The gangster who found God

(photo: Saxon Bashford)

Bess writes: This is John Pridmore, a former East End gangster, once heavily involved in a drugs, protection rackets and gangs. A bit of a bruiser you might say, shaven headed, 6ft5in tall and with a few gold teeth (I've seen him speak) Pridmore certainly looks the part. Not a type you'd hope to bump into in a dark alley perhaps. But Pridmore is now a Christian, who, after nearly killing a man in a pub brawl, found God. As a “youth evangelist” he regularly tours prisons and schools in the UK to talk about how he gave up the drugs, money, promiscuity and violence for the Christian faith.  He will be talking about it all this Friday at World Youth Day and on Saturday in front of Pope Benedict XVI. "I used to think that God was a fairy tale, made up to keep people from doing bad things,” he says.  "So I can understand people who are skeptical when people like me talk about how God is just waiting for us to respond to him and invite him into our lives. But God is not a fairy tale.  He is real. And I want to bring others to an experience of God.  I want to show that Christ can transform lives, no matter how broken or messed up, like mine was,” says Pridmore, who, with Greg Watts has written his life story, entitled (i guess it had to be!) From Gangland to Promised Land. He adds “People sometimes think that becoming a Christian means that you lose your freedom.  You don’t. I have never felt freer than I am now. The freedom, mercy, and forgiveness that I’ve experienced is available to everyone.”

Comments

[Rick Beekman]

Bess;
Wonderful story...I can relate to his testimony God took me and rid me permanetly of Alcohol Addiction...Cigarettes...Gambling....Sometime drug user..etc etc. God uses people like us To testify about what He will do for those that exercise a little Faith...Great Testimony from This Gentlemen..God bless him!

[Dan]

Why doesn't someone go to zimbabwe or burma?

[ian payne]

He gave a talk to us once in our church in Aylesbury during 1990's - great bloke !!!

[peter mckenna]

I think I would be more impressed if ex thugs who hae found God did not wish to continue to look like thugs. Why the dark clothes and sinister mood lighting, the yob look should not be glamourised.

[Rob]

Excelent article, the clergy also wear dark clothes !

[dave, west yorkshire]

wow. you spend the first 40 years of your as aviolent gangster, but as soon as you pledge allegiance to an invisible sky god suddenly everyone thinks your just dandy.... i'd be more impressed if he spent the rest of his life in Africa helping children.

[Jeff]

Actually, John Pridmore has helped children in Ireland and the UK - some of whom face the same temptations he gave into when he was younger.

Seems noble enough to me.

Invisible sky god...very funny!