‘This is the story of how a powerful and extraordinary God uses ordinary people to accomplish his purposes.’ This is how Sam Doherty summarised the work of Child Evangelism Fellowship in Ireland during the past 60 years. He should know for he was there at the beginning!
In November 1949, Sam Doherty was a recently qualified teacher and a brand new convert to Christ, with no gospel background whatsoever. He took the words of his spiritual father, Fred Orr, seriously: ‘God always saves people for them to do something; you’d better ask God what he wants you to do’. Sam and his wife Sadie began to pray for God’s direction.
It came as quite a surprise to the young up-and-coming rugby player when God put a burden for child evangelism on his heart. Clear about God’s direction, he wrote to Fred Orr at Bible college asking how he could begin. On the same day as the letter arrived, so did the Rev. Art Nichol from CEF in USA. He asked Fred Orr to consider beginning CEF work in Ireland, but Fred was preparing for missionary work in Brazil and had to decline the invitation. He showed Art Nichol Sam Doherty’s letter. Before long Art Nichol was in Ireland explaining CEF ministries to the Dohertys. Sam’s response to a somewhat surprised American gentleman was, ‘Art, that’s it! We’re ready to begin’. And they did.
