|
Subscribe
to eFaith Updates Receive email updates with the latest news at Faith Baptist.
|
Pastor Bill Nabeel Zaydan
|
Pastor Bill Nabeel Zaydan first saw the light on 17 March 1959 in the city of Kuwait. He is the eldest amongst four children and has a brother and two sisters.
His early years of primary schooling were in Kuwait city. During this time he made many trips to Lebanon in the summer holidays and he came to know his homeland and his many relatives there.
At the age of nine, his parents returned to northern Lebanon to live a country lifestyle in his mother’s.
|
 |
| Pastor Bill
Zaydan and wife Joseline |
|
However,
his first year in Lebanon saw him boarding at
“Tripoli Boys’ School.” Many opportunities to hear the gospel came
through some Christian friends, his uncle who was the
pastor of The Free Evangelical Church in Beirut, and the
many counsellors at the Christian camps run in the
Lebanese Mountains. Despite hearing the gospel preached
and making many professions of faith at various occasions
no real change took place in his life.
When he was 12
years old, his father went on a business trip to
Melbourne, Australia but never returned. Being the eldest
among his brethren, he started to have many
responsibilities and learn the hard realities of life.
Furthermore, in April of 1975, the long and fierce civil
war broke out in Lebanon. This caused him to go through
many hard experiences, especially when the rest of his
family including his mother and siblings were able to
return with his uncle to Kuwait and he was left all alone
between Lebanon and Syria with relatives waiting for some
miracle to occur. Crying out to God to deliver him, The
Lord answered with a miraculous exit from the war torn
country to join his family in Kuwait.
It was at this
point of his life God’s Holy Spirit convicted his heart of
sin, righteousness and judgment. He found himself meeting
with a small group of Christians who were preaching the
Gospel and teaching the Bible in Kuwait city. On the 6th
of January 1977, while attending a youth meeting the 139th
Psalm was read and the words pricked his heart
“O LORD,
thou hast searched me, and known me.… Thou compassest my
path and my lying down, and art acquainted with all my
ways.… Whither shall I go from thy spirit? or whither
shall I flee from thy presence? ...If I ascend up into
heaven, thou art there: if I make my bed in hell, behold,
thou art there. ...If I take the wings of the morning, and
dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea; ...Even there
shall thy hand lead me, and thy right hand shall hold me.”
Psalm 139:1-10
While
hearing God’s Word, memories of many false professions and
a life of continual running away from God was reviewed in
moments and God’s Holy Spirit was clearly showing that God
is merciful, loving and wonderfully gracious with another
chance for repentance and submission. On that day, he
called upon God through Christ Jesus, admitting his
sinfulness and submitting himself to God trusting Christ
shed blood on Calvary’s cross for the forgiveness of his
sins and committing his life to God’s leadership through
the Holy Spirit that came to abide within. A new life in
Christ Jesus saw him with new desires to read the Bible,
pray, testify to others, and regularly meet with God’s
people. God moved in an extraordinary way to prosper the
work there and many young people came to accept Christ as
their personal Saviour and Lord.
After
finishing his high School, divine providence led our
pastor to migrate to Melbourne – Australia in 1979 where
the family was reunited again. Having completed his
studies in Information Technology at Monash University and
The Control Data Institute he then transferred to Sydney where
he worked for five years with Honeywell Control Systems.
Then for another fifteen years held several positions in
IT management and consultancy until he established a
private Information Systems and Services company.
| |
 |
In
Sydney, he joined Faith Baptist Church of Croydon Park
in July 1980, and then through the ministry of this church
under
Pastor Richard Hester, God called him to prepare for
ministry through studying at Sydney Bible Baptist College.
Upon graduating in 1984, he was called to become associate
pastor; he worked among youth and adults preaching,
teaching and interpreting into both Arabic and English.
In May of
1986, he married Joseline Youssef who was saved through
the ministry of the church, then prepared for ministry
through Sydney Bible Baptist College at Carlingford NSW. |
| |
Pastor Hester - our
founding pastor |
In March of
1992, he was ordained to become a minister of the gospel
of Jesus Christ and continued to work alongside Pastor
Hester who graciously transferred the reins of leadership
to him in 1994.
Today, he
serves the church through the guidance of the Holy Spirit
under the headship of our Lord Jesus Christ to the honour
of our Father God. Unto Him be all glory forevermore!
|