Welcome to “The Gender Corner,” published in collaboration with The Anguillian newspaper. This week we are remembering the life, wisdom and impact of one of our Men’s Week 2014 honourees; Rev. Dr. A. Ambrose Richardson. In this transcription of a June 2014 radio interview, Pastor Ambrose emphasizes why it is important for each of us to focus on our spiritual well-being, encouraging ourselves and supporting one another. When we discuss our life experiences, we provide an outlet for others to learn from our successes and challenges. The life lessons of Pastor Ambrose and his tidbits of wisdom are priceless. Through this week’s column, I hope that you will be inspired, as I am, by the life of this great man of God.
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Radio Anguilla Interview, airing 11 June 2014
Introduction: “Achievement is not always defined by victory. Sometimes, achievement lies in the honest endeavour to do your best under all circumstances.” This is the 1st annual Men’s Week initiated by the Gender Affairs Unit of the Ministry of Home Affairs. I am Ronya Foy Connor, Gender Development Coordinator. From June 9 to June 12, leading up to Father’s Day on June 15, 2014 we are hearing the stories of men in our communities under the theme “Celebrating the Spirit of Achievement.” Today we feature Rev. Dr. Ambrose Richardson, the Pastor of Christian Fellowship Church and also a man of perseverance. Let’s take a few minutes to learn about his experiences, challenges, successes and what keeps him striving in the Spirit of Achievement.
Ronya: Pastor Ambrose, thank you so much for being with me today. I’d like to start by asking you to please tell us a little bit about your background such as where you grew up and what your life was like as a child or a teenager.
Pastor Ambrose: Certainly Ronya, I want to thank you for having me on this programme and I trust that I can make an honest contribution to our community, to our young men and women and to those who might even be a little bit older.
I grew up in Blowing Point and was raised by a single mother; somebody I’ve learned to love and respect very much because my dad had left and I struggled – I think as most of our Black men do because a lot of us do not know, or have not been raised by our dads and have that kind of parental relationship. And in those early years, you know it was…I was born in the 1940’s and when I got to know myself I was about 7 years old then when I could remember. Not having my dad around I wanted to know what had happened and my mom gave me some explanation. He was then living in St. Kitts where I went to be with him. And then I learned very quickly that he was not dependable, he was not a person of understanding and of good guidance and so I almost went into rebellion. I came back to Anguilla by a kind friend who brought me back. And it’s then when I really realized that, you know, you are now old enough to understand your life and you have to create a life for yourself.
Dropping out of school very early, because of hunger, pain, frustration…I realized very quickly…going to the Virgin Islands and realizing that the level of my education was not sufficient to support me through life for the rest of my future so I started going to Bible school and I graduated from that where I had a Bachelor’s degree in Divinity. The in 1967, the Lord really moved on my heart and brought me here to Anguilla or back to Anguilla for ministry and I took the Christian Fellowship Church that was then started by a missionary from Canada. And in the process of what the Lord blessed me with is…were young children that I could manage fairly comfortable and who loved me, respected me and I watched us grow and develop together.
To me we have a very thriving ministry that I call very successful. And looking at life, those early years, I was married when I returned here – had my oldest son – and when I returned to the community I realized much was left to be desired because there were no jobs, limited employment, there was hardly very much money. It was almost like times like these that we are now living in. But I was driven with a passion to succeed. And one of the things that people always say is “well nobody is there to help me. I don’t have anyone to reach out to me.” And that was something that I experienced. But in reading the Scriptures, as I was supposed to do, I found much strength…much motivation and inspiration through the Scriptures and that’s when I decided, God is able to fulfill our lives on any level and accomplish the goals we have set for ourselves.
Ronya: Pastor Ambrose, when did you become interested in ministry? Do you remember what situations were going on in your life or what was happening at that time that really motivated you toward the path of ministry?
Pastor Ambrose: Well, I was on a search. I was converted at 18 years and starting to live overseas, looking at the different people, different environments, I realized that you can play a part and that’s what I focus on. So I started attending church very seriously and very regularly and very consistently. That’s when I started with the Bible school because I realized that if you are going to reach people, you have to understand your mission…you have to understand your purpose…and you have to understand the message. So that’s when I started taking classes.
It wasn’t for ministry; really…it was a matter of information. I wanted to know more about the Scriptures, to know more about the life of God but I didn’t understand. That’s why I use a term today at 70 that God is Sovereign. Because even when we don’t understand what we really want and we don’t understand our direction, and we don’t understand what we need to do, God will work in our lives fulfilling his purpose. Eventually, after I had finished Bible School, I was now married and my whole focus was to work and earn my way through life but God had another plan. Very early, it was about a year after I was married, that the Lord called me back to Anguilla where I took up pastoral duties and that’s where this is.
Ronya: What is your advice for the younger generations, possibly to young men to aspire to become a Pastor one day or maybe who are just trying to figure out what path they should take in life? What is your advice or words of encouragement for them?
Pastor Ambrose: My advice, Mrs. Connor, is about people succeeding and every young man can succeed. I do not care where one has started. To me life is not about where you start. Life is about where you want to finish. And when you set goals for yourself and you get a passion to have those things fulfilled in your life, I guarantee you that you will succeed. God gives us the grace and God gives us the ability and God gives us the understanding.
The Scripture tells us that God has purpose and God has a plan for your life. So every young man, wherever he’s at, and young woman – whatever’s going on in your life, if you make the connection…what is that connection? The connection is knowing God in the person of the Lord Jesus Christ. Register with Him. Build a fervent relationship. And as you get to know Him and you begin to pour out to Him what are the desires and intentions of your heart, He makes it possible for you to accomplish.
So you need to set goals. You need to re-think your thoughts, re-think your behaviour in your life – what will happen to you in the long-run. And if you make a decision to turn your life around and change your behaviour, change your attitude, change your concepts, and follow the plan of God for your life, there is no telling what you can become.
Ronya: Pastor Ambrose, as a man of faith, I’m sure that there have been times where your faith has been tested, or there may have been certain obstacles or challenges that you’ve had to overcome. You mentioned early on in regards to your family life and also other challenges that you may have faced. What would you say is the most difficult challenge, obstacle, that you have had to overcome and how were you able to?
Pastor Ambrose: Okay, there are two basic…to me…there are two basic fundamental things that I have considered. One is a relationship. What kind of relationship do you want in your life? What kind – what level? Because I have found out that needs…when boys and girls, men and women have needs, it drives them into confusion. It aids and embezzles in the loss of your focus. So we need to find resources to accommodate our existent.
The other one is living conditions. If you are living at a very low level of life, when other people around you seems to be doing better or well, you develop concerns and those concerns are, “Why does my life…it doesn’t seem to be going anywhere. Why are the things that are happening, happening to me and it doesn’t seem that it’s happening to the next person?” Well, what you need to get here is a focus. And I will tell you that hard work pays. The Bible tells you that you have to work. Paul says if a man doesn’t work then he shouldn’t eat.
Learning to save…learning to save your money – that is putting your money to good use – finding value in what you work for. And you know, I don’t want to hear you telling me, “Well it’s not a lot of money Pastor Ambrose.” I know it’s not a lot of money but you have to start somewhere. So if you don’t make a decision to start with your pennies, and with your single dollars and your five dollars, then if you get a thousand dollars suddenly you’re going to spend it because your needs are so much. So you have to learn to build your life. Build your life. Learn to save. Continue your education and drive. Go for it. Don’t let nobody tell you that that is where you finish school and that is what it is. I don’t believe that. You can excel on any level of your life that you desire by the grace of God.
Ronya: The theme for this Men’s Week 2014 is “Celebrating the Spirit of Achievement.” When you think of your major life achievements, what are some that come to your mind?
Pastor Ambrose: Well, number one, the success of our ministry because when I came here in ministry, even the people who made me promises didn’t keep those promises. Was it a struggle? Very serious struggle. Many tears. Much pain. But there was one thing that I learned in all of this – that I have to keep my focus. I had to keep my mind right – keep my faith centered on Christ and follow Him. And you know over time, I began to pray and I began to ask the Lord. I said, “Lord, open my mind that I might conceive and my eyes that I might see and my ears that I might hear.” Hear who? You might ask the question – hear what God is saying.
And when you learn to trust Him, he gives you perception, he gives you direction, and he also gives you provision. So everything you want, everything you need is in Him. You know, God takes us on some journeys sometimes that even we ourselves become confused as to where we are going. But see He knows the way and when you can’t work it, when you don’t see it, you don’t understand it, there’s a simple term I use and that term is learning to trust. When you trust Him and you put your confidence in Him, He will make everything possible.
I believe that my life is fairly fulfilled. I feel very comfortable at this junction of my life. I remember when I was raising my kids. Didn’t have money and sometimes didn’t have a whole lot of food. I had a very humble, but limited life. And I found that trusting in the Lord, working on your purpose and understanding what you must do. When I put those things into place, my life just catapulted to another level.
So today I feel honoured, I feel blessed to have this opportunity to share with those of you who are a little younger than me; maybe much younger than me, and those of you in your middle years – 30, 40, 50. Don’t think you have missed it. Maybe you didn’t treat your life well but you can recover. You can recover and be successful! The Bible says that a man leaves an inheritance to his children. And when I read that I said, “That’s what I’m going to work on.” I have to leave my name written in the sand so that my grandchildren, not only my children, but my grandchildren would hear about their grandfather – and that’s what I did.
Ronya: Rev. Dr. Ambrose Richardson, thank you so much for your contributions and your inspirational words as we celebrate Men’s Week and the Spirit of Achievement. This is Ronya Foy Connor, Gender Development Coordinator. Happy Men’s Week to you and please remember, “Achievement is not always defined by victory. Sometimes, achievement lies in the honest endeavour to do your best under all circumstances.”
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Let’s always remember these words of reassurance and continue the legacy of Pastor Ambrose by building up our men, women, girls and boys in their faith and in their purpose. If you’d like to contribute to The Gender Corner, feel free to email Dr. Ronya Foy Connor, Gender Development Coordinator, Ministry of Home Affairs, The Valley, or to Ronya.Foy-Connor@gov.ai. or call at 497-2518.
(Published without editing by The Anguillian newspaper.)
