by HARRY MAYERS

DENNIS GREENIDGE was numbered among the thousands of Barbadians who emigrated to England in the 1960ss to make a living.

The young man from Tichbourne, Howells Cross Road, St Michael, was doing fine as an underground train driver employed by London Transport when one day he changed tracks to become a full-time Gospel preacher.

He had a home mortgage to pay and a family to support but he resigned his job in obedience to the call of God on his life, his daughter, Rev. Rosemary Taylor recalled in an interview.

"It was a ginormous step in those days, not having any one to back him financially, but that was the kind of faith he lived by," added Taylor who, with her brother, Rev. Dennis Greenidge Jr. will open a five-day conference on Christian living at Grand Barbados Hotel on Sunday.

Taylor and Greenidge lead the London-based World Wide Mission Fellowship (WWMF) founded in 1973 by their father who died in 1988.

They have followed in his footsteps in many ways, becoming international evangelists preaching in many places including Norway, Russia, Spain, South Africa, Australia, the United States, Canada and the Caribbean.

"It is quite exciting walking in our dad's footsteps. We meet people he has mentored, coached, and brought to salvation through Jesus Christ. He followed Jesus and we follow him."

WWMF had its beginnings with six believers and now has more than 500 members of whom 167 are resource persons.

The church is headquartered in West Norwood in a building formerly owned by St Luke's Anglican Church.

The acquisition of that building is put down to the strong faith of the senior Greenidge.

When it was offered for sale by the vicar, Greenidge said his fledgling church would buy it – even though the price quoted was £16 000 sterling and he had only £50 in the bank.

Friends, fellow believers and well-wishers donated the money and WWMF was able to buy the building cash and later expand and refurbish it.

Now counted among the flourishing black-led churches in England, WWMF focuses on helping and "working alongside" churches.

More than 60 members of the church are flying in to take part in the conference which will hold teaching sessions at Grand Barbados hotel from November 4 to 9.

Worship sessions will be held at Sherboure Conference Centre at 7:30 p.m. on November 4, 5, 6 and 7.