CHANGING LIVES
MAKING DISCIPLES
REACHING THE WORLD
PASTOR JAVIER & SARAH EDWARDS
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My name is Javier Edwards; my family and I started a brand-new church in Manchester, Connecticut. Before coming to Manchester, I served in a local congregation in Chicopee, Massachusetts, for 15 years. I wanted to share a little bit of my story about what Jesus did in my life. My story begins in Brooklyn, NY, where I was born and raised. At a very early age, I experienced the effects alcoholism can have on a family. My father drank heavily and was often abusive to my mother and my twin younger sisters, and myself. The abuse consisted of physical, mental, and emotional. As a result, I grew up very angry and hated my father for all he had done. Because of this, I did poorly in school and eventually dropped out of school after failing the 9th grade. At age 15, I left Brooklyn, NY, and moved to Connecticut after almost killing my father. While living in Connecticut, I began to smoke marijuana and drink alcohol. Even though I swore I would never be like my father, I began to drink and could not stop.
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I was regularly around drug dealers and was doing nothing with my life. Finally, my cousin told me about a program in Chicopee, Massachusetts, called Job Corps. I came to that program in February 2006 at the age of 16. Within a short time, a young man began to tell me about Jesus and how Jesus had changed his life. I was invited to a bible study at the Job Corps campus, and in July of 2006, I accepted Jesus into my life. Immediately Jesus began to help me in my life. There was peace in my heart, and he set me free from drugs and alcohol. After a short time, I began to discover that God had a plan for my life and a call on my life to preach the gospel. One of the biggest miracles I would say is the love that he put in my heart towards my parents, especially my father. I finished the Job Corps program in 2009. I received an online HS diploma, vocational training and started college, where I eventually got my associate's degree. In 2011 I got married in the church to my wonderful wife. We had our first daughter in 2015 and our second daughter in 2017. We recently moved to Manchester, CT, to start a new chapter in life, starting this church. We are excited about all that God is going to do in this area.
