AFTER claiming to be visited by God in his jail cell, Malcolm Worsley turned his back on a life of crime for Christianity.

And now, 26 years later, Malcolm is a non-stipendiary minister at St Christopher's Church, Hawes Side, Blackpool.

The 58-year-old reformed burglar, who is married with two children, has been ordained at Blackburn Cathedral along with seven others being appointed for Lancashire churches, including two in Blackpool.

Between the ages of 15 and 30 Malcolm was convicted of 47 crimes and served a total of seven years in prison for burglary and other offences.

However, in 1971 as he sat in Risley Remand Centre he was visited by God - a moment which changed his life.

Malcolm explained: "I had been thinking about God for some time and about how He could exist if I was in and out of prison all the time. So I began reading the bible and one day, after about six weeks, I felt a very strong presence of God burst through the lightbulb in my cell and fill the room.

"It was not a physical presence but it was very real, nevertheless.

"After that experience I began to look at my life in a different way and to accept responsibility for my mistakes in life instead of blaming other people."

Four years ago he opened the Philippi Trust, a Christian counselling service in North Shore, and has become a nationally respected counsellor and evangelist.

At St Christopher's, Malcolm will be an unpaid minister, taking services and helping in the parish in his own time.

Father Graham Rainford, vicar of St Christopher's, said: "Malcolm has been with us for a year as part of his training as a curate and he will be a tremendous gift to the church."

The two other men ordained for Blackpool churches were James Morley who is working at All Hallows, Bispham, and Lara Simpson who is at St Michael's, Blackpool, with All Angels, Staining.

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.