RAF pilot shares his experiences at church

Ian was interviewed by Pastor Val English who is the speaker at the special “Missing Peace” events running in the church on Sundays throughout November.

Brought up in Oxford, England, Ian Ferguson told of his disappointment at failing his 11+ exams and attempting GCSE English six times. But he added, “I decided that my life was worth something and that I wanted to prove my worth.”

His life’s goal was to fly the latest fighter jet and after three years he passed his English GCSE but over a period of 10 years he was turned down repeatedly for training as a pilot. “My dream died”, he concluded.

Until Ian was introduced to his wife-to-be, Elizabeth, he said, “I never met a Christian and nobody told me about Jesus.”

She explained to him what he had never heard before, “To become a true Christian is to have a relationship with God through Jesus Christ.”

Ian gradually understood that Jesus demonstrated His love to Him, “by dying on the cross to pay for the rubbish that I was carrying in my heart and in my life”

Subsequently he committed his life to Jesus Christ as he prayed for forgiveness in his own room in the officers’ mess.

In the course of the interview, Ian vividly shared how his life was spared five seconds before the phantom jet he was piloting crashed at 600mph. There was complete silence among the congregation as they listened intently to the dramatic account of that moment when he pushed the button of the ejection seat.

He holds the “RAF record for the combined lowest and fastest survivable ejection.”

Since that time Ian has gone on the gain a BD Hons, pastor churches in England and is currently Chaplain to the Cornerstone Healthcare Network in Blackburn.

“The Missing Peace” events continue on Sundays in Lisburn Baptist during November. On Sunday evening November 20 Marion Reid from Antrim will share how she “discovered peace through the Bible” and Peter Mander will be the soloist.

At the concluding “Missing Peace” event on Sunday November 27 at 6.30pm, Val English will tell how from the early influence of atheism his life was completely changed by God. Soloist will be Denver Wilson.