Hello, my name is Don Berry.
For the last 30 odd years I've been the senior leader of Gateway Church here in
Hamilton, but my roots go back to my times in
Martin.
I have many memories of that time and I want to share some of them with you.
I want to begin by extending my congratulations and greetings to you and
I trust that your celebration is is going well.
Karen and I began attending Wanganui Assembly of God back in 1972.
There were a number of people who are coming across from Martin to join those
services, and we heard that there was going to be
potentially a church plant in what was their hometown.
Both Karen and I were born and raised in Martin,
and obviously we're very interested in the fact that there might be a
Pentecostal church in our in our town.
So we began to find out about that group and attended the first inaugural
inaugural Home group, I think it was in 1972 in Ahura St.
which is of course just off Station Road where you guys are now.
I remember it being in a school, teachers home and probably 17 or 18 of us
were there in that first inaugural meeting.
Things developed, the Home group carried on and there came
a point in time where Dan House was appointed to be the pastor of what was
going to be a small church, a small group of enthusiastic Saints.
Our first meetings were in the Friendship Club Hall and Morris St.
and I have a vivid memories of, I think it was Clark Taylor who came
across from Australia and spoke at I think what was the inaugural meeting
there.
From there we moved to Follett St., a little further up the Main St.
It was an amazing season.
It was the season that we look back on and call the Charismatic Renewal and God
was doing truly some amazing things.
The church grew very quickly and it wasn't long before 80 to 100 people were
gathering and we saw some significant times of visitation.
I remember 1 particular period of six weeks where we saw 60 people make
decisions for Jesus.
In the midst of that, I have a vivid memory of one particular
meeting where the Spirit of God was moving in remarkable ways.
A couple of young ladies must have heard what was going on at Follett St.
and came up, looked in through the through the doors
and saw us all worshiping.
And one of them decided that they were going to come in and see what was going
on.
The other, not so brave, turned away and said,
I'll come back and get you.
That young lady came in and the Spirit of God really touched her,
and she fell to the ground speaking in tongues.
And at that particular point, it seemed quite normal for us that God
did these kinds of things.
But I remember her friend coming back sometime later,
peering in the door and not seeing her friend,
and then suddenly catching sight of her lying on the ground up the front of the
church.
She naturally was shocked and and began to rush up the front to see if a friend
was OK.
She got halfway up the aisle and fell down on the ground speaking in tongues.
I remember thinking, Lord, I don't think things are supposed to
happen that way.
I think you're supposed to give them the four spiritual laws before they get
filled with the Spirit.
But here she was on the ground speaking in tongues.
So who's going to argue with the Spirit of the Lord?
So we had, we truly had some remarkable times in in
1977, Dan asked if I would come on staff as the
assistant pastor.
The church was probably at that time about 120 people.
And so Karen and I accepted that call and we stayed in the church in that role from
1977 to 1980.
In 1980, in June, we moved up to Cambridge,
accepting a call to pastor the the church in Cambridge.
We stayed in Cambridge for about 12 years and then moved in 1992 to Hamilton,
where we've remained.
Those years in Martin were very, very formative for me,
foundational in many ways, both positive and and negative.
Some of the lessons that I learned in that season I have taken.
They've they've formed a foundation for me for all of my life.
And I've literally taken some of the lessons I've learned around the wheel and
shared them with pastors.
So I'm incredibly grateful for all that God did in my life during that time.
I'm grateful for the things that we saw in regards the supernatural and the way
God worked.
And again, during perhaps leaner times, I look back on those periods in Martin
was in with gratitude and and I guess some nostalgia,
longing to see those kinds of things happen again in our day.
So I want to just say thank you to the Lord essentially for my season in that in
that church.
I am grateful for the lessons I learned.
I want to take the opportunity just to wish you well and your celebrations and
to trust that God will really bless you as you share the memories of God's
faithfulness.
And Martin AOG, God bless you all.