Personal Testimony of Donnie Jeffers

My personal testimony of salvation is intended in no way to bring glory to myself but to the grace of The Lord Jesus Christ. It would take too long to start at the beginning of my life, so I’ll just hit the highlights.

My parents raised my brother and I in church (First Baptist Church of Seymour, Tn.) in which I was involved in every activity, group or organization I could be in. At one point I was a Sunday school teacher for the college/career class. My parents did not give me the option to go to church, they just took me. I didn’t fuss or fight one bit. Although lost, my parents knew that church was an important part of a child’s life. All through my childhood I lead a pretty clean, moral life. I never hung out with the “party crowd” or wanted to be involved with it because I was scared of it. I knew that drinking and smoking and fornicating was wrong although I was lost. The Lord puts a conscience in every man. When I was about 20 years old I was approached by the pastor about becoming a deacon in the church so I acted “spiritual” and agreed to it. All this time I was lost. In 1996 my brother, who had lead a rebellious life got saved and shortly thereafter began to witness to me and the rest of my family. At this time I was a police officer with the Knoxville City Police Dept. I began to get under conviction and just played it off as being backslidden. I had thought for several years that I was saved because I could remember getting baptized when I was 9 years old. During this time I was involved in a fatal shooting at the police dept. and nearly lost my own life in the process. It was at this time that I began to think about being saved and I needed to make sure about it so I did the normal “rededication of my life for Christ” and went on about my way. In April of 1998 my brother (then saved) invited me to his church to watch a skit on the white throne judgment of Rev. 20. Within the first 5 minutes of it I knew without a shadow of a doubt that I was lost and going to Hell without Jesus Christ. When the altar call was given I stepped out on the first word of the first verse and made my way to the altar where the pastor met me and lead me to Christ. I didn’t know how to pray much because I hadn’t done it much but the prayer went similar to this: “Lord I know I’m going to Hell and that I’ve never been saved. I don’t want to go to Hell . Will you please save me. I ask Jesus to come into my heart and save me and forgive me of my sins.” When I got up from the altar I knew at that time that I had been born again and my life has never been the same since. I didn’t exactly know what all I was getting at that point, all I knew was that I was going to Hell and that Jesus Christ was the only way out. In Sept. of 1999 the Lord called me to preach the gospel and in 2001 he called me to the mission field. I wasn’t sure of where he wanted me to go but it had to be Africa because when you think of missions the first thing that comes to mind is “the deepest, darkest, part of Africa.” I waited for a brief time and asked toe Lord to give me direction and he lead me to Pensacola Bible Institute in August of 2002. While at PBI the Lord began to deal with my heart about England through the preaching of the scriptures and my own personal time of reading the scriptures. In late 2004 while in class I heard Bro. Toby Wolski preach a message from Genesis 31:13. “I am the God of Beth-el, where thou anointedst the pillar, an where thou vowedst a vow unto me: now arise, get thee out from this land, and return unto the land of thy kindred.” Upon research of the Jeffers name I discovered that the name originated in England. I began to search for a open door and the Lord lead me to Poole, England. The Lord also gave me several other verses to confirm this call to England. “ I attended PBI until graduation in May 2005. In July 2005 my family and I moved back to Seymour, Tn. Where my pastor asked me to teach the youth class and lead singing in the church until we started deputation.

From the beginning of my life until today the Lord Jesus Christ has been the best thing that’s ever happened to me. It is by his grace that I’m able to stand today and say that without a doubt I know that the Lord has called me to the country of England to take the gospel to the English people. The Lord Jesus Christ is the only one worth serving and He is the one that deserves all the glory and credit. If it weren’t for Him I would still be on my way to Hell without hope and without God. I owe my life, possessions, breath, health, family and all other things to Him and no one else. To take his gospel to the people of England is the greatest privilege of my life. Please pray for the Jeffers family, missionaries to England