There’s no substitute for
serving the community
Ex-footballer Alan West reveals his game
plan for growth at Luton Christian Fellowship
Once home, they figured they had Having stopped playing professional
better find a church to attend. And football in his mid-30s, Alan did some
so there they were, in the town’s Elim semi-professional coaching and man-
church – now known as Luton Chris- agement, but felt unfulfilled.
tian Fellowship – with a congregation
of about 30 people. He felt that all those years of leader-
ship on the football pitch had been
‘We just found our spiritual home. We preparing him for leadership in
began to develop and grow and to another sphere, and in the mid-1980s
begin to serve in whatever way was he applied to train for the ministry with
necessary.’ Elim – via correspondence course.
The ‘celebrity’ tag never bothered Alan
Alan West with Pele
within the church, although the ‘Chris-
‘Our aim is
tian’ label made it difficult outside, at
to reach the
When Luton Town FC captain least initially.
Alan West and his wife Cathie first community of
walked into their local Elim church, ‘When I first became a Christian I had
it was certainly a new experience.
people who are
been the ringleader on and off the
pitch, yet within days of my conver-
outside the church
‘We were totally naive to all Christian sion I underwent a radical change. My
things, we had no clue about the moral values and behaviour changed
and try to turn
Bible,’ he says. overnight. I became the outsider.
them into fully
The days of going out and having
Aged 24, this professional footballer too much to drink were gone. But my devoted followers
had other priorities in life. But a sum- teammates gradually began to under-
of Christ.’
mer holiday to New Zealand changed stand that this change wasn’t going
all that for ever. away. They began to respect me.
But before he had chance to finish his
‘We met some Christians; they had ‘One of the most important things is to course, the pastor at Luton moved
something different about them and do your job to the best of your ability; on. Alan had been an elder for several
we started asking questions. We saw when my teammates saw the way I years, and was asked to become the
my wife’s parents transformed by approached my profession with even new pastor.
becoming Christians, so decided to greater intensity and became better at
make a commitment.’ my job, they began to listen.’
26 www.elim.org.uk
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