Rescued and restored: Terry's Easter story
24 February 2026
As Easter approaches, Terry*, who serves with The Salvation Army, is preparing to lead the local Salvos Easter church services with great joy and hope. Terry’s love for Jesus began with what he describes as a spiritual encounter on Easter Sunday in 2002. More than 20 years later, he still gets emotional as he shares his story.
At the time of Terry’s life-altering encounter with Jesus, he had spent many years trapped in addiction and crime. It was a path that began at age 12, copying older boys he thought were living exciting lives.
“I witnessed terrible things — people losing their lives, others ending up in jail. But that was all I knew, so I stayed in that lifestyle. At 29 years old, my life really hit the skids due to all my drug-taking. My kidneys started to fail,” Terry says.
“I went to the doctor and he basically said, ‘You’ve got a choice — quit what you're doing, or you'll go blind first and then basically you'll die.’
“That was not the news I wanted to hear. But I didn’t know how to stop. So there I was, stuck. I couldn’t live with the drugs. I couldn’t live without the drugs. And I really did try.”
Faith, hope and overcoming addiction
Sick and exhausted from his battle to overcome his addiction, Terry sat down, completely devoid of hope, for what he had decided would be his final drink and cigarette.
“I’d done everything I knew to change and I didn’t see a way out. I was depressed for five years leading up to that day. But that day I decided, ‘this is the day. I’m done. I’m out’. I was going to end it all.”
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At the time, Terry had the television on. An Easter special was playing, with a man sharing his story of faith.
“The first words I heard from the man on the TV were, ‘I was a suicidal drug addict. And I thought there were no answers.’ And that got my attention,” Terry says.
“This guy starts telling his story. He had tried everything and nothing worked. But then he said that he gave his heart to Jesus [and his life was eventually transformed].”
“At the end of his testimony, it said, ‘If you can relate to this, call this number.’”
Reaching out for help — the first step in Terry’s journey towards recovery
Terry, suddenly hopeful about recovery, called the number and a local pastor was booked in to visit.
“With a bit of hope in my heart, I flicked over the TV channel. The movie King of Kings was playing, and it was the part where Jesus was carrying the cross. When I saw that, God spoke to me so clearly,” Terry says.
“It wasn’t audible, but it was clear. God said, ‘This Jesus is the answer.’
“All of a sudden, I went from being so depressed to being filled with joy.”
Terry says, “I was still bankrupt in every area of life. My finances, my health, my relationships — all broken. But I felt this joy. I remember thinking, ‘why is this feeling so good? What’s going on here?’”
A few days later, a pastor connected to the television program came to visit, along with another man who had also battled addiction and found new life in Jesus.
Terry was introduced to the Bible for the first time and saw himself reflected in its pages.
“I got such a hunger for the Word of God, because I thought, this stuff is true! I didn’t even know that was in there,” he says.
Even his mum noticed the change.
“I used to visit her once a week. The week before I met Jesus, she said, ‘I’ve never seen you this down. I’m really worried about you.’
“The next week, I walked in and she said, ‘What have you taken?’ She thought I was on drugs again because I was so happy.
“I said, ‘Mum, it’s Jesus.’”
A journey of transformation
Terry would love to say he rebuilt his life and never touched drugs again, but the journey — and his transformation — wasn’t instant.
“I started going to church. I was so hungry for God and God’s Word. It gave me life, and I was practising what I was learning — and it was working.
“But then life would get tough. I didn’t know how to deal with it. I’d go back to the drugs. But those times became fewer and fewer, until I finally stopped.”
Terry started volunteering with The Salvation Army and serving at his local Salvos church, or ‘corps’. He married Sue*, and they now have two children.
With little education, Terry took a job collecting rubbish for a large organisation. Over time, doors began to open.
“God just opened up door after door. Over a 10-year period, I became a high-end manager but later left to go to Bible college.”
Believing in the goodness of God
Terry and Sue are now Salvation Army officers (pastors). Their congregation has grown into a vibrant faith community with morning and evening services, community lunches, Doorways (emergency relief) and more.
“Easter is such a powerful reminder of what Jesus did for us. Just like I found out so clearly that day in my lounge room, he is the answer to the world's problems. And whoever puts their trust in him, as the Bible says, will not perish but will have eternal life,” Terry says.
And while Terry says he doesn’t understand why God sometimes heals and sometimes doesn’t, he and Sue keep praying. They’ve seen many miraculous outcomes, including Terry’s own health and a healing in their daughter’s life.
“We’re seeing lives changed, people healed, people saved, people transformed. Is it all easy? No. Does everyone get healed? No. But we just keep doing what the Bible says.
“All I know is we need Jesus, and we need to be authentic people who practise loving God,” he says.
Terry wants everyone to know there is hope.
“I don't want it to be a cliché, but I would say to anyone who was like me and had no hope, God knows what you're going through, and he can help you,” he says.
“Call on the name of Jesus. God loves you.”
*This is a true story with names changed to protect family privacy.