Barbara Thomas

Worship leader

Born and brought up in Salford in a Christian family, I became a Christian myself at the age of 9. After attending Music College in Manchester I taught in secondary and primary schools part time before finally getting a job in a Special school and realising that this was where I was meant to be. I taught pupils with special needs from then on until my retirement, with a break of 10 years when I had my two children. My first marriage sadly ended in divorce when my first husband left me for someone else when our children were 12 and 10 years old. My Church family in Salford were very supportive at this time and helped me continue in my faith during a difficult and quite lonely time. My son tragically drowned during an accident whilst at university in Swansea when he was just 21 and it would have been impossible to carry on if I hadn't believed that I would one day be reunited with him again in Heaven. My daughter and I struggled on together through this very difficult period in our lives and it was about then that I met, and subsequently married, my second husband Patrick. We now live happily together in Ulverston. My daughter is now married to a Padre in the RAF and I have a married stepdaughter living in Australia.

God didn't promise us an easy life as Christians but I am so glad that He is always faithful through good times and bad.