A brief testimony (Jason Savoie)

 I grew up in a nominal Christian home in which we all attended the church service (Methodist) and Sunday school.  I think after my second or third grade, we only attended the church service.  In those very young years, I think I had a belief in God, and had experienced a fear of God, but not much came of it.  

I don't remember much about going to church in the years leading to my teens, but I did attend confirmation classes in the seventh grade to become a member of the Trinity Methodist Church in Kendallville. 

I think as a few more years passed, I was probably more of a skeptic in the existence of God, though I remember experiencing a fear of God when discussing God with a friend, but again, not much came of it.  

Starting my senior year in high school, I met and started dating the girl who would become my wife, Diana.  She was a professing Christian.  I eventually would attend her church, so I could play basketball with the men of her church in a YMCA league of Southern Baptist Churches (SBC).  The conduct of those men had an impact on me.   I think I convinced myself I was a Christian.

I had an high school acquaintance, Dan, who had become a professing Christian, who was friends with Diana.  One night while eating at McDonald's in Kendallville with Diana, Dan stopped in and was telling me something exciting he learned in Scripture.  I also discovered a particular sacrifice he made that caused a light to turn on in my head.  I said to myself, "you've never trusted in Christ." A fear of God overtook me that night. Sometime that night, I believe I trusted in Christ for salvation.  It was either late March or early April in '78. 

I  made my faith in Christ public at the Diana's Church, and I was eventually baptized.  Diana and I got married in August of '78.  I became pretty active in that church and eventually became a Sunday school teacher, and held positions like chairman of the pastor selection committee.  In '83, the church licensed me to preach, and I started to take classes for a B.A. in Biblical Studies through Luther Rice Seminary, Bible College Division (SBC but Independent), in Florida.  

In '84, I switched to an independent Baptist church in Rome City that was eventually pastored by Dan, whom I referenced earlier.  He wanted me to be his associate, so he put me through an ordination.  We did a lot together in ministry, writing articles for the Kendallville News-Sun and having a live radio program, called "Think on These Things" on the local station WAWK, on Sunday mornings discussing apologetics and theology.  I was there 12 to 13 years, but after that, became part of a Bible study group in Kendallville that became Fellowship Bible Church.  I was there from late '96 until its dissolution in late 2022.  My involvement there was mostly teaching adult Sunday school and filling in for the pastors as needed.