UK Pastor Takes GC Session Morning Devotional

Victor Hulbert - BUC Communications

"You were doing an excellent job. Your presentation was very clear", former GC President Pastor Jan Paulsen told Grantham pastor, John Ferguson, following his Monday morning devotional on the platform of the Georgia Dome in Atlanta, Georgia, and relayed around the world on the Hope Channel. Unfortunately his presentation was cut short approximately one third of the way through his personal dramatisation of the story of The Prodigal Son. He had just finished the section on the prodigal's father when, John says, he suddenly came out in a sweat and then fainted.

John was immediately checked by first-aiders backstage, and as a precaution Dr Allan Handysides, director of the GC Health Ministries department recommended that he should visit the local hospital as a precaution where he was given the all clear. John emphasised that he wants to let everybody know that he is fully recovered, and thanks people for their prayers, messages and support. He is also particularly grateful to Pastor Paulsen who was backstage at the time. Paulsen told him that he had been "very clear", and that he had "nothing to be embarrassed about". Paulsen's pastoral concern was very precious to John, along with the careful spontaneous statement that the former president made to the delegates just a few moments later.

A combination of the high heat and humidity outside, the air conditioning inside, and the nerves of preaching at such a high profile gathering appeared to have combined to cut short his very powerful message.

John is not the first preacher to faint in a high profile location. Daniel Duda told BUC News that the session's Friday evening preacher had also fainted on two separate occasions in his large congregation in April and May of this year. While such instances are embarrassing for the individual they also give opportunity for members and friends to express their support, and to remind us of a God who never faints or grows weary.