Table of Contents
Invitation
Join with us to hear Marion Getty’s testimony at Carryduff Free Presbyterian Church on Sunday 21st September at 7pm. Marion’s powerful testimony is a heartfelt account of God’s transformative grace.
Saved at 13 through the gospel shared by a Filipino choir, Marion’s life was changed by the cleansing power of Jesus’ blood. Despite challenges—a difficult childhood, the loss of her husband at 23, and recent personal trials—she has seen God’s enduring faithfulness.
Her story includes leading her husband to Christ, ministering to seafarers in Belfast’s ports, and witnessing lives transformed by the gospel. Marion’s message urges all to come to Christ, emphasizing the urgency of salvation and the sufficiency of God’s grace in every trial.
Introduction
Marion Getty’s testimony is a powerful narrative of faith, redemption, and perseverance, rooted in her personal experiences of God’s saving grace through the blood of Jesus Christ.
Early Life and Family Background
Marion Getty begins her testimony by grounding her faith in the redemptive power of Jesus Christ’s blood, referencing 1 John 1:7, which states, “the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanses us from all sin.” She emphasizes that her standing before God is solely due to Christ’s sacrifice, not her own merits, and her desire is to glorify God through her story.
Marion was born in East Belfast, Northern Ireland, into a typical working-class family living in a modest “two up, two down” house. Her father was a hardworking man during the week but struggled with gambling and heavy drinking on weekends, which often led to turmoil in their home. She describes instances of sadness, broken furniture, and occasional violence, particularly when her father was under the influence. Despite these challenges, Marion credits God with keeping their family together.
Her mother, a backslider who had come to know the Lord at age 17 but later drifted away due to worldly attractions, also faced the difficulties of a broken home. Marion’s older sister, Arring, remains unsaved, though Marion has prayed for her salvation for over 50 years, claiming the promise of Acts 16:31: “Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house.” Marion encourages perseverance in prayer for loved ones, noting that her sister recently attended a family night at church, and she hopes she will respond to the gospel.
The Salvation of Her Grandmother
The first significant spiritual milestone in Marion’s family was her grandmother’s conversion. Invited to Martyrs’ Memorial Free Presbyterian Church, where Dr. Ian Paisley was preaching, her grandmother was convicted by the Holy Spirit while sitting in the balcony. The message of John 14:6—“Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me”—pierced her heart. She walked down the aisle to the inquiry room and accepted Jesus as her Saviour, an event that transformed her life. This conversion sparked her grandmother’s fervent prayers and actions to bring her family to church.
Marion’s Conversion at Age 13
Marion’s own salvation came at age 13 through an invitation from her grandmother to attend a service at a small church hall on Redcar Street, Belfast, known as the Bible Pattern Church (later associated with Every Home Crusade). The event featured a group of Filipino missionaries who had been transformed from headhunters and members of a cannibal tribe to followers of Christ. Their dramatic testimony, headlined in the Belfast Telegraph as “From Headhunters to Christ,” captivated Marion. The group shared how missionaries brought the gospel to their tribe, delivering them from darkness and occult practices through the light of Christ.
As the Filipinos sang songs like “His Name is Higher” and shared their stories, Marion realized her own sinfulness, despite not being involved in occult practices. Convicted by the Holy Spirit, she prayed a simple prayer: “Lord Jesus, come into my heart, wash me from my sin, and cleanse me from mine iniquity.” Citing Acts 2:21—“Whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved”—Marion testifies that she was saved that night, experiencing an immediate lifting of the burden of sin and reconciliation with God.
Moments after her salvation, the Filipino group sang a song about taking the gospel “to the east, to the west, to the north, and to the south,” challenging her to dedicate her life to God’s service. Marion prayed, “Lord Jesus, I’ll go where you want me to go, I’ll do what you want me to do, and I’ll say what you want me to say.” This marked a dual call in her life: one to salvation and one to service. That same night, her mother, the backslider, was restored to faith, making it a night of double blessing for their family.
A Changed Life and Early Challenges
After her conversion, Marion’s life changed dramatically. She developed a new appetite for spiritual things, turning away from worldly activities like discos, as described in 2 Corinthians 5:17: “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.” Her school years presented challenges, but she remained faithful, seeking to shine for Christ in her environment.
Marriage and Tragic Loss
Marion married a man named Morris, believing he was saved, though later realizing he was not genuinely converted. Six months into their marriage, at age 22, Morris was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, which progressed rapidly, confining him to a wheelchair. During this time, Marion discovered she was pregnant with their daughter, Laura. The couple faced immense challenges, including Morris’s hospitalization during Laura’s birth by cesarean section in November. That Christmas, Morris was allowed home for two days, and they spent it together on the floor, with Laura in a carrycot, as Morris could not climb stairs.
During a hospital visit, a minister’s faithful outreach led to Morris’s conviction. Despite Marion’s initial resistance due to his frail condition, Morris insisted on seeing the minister, Rev. David McIlveen, who led him to Christ in their Ford Fiesta. This salvation brought peace to their family, but tragically, Morris passed away the following October, leaving Marion a widow at 23 with an 11-month-old daughter. Reflecting on this loss, Marion recalls a moment of despair in her bedroom, feeling overwhelmed. God reminded her of Jesus’ own sacrifice, having “nowhere to lay his head” (Matthew 8:20), prompting her to focus on gratitude for what she had—a home, food, and family—lifting her burden through praise (Isaiah 61:3).
A Call to Missions
After Morris’s death, Marion trained as a nurse and developed an interest in playing the guitar. Around this time, she felt a strong burden for the Philippines, likely influenced by the Filipino missionaries who led to her salvation. After praying for three days and nights, she surrendered the burden to God. Six weeks later, at a youth council meeting in Belfast, a man informed her of a ship in Belfast harbour with 19 Filipino crew members hungry for Bibles. Marion and her friend Sharon, who had also been impacted by the Filipino missionaries, brought 19 Bibles and Tagalog literature to the ship, meeting a crew member named Freddie Barcelona, who had requested the Bibles.
This encounter launched a 25-year ministry in Belfast’s port, where Marion and Sharon shared the gospel with Filipino and multinational crews, including Russians, Romanians, Koreans, and others. They distributed literature from Every Home Crusade and held services on ships, facing opposition, including from prostitutes attempting to disrupt meetings. One poignant moment involved a woman who, despite her lifestyle, pleaded for the song “Jesus Loves Me,” a testament to the enduring power of childhood gospel exposure.
Marion recounts a particularly sobering experience with the ship Anna Leonhardt, where they shared the gospel with a rough crew. Some accepted Christ, while others mocked, drinking vodka during the altar call. Weeks later, the ship sank with no survivors, underscoring the urgency of sharing the gospel (Amos 4:12: “Prepare to meet thy God”). Another crew member, Roman, who initially rejected the message, later accepted Christ on a sister ship, demonstrating God’s persistent grace.
Marion’s ministry extended to ports in Wales, England, Dublin, and Dunkirk, France, where they answered a Filipino crew member’s prayer for gospel outreach, leading to multiple salvations, including an old seaman named Veer who urgently sought God’s mercy.
Recent Challenges and Encouragement
In the last three years, Marion faced her greatest trials when her daughter Laura became a widow at 39, losing her husband, Christopher Stalford, a well-known public figure. The public nature of their mourning added to the family’s burden. Marion recalls Laura gathering her four children to share the news of their father’s death, with the youngest, Cameron, suggesting prayer as their response. This moment reinforced Marion’s reliance on God in times of sorrow, citing Psalm 61:2: “When my heart is overwhelmed, lead me to the rock that is higher than I.”
Marion encourages believers to shelter in God’s love (Psalm 91:4) and to praise Him even in hardship, as it lifts the spirit of heaviness (Isaiah 61:3). She urges the unsaved to prepare to meet God, emphasizing the uncertainty of life (Proverbs 27:1: “Boast not thyself of tomorrow; for thou knowest not what a day may bring forth”), and calls backsliders to return to Christ, who waits with open arms.
Conclusion
Marion Getty’s testimony is a vivid tapestry of God’s grace, weaving together personal salvation, family restoration, and a lifelong commitment to sharing the gospel. From her conversion at 13 to her ministry in Belfast’s port, she demonstrates the transformative power of Christ’s blood and the importance of perseverance in prayer and witness. Her story is a call to the unsaved to accept Christ, to backsliders to return, and to believers to remain faithful, trusting God to turn burdens into opportunities for His glory.
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