It was at a crossroads in his life that Fermanagh man Jeff Ritchie decided to follow Jesus, having “walked away” from Him for a time.

The well-known figure, who works as a gardener, will be one of a number of speakers who will share their ‘real stories’ at Fermanagh Christian Fellowship’s forthcoming ‘At The Crossroads Week.’ Having got saved on October 13, 2013, Jeff acknowledges the change that has taken place in his life and says he wants to tell others.

Raised in a Christian home in a rural area of Fermanagh, Jeff experienced a very traumatic life changing event with the tragic death of his dad in 1980.

He recalls that shortly after that his mother invited him to accompany her to a Gospel meeting. At that Gospel meeting he remembers “making a commitment to God” but within a short time he “fell into the snares this old world offers.” He openly admits, he “walked away from God, God did not walk away from him.” From about 2012, Jeff found that that he was ‘dissatisfied’ with his life. He spoke about being at party nights and nights out and getting “a buzz for the night,” but “the next day felt totally empty.” His brother invited him to go to Elim Church in Brookeborough to attend a meeting in March 2013. “Darryl Kidd was the speaker,” recalls Jeff, who adds: “That is where I started to be really convicted. I had stopped going to Church altogether from about 2012.” In his words, he had “no interest.” Around March 2013, he said that he started going to Fermanagh Christian Fellowship through his wife Suzi; at that time it was located in Belmore Street, Enniskillen. It was once he was in FCF that again he says he ‘could feel this conviction’. “I knew my life was not right,” indicated Jeff, adding: “I knew if I was to die I would not go to heaven.” In September 2013, Jeff and Suzi were in Belfast for a weekend and they went along to the Whitewell Tabernacle.

An American speaker, Jeff Lowder was on a week’s mission, explained Jeff, who had intended to go on home on the Sunday night but remained until Monday night.

“He made an appeal for anyone who felt that God was calling them to come forward,” remembers Jeff, who was sitting in the balcony.

“I had my face in my hands and was in tears but did not go forward,” he revealed. “God was convicting me but I was still saying ‘no’. I could hear Him calling me but I was still saying ‘no’. I was still hanging onto the world.” In October 2013, he went to Bible Study at FCF. “I had not been to a Bible study in decades,” disclosed Jeff.

He says that he went to the front door of FCF, put his hand on the door handle, “turned and walked away” and headed down the nearby entry. “God was telling me to go back, but I felt the devil was telling me to go home,” confessed Jeff.

It was a man coming down the entry who said ‘hello’ to Jeff, whom he says snapped him out of ‘where he was’. He went into the meeting and it was there that a man, whom he knew had been like him, was talking about the Bible.

“I could not believe the change in his life,” felt Jeff. And as he left the meeting he says he touched Stephen Scott’s arm on the way out and said to him “pray for me.” Stephen said he would do it “right now”, according to Jeff, who says they went to the back of the hall and chatted and “there were tears.” They prayed and Jeff says Stephen told him “if you are serious in what you are saying, ask God and he will lead you.” The next day Jeff was out in his van and he had brought with him his old Bible from the Postal Bible School from 1969.

“I sat at the steering wheel of the van just praying - show me something in your word that will speak to me.” Job 10, verse one, ‘my soul is weary of my life’ came to him. “To me that was God speaking to me,” felt Jeff, who in subsequent days was to be influenced by Job 11, 15 and 16. “It was just saying let the whole lot go,” said Jeff, adding that he did not need “the world’s crutches to hang on to.” On Sunday, October 13, he went to FCF; Arthur Williams was speaking on the Holy Spirit. “At the end of the meeting I went up and spoke to Arthur and I bowed my head and I asked the Lord Jesus into my life. I just felt a supernatural experience wash over me from the top of my head to the soles of my feet. That morning I took Communion for the first time in a long, long time.” He and his son, Gareth, were among a number of people who were baptised at a recent FCF Baptism Service, when Jeff’s 91-year-old mother Maud had travelled from Cookstown. “It was tremendous that she could be there,” believes Jeff, adding it was “an answer to her prayers.” Having become saved, he wants to serve the Lord. “You get saved and stuck, or get saved and get stuck in,” is the message which motivates him. “I want to tell others about the change in my life and what the Lord Jesus can do in your life,” mentions Jeff, who previously gave his testimony at FCF in February last year and will be the speaker on the first night of At The Crossroads Week.

Jeff’s story on March 30, will be followed by Mark Taggart’s story on March 31; Sinead Adair on April 1; Sandra Irvine, April 2; and David Marshall, April 3. Each evening there will be Easter Meditation after the testimonies, and the event will conclude on Sunday morning, April, 5.