Trudy Simpson, Contributor

Bishop Carlton Morgan and his wife Janet.

He runs a gospel ministry for thousands and is happily married with two children, but for those who watch him preach from the pulpit, it is hard to believe that there was a time when Bishop Carlton Morgan ruled the dancehall.

Magical with a microphone and mesmerising as he spun records by well-known reggae artistes, Bishop Morgan amassed a following of thousands throughout England.

He won his fans as a DJ on a popular sound system, then later as a top music promoter, with links to the likes of controversial dancehall artiste Ninjaman and reggae legends like Barrington Levy, Frankie Paul and the late Dennis Brown. He gained further popularity as the owner of three reggae clubs, one of them an upscale club called Maxine's Live Spot in Paddington, central London, which drew black celebrities - and the ladies.

"I used to like a lot of girls. I liked to wear nice clothes and to gamble," Morgan, head of Grace International Miracle Ministries, told The Voice.

Elaborate lifestyle

Back then, money was flowing in as he staged events featuring top reggae artistes and sound systems all over England and rocked the nightclub scene. "My lifestyle was about a lot of girls, nice cars like Mercedes Benz and silk suits. I hurt many girls' hearts because I used to lie to them. When I got saved I had about 16 steady girls at the same time."

There was conviction in his voice as he talked about the joy of being saved. He said God called him into service when he least expected it. In fact, just as he got ready to go to bed with one of his 16 women, late one Sunday night in 1990. As she waited in his bedroom with the door invitingly open, Morgan said God's presence slammed the door shut between them, flooding the living room where he was with light so blinding, he couldn't look straight at it.

"I saw two hands outstretched, dripping blood. Then a voice spoke to me, saying, "Son, you have my work to do and it is not started and not yet finished. From today, I want you to go into the world and let my people know that 'God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life' (John 3:16). The voice spoke three times and then it disappeared. For two hours I sat there shaking."

Unwilling to dismiss the vision as the remnants of a late night at his successful club, Morgan took the road less travelled and packed up his dancehall lifestyle.

"People thought I was crazy, but from that day forward, I packed up my cigarettes (a 60 per day habit at the time), I packed up all my girls and I closed my clubs."

Now, Bishop Morgan uses his skills to promote events of a different kind - religious deliverance for thousands on seven television stations, two radio stations, two associate churches outside London and three London-based churches in Wembley, East India Dock Road in Poplar and in Brixton.

Two more churches are to come on stream in Birmingham and troubled Moss Side in Manchester, this year. Instead of Ninjaman, he now brings in reggae gospel artistes such as Carlene Davis and Junior Tucker to events like Gospel Extravaganza.

"I used to promote big parties for the devil, but I am now promoting for Jesus. I think God knew I was going to promote for him," he said.

The good grace of God

Since being saved, Bishop Morgan told The Voice that the grace of God has been working miracles in his life and in the lives of the thousands in his congregation. The miracles, Bishop Morgan said, range from healing the sick and curing alcoholics and drug addicts to bringing deliverance and 'fruit of the womb' to women through prayer. His wife of 12 years, Pastor Janet for example, was one such woman.

"My wife could not have a child. And the Lord spoke to me and I put a plate and a spoon and a fork on the table and for seven years, I spoke to the plate and the knife and the fork. In the mornings, I said, "Good morning Joshua" and in the evening I said "Good evening Joshua." After seven years, God sent my son.

They named the boy, now five years old, Joshua.

The couple, who met after God sent them both a vision, also has a 16-month-old daughter named Rebekah after a Biblical character known for her kind heart.

Bishop Morgan said he can only reflect on the past 17 years of doing God's work with satisfaction. His aim, he said, is to get more people to accept Christ and that is his plan for 2008. "God has given me a vision to build up the broken hearted and set the captives free. I have been working with people on drugs within the community, and to try to stop the guns."

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