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RUGBY PEOPLE: The darkness that led David into the light
AS part of our regular feature, the Advertiser speaks to special Rugbeians who have brought colour to the borough.This week, Priya Mistry met David Crabb - who has overcome sexual abuse and alcoholism to become a Minister.
FOR those who have suffered sexual abuse and alcoholism, life can be a dark place.
Yet for David Crabb, they are the tragedies that have helped him find the light of his life.
David, from Brownsover, is now well known in Rugby as the Minister for the Rugby Christian Fellowship in Cambridge Street.
He has documented his journey coping with alcohol and sexual abuse, to becoming a Minister in his new book, titled HMS Life.
It is a story written in two halves - the first details his experiences of joining the Royal Navy and the second talks about his ministerial life.
Co-author and friend to David, John Bullock, has also told his tale in the book.
Both joined the Navy in the 70s and left in the 80s to deal with their dysfunctions and become Ministers.
"We never met until 1987 and it wasn't until 2002 that we became good friends," said David, "We felt we should write our story together because of the parallel journeys that we have had.
"We had spent time in Tanzania over the past 20 years but our paths never crossed."
David joined the Navy at the age of 15 but was led to a life of visiting brothels and alcoholism as a result of his past trauma.
"The Royal Navy was very different compared to what it was today," he added.
"We often see young people in the media who have been binge drinking and it makes me think there must be an underlying problem for them to act this way. You need to deal with the root alongside the fruit."
After serving in the Navy for nine years, David trained with Elim Pentecostal church in 1986 and now serves at the Rugby Christian
Fellowship. Both have spent time in Tanzania, Kenya and Uganda.
David, along with a team of around 16, offers relief work, feeds the poor, supports doctors and nurses and has also helped develop a college campus.
Money raised from this book will go towards ministerial work here and in East Africa.
David now feels that he is in a happier place but that the process has not been a quick one and in many ways his journey is still continuing.
He said: "I will be the first to say that becoming Christian did not mean all my problems were solved at once. It is a long process, one I am still on, but one that has helped me so much."
David is married at has two children and five grandchildren.
He added: "I met my wife while I was in the Navy so she understands the difficulties that I have been through.
"We have been married for 31 years."
He is currently working on two more titles, adding: "One is a fantasy book that I am working on the other is about Christianity. I have been writing for six years and I get a lot of pleasure from it. I also enjoy writing novels."
His previous book 'Caught Up In Karbai' has also been extremely popular.
David and John will be travelling around the country to promote their book later in the year.
The book has been published by American publishers Xulon Press and is available online.
Its main distributor is www.amazon.co.uk.
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Friday 25 May 2012
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