Inspired... with Simon Guillebaud Never Beyond Hope! | Mez McConnell
Apr 23, 2026
Mez McConnell, a church planter who rose from a violent, drug‑addicted youth and prison to lead long-term ministry in Scotland’s poorest areas. He shares stories of life in care, addiction, prison conversion, street-level peacebuilding and the 20schemes movement. Expect gritty personal history, transformational community projects, and a bold call for sacrificial church engagement.
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First Night As Ned Pastor
- Mez McConnell arrived at a hostile church context where members were being beaten, windows smashed and people ran in with bats and balaclavas.
- On his first night police dragged him from his car thinking he was linked to local crime, then released him when they realised he was the new Reverend, which made him widely known on the estate.
How Prison Led To Conversion
- In prison Mez first encountered Christians who persisted in kindness and later read Romans in a Matthew Henry commentary that convicted him.
- He describes a gradual conversion: initial suspicion, repeated reading of Romans, a park-bench prayer on 3 May 1995, then discipling with a church deacon.
Bible College Culture Shock
- Bible college was culture shock: Mez got suspended for fights and smashed a tutor's desk, yet one tutor advocated for him and he matured.
- He arrived by mistake due to an administrative error, endured flashbacks, and still completed the year.
