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About Mathew Backholer
Where were you born? In England.
How old were you when you became a Christian? Ten years old and I was baptised in the Holy Spirit when I was twelve.
When did you get on fire for God? When I was twenty.
How old are you? I was born in the seventies.
How tall are you? Around 6”1.
How much do you weigh? It varies between missions!
What do you do to relax? I enjoy reading Christian books, walking and watching television (but not at the
same time!). If it's summer I enjoy a swim in the sea.
What jobs have you had? I delivered free local papers once a week for several years. I then worked in a fish
and chip shop for two hours a night Monday to Friday and sometimes Saturday. I actually got sacked from that job twice;
one of the reasons was that I was too generous with the portions! Then I had a morning paper round for a year. After
leaving school I did a four-year apprenticeship in mechanical engineering and when qualified stayed in that profession
until God called me to Bible College.
How did you receive your calling to Bible College? In 1997 I went to the Revival meetings in Brownsville AOG, Pensacola,
(USA) for eight days. I saw God move in such a powerful way day after day, night after night and in my spirit I just
knew that I was called to Bible College. Before this time I had never had any inkling or desire to attend Bible College.
The difficult part was to find out which Bible College God wanted me to train in.
When did you start at Bible College? In the 1990s.
How did you learn to write? At school! When I was younger my handwriting was not very good; I would often
write what the teacher was dictating without looking down at the words and it made a real mess. Even when I did look,
my handwriting was still scruffy. I used to get very upset over my handwriting as the teachers always commented on it.
When I was twelve I was in my bedroom doing some homework and I started to cry about my messy handwriting, I asked God to
help me write neatly and a miracle took place then and there - my handwriting instantly became neat! It was really tidy and
precise!! I have never forgotten. With regards to writing for the website I just fell into it. I had time on my hands and
so decided to be productive.
What are you reading at the moment? I read a lot, so any answer will soon be outdated. On average I read or
reread a book every two weeks. I love reading about missionaries and revivalists. I enjoy being challenged and stirred.
You can learn so much from other people's experiences and trials.
How often do you read your Bible? Every day! I follow the Robert Murray M’Cheyne reading plan, so every year
I get to read the Bible in its entirety and the New Testament and Psalms twice. I also read a chapter of Proverbs a day and at my
leisure read some of my favourite passages or some of the books that I am less familiar with: such as the twelve minor
prophets, Hosea - Malachi.
Who has influenced you the most? (Apart from Jesus of course!) There have been many people who have crossed my path over the decades who
have influenced me and whom I have to thank the Lord for allowing our paths to meet - people who I have lived with (family, friends),
fellowshipped with, gone on missions with, some of whom have gone to be with the Lord, and others I never met. William
Carey the ‘Father of Modern Missionaries’ has greatly inspired and challenged me. He left the shores of England and
headed to India never to return and gave his life for the Great Commission in whole-hearted sacrifice.
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