Christ Encounters formed in 2017, when Pastor Ken Davidson sensed that there was a hunger rising for a Christ encounter, in the people in Ireland.
About the founder
Ken Davidson carries a remarkable story of God’s grace reaching out to him when he was at his lowest.
Pastor Davidson, from Donaghcloney, Co Down, Northern Ireland, was registered homeless on two occasions and was at one time addicted to alcohol and drugs.
Born in Belfast, Northern Ireland, he was not a religious man in his youth, openly admitting that although he attended Sunday School and Boy’s Brigade as a child, he came from, at best, “a nominal Presbyterian household.”
A keen sportsman, throughout the 80’s Ken was a boxing coach and held two Irish titles in full contact kickboxing. On medical advice, he stopped kickboxing, but with a strong desire to stay active, he turned his attention towards bodybuilding. At this point he began injecting anabolic steroids and gained employment as a nightclub doorman.
Being a doorman, Ken received offers of ecstasy, LSD, cannabis and cocaine, his substance abuse developed, spiralling out of control, leading to Ken losing his home, forcing him to register as homeless.
This party lifestyle played havoc with Ken’s health and he was given a stark reminder of the fragility of life, after falling asleep outside in the snow one night, he developed pneumonia and was very ill for three months. Despite this illness and a deep depression as a result of his substance abuse, Ken continued to get high.
Unsurprisingly, things got worse before they got better.
Ken tells of how he went on a drink and drugs spree from Friday night to Sunday morning.
“I was walking up the Shore Road in Belfast, drunk and high from the night before, when I collapsed.”
The next thing Ken remembers, when he came around, was that a Christian family had taken him into their front-room and were praying for him.
“At that time I was not a church goer but these newfound friends started to take me to Whitewell Metropolitan Tabernacle. Pastor McConnell preached one Sunday evening, on obstacles that God puts on the sinner’s road to stop them going to hell. As Pastor McConnell preached I realised that Christ had died in my place.”
That night Ken said to God,
“My body is in a bad way, my kidneys and liver aren’t great, I have very little to offer, but if this message is true, I’ll give you my life. I have nothing else, no money, no strength, take this and use it if you can, save me from me.”
From that night Ken has been clean and sober.
In 1997 Ken met his wife Allison and 10 months later they were married. In 1999 he was asked to be a missionary at an orphanage in a village near Timisoara, Romania. At the end of his term in Romania, Ken would travel each Tuesday night from Belfast to Dublin with Pastor McConnell for Gospel rallies. Two years later he was asked to assume responsibility for the rallies. He was ordained in ministry the day after his second daughter was born on September 21, 2003.
Following his ordination, many opportunities arrived for him to minister throughout the country, which he accepted and became busy sharing the Gospel. In 2008 Ken became pastor of Donaghcloney Elim, a congregation of 12 people and the church facing closure. However, following Ken arriving and asking God to lead him, the church became rejuvenated and grew to 150 strong.
At the end of 2016, Pastor Davidson moved from pastoring Donaghcloney Elim to stepping into his own ministry in 2017, Christ Encounters.
Now inundated with ministry requests from throughout Ireland and further afield, most nights and weekends you will see him on the front-line of the Gospel, telling people that Jesus loves them and teaching people how to have a Christ encounter.
Why don’t you come along and be part of what God is doing!
Pastor Ken Davidson