and struggles of a quiet man, a gentle friend of Jesus who is much like a lion. It is a moving read. Anyone who has listened to David’s tapes or known him just a little will remember some of the events and stories. As ever, he is the master story teller.

Kevin certainly laughed at some of the story as he read the book, but he was moved to tears again and again and yet thrilled to read the account of a man who walked creatively and obediently with the Living God.

We thought of the time over twenty years ago when David was staying in our home sitting on the floor swapping riddles with our children and the time when Kevin was driving David to the airport and was so engrossed in conversation that he slowed down and while David didn’t miss his flight to Canberra, when he did address the Parlimentary Christian Fellowship he did so in the clothes he travelled in, as his luggage didn’t catch the flight. We are a few amongst many who have grown to know Father better through the clear uncompromising biblical teachng of this lovely man. It was our great joy to see David and Enid on this journey.