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| Meet Pastor Matt |
Page 1 of 4 Our StoriesMatt and Carol Prater
Carol and I were married on May 17, 2003. I have three children: Lydia, Joshua and Grace. Lydia is from my first marriage and lives with her mum on the south side of Brisbane. She stays with us every second weekend, and most school holidays.  I was brought up in the Anglican church in Coffs Harbour until I was 12. I then attended a charismatic Baptist church for a few years, and answered an altar call as a 15 year old at a Wesleyan Methodist youth camp. I became born-again and also filled out a card pledging to work in full-time ministry. I started my first Christian radio show on the local secular radio station, and lead a Wesleyan Methodist youth group and high school outreach until I finished school at 18. I was then approached by the local Christian City Church Pastor and offered a position as Youth Pastor. The church paid for me to go to Bible College for a year in Sydney. I studied under Pastor Phil Pringle and received a Diploma in Creative Arts majoring in drama and singing. I then moved back to Coffs City Church and pioneered a youth group for three years, ran a church theatre company, worked at the local radio station selling advertising to pay the bills, and continued my radio show. It was during that time that I met and married my first wife. I then served as Youth Pastor for 3 years at the church I was raised in, a charismatic Baptist Church in Coffs Harbour. During that time I continued Bible College via correspondence. |
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