Terry & Jill Eckersley

Today I talk to evangelists Terry & Jill Eckersley

Terry has written the book Born Ready. He lives in the North of England with his wife Jill. Terry became a Christian in 1992 after a powerful conversion from a cycle of brokenness, drugs, crime and prison, this then led to healing and total redemption into extraordinary success. He was the CEO of a Christian Charity. 

https://www.terryeckersley.org/

Transcript

Nicola: Welcome to Coldwater Podcast. I’m Nicola Halton. We all know the importance of getting out there and doing a great work for Jesus. In this podcast we will learn more about the people who are involved in changing lives for good for God. I would like to welcome Terry and Jill Eckersley to Coldwater Podcast. Hello Terry and Jill.

Terry & Jill: Hello

Nicola: Terry, this is a question for you. You are an evangelist. What does being an evangelist mean to you?

Terry: Great, well it’s an honour to be with you tonight. We are excited to be with you, we are excited to be sharing with you and all the listeners. So that’s the first thing. What does it mean to me to be an evangelist? It means to be an evangel – that’s someone who shares good news, so I share the good news of the gospel. Which is the simple – it’s very simple. The simplicity of the gospel is God loved us to much he sent Jesus to die that we might be forgiven and reconciled to God and not just have an eternity in heaven but have a God kind of life, a big life while we are on the earth. And that’s the first point of it. The second point is to mobilize other people to do the same. So the evangelist is a gift to the church, to mobilize the church to tell other people to share the gospel. So the evangelist brings the good news of the gospel to the church, to mobilize them. He brings the good news of the gospel to the unbeliever to see them converted, to turn around, to turn their lives around, receive Christ, receive power. Act 1:8 power and the evangelist moves in great power, Pentecostal power. So, so that’s the gift of the evangelist to start with. I could talk for a long time on it. 

Nicola: Yes that sounds great. Jill would you. What’s it like being married to an evangelist because you’re an evangelist yourself as well aren’t you. You are really. 

Jill: Well I suppose so yes. It’s not something that I … a label that has been put upon me, more so being married to one. It stirs that up more within you as well and I think I have probably always been involved in the worship and the worship leading and I think a lot of that is always going to be drawing people to Jesus, isn’t it.

Nicola: yes

Jill: Drawing people into the presence of God so I think it really starts... so it should touch everybody. Everybody really is an evangelist whether it’s the main gift or a part of being a Christian. 

Terry: Everybody… sorry to interrupt. Everybody is called to do the work of an evangelist but not everybody is an ascension gift evangelist.

Nicola: Yes

Terry: Ephesians 4

Nicola: Right thank you. I’m going to have to brush up on Ephesians 4, thank you so much. 

Terry: I’ll talk you through it if you like. Basically there is the risen Christ. 

Nicola: Yes

Terry: gave gifts to men and women and first he called apostles, pastors, prophets, teachers and evangelists. That’s called the 5 fold ministry and that’s to equip and mobilize, mature and unify the church so God gives us very special gifts, very unusual, very unique gifts to the body of Christ and they come in the shape and form of ascension gift ministries which the evangelist sits within that 5 fold ministry gifting. 

Nicola: That’s wonderful thank you, thank you 

Terry: You’re welcome.

Nicola: I can feel the anointing when you are speaking Terry, that’s…

Terry: So can I

Nicola: How did you become a Christian? I’ve read your book born ready, so I know how you became a Christian, but I think people may … who haven’t read your book, won’t know so I would like you to talk us though that. 

Terry: Ok 

Nicola: I mean I was born and raised Roman Catholic. I often say I was half Jew and half Roman Catholic, it’s the same as being a normal Jew and Roman Catholic but when you go into confession you take a lawyer with you. That’s funny! My dad died when I was 13, he was a good kind hardworking man, so was my mum, working class roots, Roman Catholics and when my dad died, I thought come on God’s meant to love me. My dad, you know, works all his life, I couldn’t spend more time with him cos he always did regular nightshifts, I only saw him in the mornings in the holidays so I felt very hurt and angry and abandoned and got in trouble and rebelling in school and out of school. And my life really went crazy of the rails, there were fits and starts and times when I would get a bit of stability and then go of the charts again. And erm an evangelist, he’s a pastor now but he was very on fire for God and he was telling people about Jesus on our council estate. Outside the nightclub I went to and he kept telling us about Jesus. Sharing the gospel, God loves us and he had no fear. I mean we were to be feared really cos we were in a gang you know, a drug gang and he told us the gospel and invited us into his home so hospitability, he loved to share the gospel and then one night after some friends and I had been fiddling around with drugs and a guy was fiddling around with the occult and I got freaked out and we went round to his house, knocked him up and we prayed a prayer of commitment where we asked Jesus to forgive us, come into our lives, we gave our lives to Him. I always say I didn’t really realise what I’d done, I knew what I’d done but I didn’t realise what Jesus did for us on the cross. And that was to happen 8 years later when I had a very powerful encounter with the Holy Spirit and through gifts of the Holy Spirit, through tongues and interpretation. That’s in 1 Corinthians 12 about the power gifts of the Holy Spirit and I needed power in my life because I was a hopeless drug addict and a friend of mine got the gift of tongues. And I got the gift of interpretation and it simply said, “Jesus died so that your sin can be forgiven.” And the power of God touched me, the whole room lit up, I was weeping. I was mightily saved but I only really started to find my feet two years later. So you can see how the gospel was working in me but it’s a journey you know. I see people now and on one side of their mouth, its interesting, and these are high profile people, I won’t name any at the moment, millions of millions of followers, hundreds of millions of pounds this guy has made and he says he’s a Christian and on one side of his mouth he’ll say what I’ve just said, “God loves you Jesus died for you.” On the other side he said, “and blankety blank blank blank,” and I just think, and some people would say he calls himself a Christian, he’s got a potty mouth, well think about our own journey, the grace of God, we’re growing in grace. 

Nicola: Yes

Terry: That’s why I am never discouraged when people come to Christ and I don’t see immediate fruit and change. 

Nicola: Yes 

Terry: Because I know the gospel is working and the word of God doesn’t return void, you know and we need to just trust in the Lord and the Spirit will work out in our salvation as well. 

Nicola: Well we are work in progress aren’t we, and I’ve been a Christian since I was 4 but it doesn’t mean but it doesn’t mean that I haven’t made mistakes or sinned or. You know so we are a work in progress. Jill how did you become a Christian. 

Jill: Yes a different story to Terry. 

Nicola: Yes

Jill: My parents became Christians when I was a baby so I was brought up in an Anglican Church a Spirit filled Anglican Church in the 70’s when we had drums, keyboards as well as traditional organs and things but I remember.. well my dad remembers praying with me which I don’t remember when I was about 5 but I do remember when I was about 8 being at the Sheffield City hall and there was an evangelist called David Watson speaking at the front. I don’t remember, really anything about the meeting apart from the building and the fact that I felt at the age of 8, I’d done some things wrong, I need to go forward and receive Jesus into my life. At the age of 8 I went down to the front that night and dedicated my life publicly to the Lord, so its’ interesting isn’t it that some may think that children make an early decision which I did at 5 there and did it publicly when I was 8, that children know and they are being drawn by the Holy Spirit as well so I love it, if children want to come forward and receive Christ, it doesn’t matter how many times they go, let them go. 

Nicola: That’s it.

Jill: until we know they have got it. So I praise God that I was brought up in a Godly family really that kept me in many ways, I’m very grateful for that. 

Nicola: And both testimonies are very precious both very different and we have got to honour the testimonies of everybody really. The book… I’ve reads your book Born Ready, it’s a lovely book, it’s really good fun, it’s really good to read. But life wasn’t easy, erm you know, you talk about the Catholic Church, being an altar boy, losing your father, the drugs and the YMCA so it’s a journey, it’s a big journey. Why are you.. How are you so positive now? Because you are very positive even though you went through all of that? 

Terry: Am I positive? How do you know I am positive? 

Nicola: I think you come across very positive and I can see that you are, yes.

Terry: Thank you. I think, how and why am I so positive, because.. How obviously by the Grace of God and also by choice, that it’s a choice, that being positive and living by faith and choosing the joy of the Lord and magnifying the Lord daily in our lives, it’s a choice. So we can either choose to live in Christ daily or we can choose to live in Crisis daily. We can either live in thanksgiving or we can live in grumbling and moaning and winging, we can either magnify the Lord or magnify circumstances. So I’ve chosen to do that. So I’ve chosen every day, like the bible says in Corinthians.. in Thessalonians sorry where it says, that if you want to know the will of God, it’s really simple, It’s pray without ceasing, rejoice and give thanks in all circumstances for this is God’s will for you and me in Christ Jesus so people are always mystical. You find a lot of Christians mystical about the will of God well really the will of God is right now, pray without ceasing, rejoice and give thanks in all circumstances so this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus so it’s really a choice to be positive. 

Nicola: Yes

Terry: it’s really a choice so people can think, “Terry’s such a positive person, he’s positive, he’s got this amazing gift of super positivity. Well part of it is a gift cos I have got a gift of faith but it’s a choice. 

Nicola: Yes. It is a choice. 

Terry: It’s a choice to be positive.

Nicola: I’m pleased I have asked that question because you have answered it brilliantly. 

Terry: Thank you

Nicola: Can you tell me a bit about your church. 

Terry: You can yeah. It was interesting because God called me as an evangelist and I know the time, the date because it was when my mum went home to be with the Lord and I knew she wasn’t well  and I was in a meeting and the Lord spoke to me and he said he had called me as an evangelist. My walk would be lonely at times, like that of Abraham and Moses because of the gift he has placed on my life. He would be my comforter and there was a blueprint for my life. So I really, I knew that a gift of faith came with that word that I received. 

Nicola: yes

Terry: and I mean I was already an evangelist. Prophecy confirms what you feel in your heart and God, you know, what he is just doing in you. He just affirms line upon line, so he affirmed what I was doing and brought more power and focus for years and years and years and I was always functioning in that gift. And then about 5 or 6 years ago, 6 years ago January coming after really getting in and around revival, the power of God and seeing the glory of God in revival in new ways and receiving a fresh impartation, I though that’s great. This is what I believe God for, I’ve got a new impartation of power now, that’s it, and a few days later God spoke to us again and said I’ve called you to start a beach head church in the North of England, you’ll see great revival, thousands, will come, you’ll train evangelists and the money shall flow. So if you want to know about our church, we are a beach head, you can know what that is in a minute if you want..

Nicola: yes

Terry: In the North of England. We are seeing and we are going to see even greater revival, we are training evangelists and the money shall flow, the provision shall flow, so that’s what kind of church we are, a “beach head.” So I’ll explain what a beach head is, it’s when an army invades other territory, gets up the beach and then the troops come in and the tanks and they set up a beach head, which is a military organisation and operational centre. They go out and take the rest of the land through military strategy. So that’s what God has called us to build, a beach head church, with beach head Christians, with beach head mentality. So we are an army but we are a family as well. 

Nicola: yes

Terry: So but we are really into the great command, love God with everything, love our neighbour as ourself with everything and fulfil the great commission and not just talk about it but actually do it you know. 

Nicola: Wonderful thank you.. thank you Terry. 

Terry: You are welcome. 

Nicola: I thought it was lovely seeing you and Jill having a chat and it was wonderful during lockdown on the sofa and you really encouraged me. Did you find lockdown a challenge?

Terry: I think..I chose to again, because I was meant to go to I think it was Sweden , or Norway, anyway Scandinavia the week before and they invited me to this Christian TV show over there and I was going to go and I was going for 3 days, 3 nights but they wanted me to go for a week and I said, “I can’t really come for a week,” because I wanted to take Jill and he was really, well we want you for a week. “Well I can’t do a week,” So in the end I said, “love you, we’ll come again bless you and whatever,” so again rather than just thinking, “oh I’ve prepared, I was going to go, it would be great.” I thought I’d do nightly broadcasts from home. 

Nicola: Yes

Terry:  and so I was ready to do that and may have done and so the lockdown hit and you know the pandemic news hit so I thought, “right what I’m going to do is what I do with everything. I’m going to crank it up a level,  when the enemy comes in like a flood He raises up a standard by the power of his blood and we are the standard so I thought, “well I’m going to do 2 broadcasts a day, morning and night, to be honest for us, Lord have mercy, the lockdown, we were doing 2 broadcasts a day, every day for nearly 3 months. 

Nicola: yes

Jill: between  8 and 10 weeks, I think there was a number of people where I think it was all a bit of a huge shock. 

Terry: She’s asking us, was it a challenge for us.

Jill: We found a lot of people were really appreciative because it was a whole sort of wow! Nobody expected that to happen, obviously we didn’t expect it to happen either but it was a blessing cos we were able to then .. 

Terry: minister encourage and help people.

Jill: yes and support people because we had feedback from people saying it was a lifesaver to people, that they were totally cut off from all of their family that we brought hope and a focus to the day and that was a joy to hear that back as well so.. 

Nicola: It was lovely. It was really encouraging. 

Terry: We got a rhythm. We had breakfast at the morning broadcast, then went for a walk, then had a sleep, then it was evening broadcast. We had a good rhythm and a good pace and it was a blessing, we did an evangelism academy, we launched on online bible academy then, I wrote two books in lockdown. I’ve released one, I’ve got another one just being proof edited now so you know, we don’t need to put our lives on hold when the kingdom of God is never on hold. We have got to found in specially in days like this, creative, innovative ways of bringing the gospel, building church, ministering to people, you know. We have got to do creative, innovative ways. A great opportunity for us. 

Nicola: It was great, really was. As an evangelist, what is your biggest challenge and why would you want people to know Jesus?

Terry: As an evangelist my biggest challenge is really, learning to rest and stop. 

Nicola: Yes ok

Terry: because I can just get so focussed, with vision, with calling, with anointing, with power, that I can just go, go, go, go, go, go, go. Your body can’t take it. 

Nicola: Yes

Terry: So I’m learning now to pace and rest. I’ve just had a couple of days rest really but especially with mobile phones now, I’ve got to learn to turn it off and rest and watch a movie and chill out and you know, go for a walk and do whatever, so the greatest challenge for me as an evangelist, is looking after myself, self care. I’d say. 

Nicola: Yes

Terry: What was the next part of the question?

Nicola: It was, why would you want people to know Jesus?

Terry: Ok

Nicola: Yes

Terry: by the way do you like the way I am answering your questions? 

Nicola: I love it. 

Terry: Preaching the latest revelation am I? People do that don’t they. 

Nicola: Well I don’t know not here they don’t. 

Terry: Are you sure, I’ve listened to some of your interviews. What really ticks me off is when you interview people and they just go off on tangents. Why do I want people to know Jesus? Because I see people where they are at and I see that everybody needs salvation, redemption, and healing, and power, and a new life, there’s an eternity, there is a hell to shun and a heaven to gain but it’s just something that burns within you and it is something that never leaves you and it is something that… I mean Jill will tell you, we can be doing anything and everything and the gospel just flows out of me and I’ll lead people to Christ like a greengrocer would sell vegetables. Its just what happens. Why would I want it? Because it is just a precious soul and you see that people need love, the power of God and then of course then with that comes all the benefits of salvation, peace, joy, righteousness, healing, provision, you know. It’s just a glorious thing, the gift of salvation and it needs to be shared. 

Nicola: It does. That’s why I was drawn to you anyway Terry because I know that you have got a heart for people and that does come through in everything you do so thank you. Yes. Well thank you. I think you have answered all my questions. I just really appreciate you being here. Is there anything else that you feel that you would like to say. 

Terry: We can pray for people before we go. I mean if any one wants to know anything about us, they can find us at www.terryeckersley.org we are on google and they can find us at www.rivernetwork.church its really simple and on social media where people can easily, easily find us and if people want to ask any questions or jump onto one of our streams, we are going to be relaunching soon so we are going to have some good regional and national conferences. We are going to have some great, great events. That people can come along to. 

Nicola: Wonderful thank you Terry. 

Terry: Do you want me to pray before you go. 

Nicola: Yes I do that would be excellent thank you. 

Terry: ok for anybody who is watching this broadcast its really simple if you want to become a Christian, all you need to do is basically say you are sorry. Because we have all gone our own way, we have all sinned and fallen short of the glory of God and the wages of sin is death but the gift of God is eternal life so we just want to offer you that gift right now. And anybody else, Christians, and all, if you feel you just want to come closer to the Lord. If anybody needs a healing, or deliverance, or power just receive this right now and we will all pray together. Dear Lord Jesus.

Jill and Nicola: Dear Lord Jesus

Terry: We come to you now.

Jill and Nicola: We come to you now. 

Terry: Cleanse us with your blood. 

Jill and Nicola: Cleanse us with your blood. 

Terry: Forgive us for going our own way.

Jill and Nicola: Forgive us for going our own way.

Terry: We put you first in our lives. 

Jill and Nicola: We put you first in our lives. 

Terry: Thank you for saving me. 

Jill and Nicola: Thank you for saving me. 

Terry: Thank you for healing me. 

Jill and Nicola: Thank you for healing me.

Terry: Thank you for filling me with your power. 

Jill and Nicola: Thank you for filling me with your power. 

Terry: Even now.

Jill and Nicola: Even now. 

Terry: In Jesus name. 

Jill and Nicola: In Jesus name. 

Terry: and just start to thank Him for it right now. That’s the power of God coming in you as people are getting healed and set free and delivered and empowered. In the name of Jesus by the Holy Spirit and we thank you for it Lord, we bless you, in Jesus mighty name Amen. 

Nicola: Thank you, thank you so much Terry. Thank you

Terry: You’re welcome. Love you, bless you 

Nicola: God bless. Thank you for listening to the Cold Water Podcast. Please remember to subscribe and join next week.