From paramilitaries to evangelists

This seems not to have received much media coverage but Billy Mitchell the convicted UVF terrorist turned Christian and PUP member died recently. Billy Mitchell was a strong advocate of the Good Friday Agreement and worked with former Republican prisoners building cross-community housing upon his release from jail. He also contributed several articles to “The Blanket” including, Culture and Identity and A Question of Identity. “The Other View” a joint Republican and Loyalist ex-prisoners initiative – also carried an article by him entitled – Racists are no Friends of the Union.

Another ex-paramilitary prisoner turned Christian is the Rev. Thomas Martin who is now a minister at the Free Presbyterian Church in Lisburn. I recently heard him giving his testimony in a Faith mission held in the local Orange Hall about how he was saved and turned his back on paramilitarism. I thought perhaps it would be online but there is also a book about his life written by Noel Davidson – Out of the Maze.

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