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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 two children: Lydia, who is eight, and Joshua, 4 months. 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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