From Addiction to Freedom

From Addiction to Freedom -- Yorkshire evangelist launches UK tour to share his remarkable story of transformation

By Peter Wooding, European Bureau Chief for ASSIST News Service

LONDON, UK (ANS – June 6, 2017) -- Former addict Bruce Pearson is about to embark on a major UK tour to share how an encounter with a Christian and a perfectly timed radio message from Dr. Michael Youssef changed everything.

Five years ago in Bradford, Yorkshire, Bruce Pearson had no sense of purpose, hope, or identity.

“I needed alcohol to sleep, cocaine to wake up,” he says.

However, Bruce’s journey to recovery and a new life began when a Franciscan Monk shared the Christian faith with him and gave him a Gospel of Matthew booklet.

The next morning in his hostel, Bruce switched on his battered old radio.

“This voice came up from Dr Michael Youssef, president of Leading The Way, and he starts talking about Christ,” Bruce says. “Straightaway I understood what this authority is. And it’s the stuff that Jesus taught. That’s the uncompromised truth.”

Bruce decided to commit his life to Christ and was radically transformed -- from addiction to freedom. But that wasn't the end of the story.

Today, Bruce is not only ministering on the same streets where he once lived; he is also proclaiming the Gospel through his own radio programme and he even introduces Dr. Michael Youssef’s teaching show straight after his.

Last October at the iconic London Palladium, Bruce stood on the same stage as Dr Youssef to share his testimony before an audience of more than 1,500 people.

Watch his story here (http://www.ltw.org/watch/testimonies/bruces-story-from-the-streets-to-the-stage) 

He shared with the crowd: “Five years ago, I was on a different stage and the director was the devil. But now I stand on a different stage with a different story, and the director is the Lord Jesus Christ.”

Speaking about his UK tour he explained: “Over the next five months I’ll be travelling up and down the country to share my testimony. My goal is to connect with people who don’t know the Lord and to encourage Christians that God is still at work, and we’ve got a job to do in sharing that message.

“I’ll also be talking about the incredible work Leading The Way is doing, particularly in the Middle East. So often we look with despair and helplessness at this region of the world. So, I want to reassure people by sharing what this ministry is doing, providing practical and spiritual support to so many displaced Christians facing persecution.”

To find out more details of Bruce Pearson’s tour, or to book him to come and speak, contact +44 (0) 800 432 0419 or msgeneral@ltw.org.

About Leading The Way:

Now celebrating over 25 years of ministry, Leading The Way's television and radio programs are broadcast to more than 190 countries in 24 languages. Leading The Way also produces DVDs, CDs, books, a monthly devotional magazine, and daily e-devotionals to spread the light of Christ. This Atlanta-based organization partners internationally with in-country follow-up teams to encourage new believers in their faith, helping God's Kingdom to grow around the world. It's website is http://www.ltw.org/

About Dr Michael Youssef:

Michael Youssef, Ph.D., is the Founder and President of Leading The Way with Dr. Michael Youssef. Dr. Youssef was born in Egypt and lived in Lebanon and Australia before moving to the United States. In 1984, he fulfilled his childhood dream of becoming an American citizen. He holds degrees from Moore College in Sydney, Australia, and from Fuller Theological Seminary in California. In 1984, he earned a Ph.D. in social anthropology from Emory University.

He has authored more than 30 books, including popular titles like The Leadership Style of Jesus and Blindsided: The Radical Islamic Conquest. He and his wife reside in Atlanta and have four grown children and seven grandchildren.

Editor’s Note: For media enquiries, please contact Peter Wooding in the UK by phone at +44 7500 903067, or by e-mail at woodingpeter@hotmail.com.

Photo captions: 1) Bruce Pearson on Westminster Bridge in London. Bruce Pearson interviewed by Premier Christian Radio Presenter John Pantry at the London Palladium. 3) Dr. Michael Youssef. 4) Peter Wooding.

About the writer: Peter Wooding, the younger son of Dan and Norma Wooding, is an award-winning print, radio and TV, and print journalist based in the UK. Having previously spent 10 years as news editor with UCB Radio in the UK, he has travelled extensively reporting from countries including Greece, Russia, Serbia, South Sudan, the Philippines, Uganda, South Korea, Zambia, Gambia, Mozambique, Croatia, Israel and India. Peter, whose most recent trip was to Ukraine, reports regularly for ASSIST News Service, Samaritan’s Purse, and Leading The Way. Peter, who was recently appointed London Bureau Chief for the Global News Alliance, and his wife of 25 years, Sharon, live in North Wales, UK, with their three daughters, Sarah, Anna and Abigail. To contact Peter, please e-mail him at: woodingpeter@hotmail.com, or by call him at: +44 7500 903067.

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