The American Evangelist
John Gillespie
Testimony
Life began in New York State. My
family would have a dairy farm in Little
Falls, NY. I attended St. Mary's
Catholic School. Life was good. My
parents were good, hard working
Americans. They loved us and provided
a good life for us. But like alot of farmers
in the Mohawk River Valley, we had to
sell in the Spring of 1977.
Having to leave the farm was tough on us as a family. We
went through some tough times. I was a very angry young
man.

We relocated to Melbourne, Florida. I got involved in drugs
and my personal life began to spiral out of control. It
wouldn't get any better for a long time.
After graduating from High School I moved to
the New York metro area. I was hoping to
get a life together, but the anger and drug
culture took my life even farther away.

It wasn't long after that I found myself a
skinhead playing in a thrash band. I was fully
immersed into the hardcore punk subculture
of NYC's Lower East Side. Life got violent
and spiraled even faster out of control.

By 1994, I was beat up and living in Mohegan
Lake, New York.
In April of 1994, I hit rock bottom. I had gone to a cousin's wedding and
poisoned myself with alcohol(again). I wanted this life to end, because I knew
I was responsible for messing up my own life. I was watching FOX 5 in the
morning and a man named Joel Niederhood came on the t.v. I heard the
Gospel and trusted in the Lord Jesus Christ as my Savior. I have never looked
back.
I quickly got involved in a church that
was about to go through a time of
revival. It was a glorious time of unity in
the Spirit and scores of souls being
saved. It's a time I will never forget, and
an experience that has not allowed me
ever to settle into status quo - a.k.a.
dead religion. It was in those years the
Lord brought my wife Tricia to me. She
is the perfect help meet, and the perfect
preachers wife.
I submit to the call to preach in July of 2000. I began attending Bible Institute in a
local church in Saco, Maine that September. I began preaching regularly not long
after that. I attended NTBBI and was trained by my pastor for 2 1/2 years. I
then attended PCC. I returned to Maine in 2005 to serve as a Pastor at our
home church where I was ordained into the Gospel ministry. I have pastored 2
churches and have been involved in evangelism and revival preaching for 8 years.
After being away for over 30 years, I have recently relocated the Mohawk
Valley. It's a central location so I may be a blessing to many small churches
throughout the region. It is also where God has directed us to come and
eventually begin planting a church.

Once a flourishing community of healthy churches, most are long gone. There is
an entire generation being raised without any knowledge of God. Pray for us to
be sensitive to the Spirit's leading. Pray that God opens doors for me to preach
of the burden here in America.
In our area we have the oldest standing Indian Mission Church - built in 1769.
This area was the last outpost before the frontier began.
The Palatine Christians
which built this church had
fled persecution to come to
this wilderness and worship
God in Spirit and in Truth.
More Palatine Christians
built Fort Herkimer Church.
Although rich in history, it has been 200 years since any revival or awakening
has swept this land. Tradition has taken over and the church of the living God
has faded away. God has called me here to preach the Gospel, encourage those
who are struggling, and plant new churches. Please contact me if you desire to
take part of this ministry.

I was ordained in a local church and Biblically "sent" as a Gospel Minister. I
hold a 3 year Diploma of Biblical Studies, BA in Theology, BA in Pastoral
Counseling, and Diploma in Evangelism. I rest solely in the power of the Holy
Spirit and not my academics.