Mary is married to Garry and they have one daughter, Natalie (4 yrs). They are part of the 9.30 congregation. Mary helps to run the Contact (Toddler) group and is also part of the recently started Here To Help Group.
What was your childhood like?:
I was born and brought up in Essex, so yes, I am an Essex Gel, but no, I have never owned white stilettos or called anyone "treacle"!! My childhood was an unhappy time, my parents were Christian and I remember attending Baptist Church for a time, however my father had his own problems and though I was never a victim, I witnessed domestic violence, both mental and physical, at home. So it was a relief when my parents divorced, when I was in my late teens, and we were "free".
I am afraid that, like so many other teenagers, I just lost sight of Church and went off on another path. I didn't do anything bad or get into trouble, but I just found it "easier" not to go to Church and then I drifted away from it altogether.
What jobs have you done?
When I left school, I went to work in the City of London for Nat West in their payments processing centre, before going on to build a career in International Banking, working as dealers’ assistant to Eurobond traders. However, I fell ill with ME and couldn't work at all for a while, then I had to give up working in London as the commuting was too exhausting for me. I carried on my banking career in Chelmsford where I was living and gradually my health started to improve.
Where have you lived since childhood?
I married "the boy next door" when I was 21 and we lived in Chelmsford, Essex. Then in 1994 we had the opportunity to travel in Europe, so we sold up and went travelling. It was on our return that a job offer for my husband brought us to Farnborough. We rented for a while and then looked round for a house to buy, settling in Aldershot. I worked for Zurich Insurance in the finance area that I knew, then when they relocated to Portsmouth, I had a spell working in retail, before returning to the finance sector working for Chadney Bulgin Financial Advisers.
You could say that, neither of us being Christians, my first marriage was not "made in heaven" and that certainly proved to be the case, as my husband left me for someone else and we ultimately divorced. But I met Garry through work and we married and moved into our current house in 2004.
How did you become a Christian?
I was at a very low point in my life, divorced and on anti-depressants, feeling completely alone and certain that there was something missing in my life. One night, not trusting myself that I wouldn't take all the pills in one go and just put an end to everything, I got up and popped them one by one into the bin. Then I walked into the Baptist Church looking for something that I vaguely remembered feeling in my childhood. Over the weeks I sat in Church it was as if God was talking directly to me; He challenged me to give up all that I had previously depended on and put my trust in Him. When I reached a point that I said "OK, it's up to You, Your will be done", my life changed forever.
Has your life as a Christian been all plain sailing?
No, there have certainly been challenges; days after we were married, Garry was made redundant and then more recently in the last couple of years, we reached the brink of insolvency following the collapse of the housing markets. We have had to put all our trust in God, that He will provide for us and that He has a masterplan. His timing may not be our timing, but ultimately He knows what we need and His timing is perfect. Looking back on the last 7 years, I can see God at work in our lives, Garry and I meeting, his conversion and baptism (a story for another time), the birth of our daughter – had she not been born when she was, we would never have had a child. Everything from the big life-changing events, down to the more day to day occurrences has come together with God’s planning and provision. Now I have a husband and a beautiful daughter, to whom we can give the childhood that I missed out on. The path I took to get here may not have been an easy one, but I know that even in my non-church years God was watching over me, ready and waiting for me to turn back to Him.
What brought you to Holy Trinity?
Shortly after Natalie was born we felt that God was moving us on from the Church we were attending and not knowing exactly what it was we were looking for, we visited churches around Aldershot. When we came to Holy Trinity, it was as if we had come home; there was a feeling of family and belonging. Kind of like when you are viewing a house to buy and you walk through the door and feel this is the one, well Holy Trinity was the one church for us. What brought us to Holy Trinity? God did.
What do you do in your spare time?
Hmm when I'm not running my jewellery business or looking after Natalie, I enjoy gardening, craft activities like scrapbooking or knitting and reading the occasional light novel.
Holy Trinity Church Aldershot
Brother Tom,The responses to this one shloud be quite interesting. I accept God as he reveals himself. And I know he is one- but he is so unique in that oneness. Just when I used to think I had a fair grasp, I would read something in the scriptures or hear revelation through another person that just shattered that notion and pushed me into a new dimension of understanding. Now I just enjoy him, accept him, love him and rejoice in his bigness and goodness to me, to his creation,- in his hope, peace, faithfulness and promises. I don’t often use the term trinity as I find it can lead more to debates than edification. But when I speak naturally of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit in conversational context with others, we are better able to maintain the bond of peace. Doris