George, who has also written five books, lives in Milton of Campsie and has been married to wife Jean for 43 years. They have two children, Janet and Findlay, and two grandchildren, Kirsten and Angus.

Where did you go to school?
I was born in Glasgow and went to Possil Senior School and Coatbridge Technical College.
I worked for five years in the steel works and then went to London Bible College, followed by getting an MA at London University and a distance learning PhD.
During my student years, I had various jobs, including feeding pigs, working in a post office at Christmas and in a gents outfitters. I was also employed by the Glasgow cleansing department. I worked nightshifts in Maryhill, Possilpark and Sauchiehall Street and saw some amazing sights!

What did you do after university?
I became a baptist minister in Buckhaven in Fife for three years and then returned to Glasgow to the Bible Training Institute, where I lectured in Hebrew and the Old Testament for five years.
I then spent a year at Jordanhill getting a graduate certificate to teach history and religious education and became principal for religious education at Smithycroft Secondary School.
Then I returned to pastoral work and spent five years in Edinburgh, followed by Harestanes Baptist Church in Kirkintilloch, and seven years at Castle Street Baptist Church in Inverness.
When I retired in 2002, we moved to Milton of Campsie.

When did you realise that you wanted to join the church?
My mother was a lapsed Roman Catholic and my father never went to church, but I had a religious conversion when I was 12. I've never looked back and it's been with me ever since driving me forward.

How do you spend your time now that you've retired?
I preach most Sundays and travel all over the country, going as far as Dornoch and Dundee. Last weekend, I was in Arran.
I also lecture at the International Christian College in Glasgow and teach Hebrew to about 170 students who travel from all over the world to study.

Do you lecture anywhere else?
I go to Kenya every January for ten days as a guest of the Africa Inland Mission and lecture at the Scott Theological College in Machakos, about two hours
south of Nairobi.
I do a block unit
of 40 lectures in 10 days to students studying for a bachelor's
degree.


How did you get involved in writing books?
I wrote correspondence courses from college in the 1970s and, in Inverness, was asked to write a book for the church's centenary. A publisher read the book and asked if I had a story to tell. I said that all Glaswegians have a story to tell!
I wrote my first book, Comfy Glasgow, in just four weeks and they signed me up. I've since written three books - Chained and Cheerful, about Paul's Letter to the Philippians, the life story of revivalist Jock Troup, and a collection of 16 broadcasts I did for Revival FM in Cumbernauld. Sometimes I think I would like to give up everything else and just write, but Jean says I would just get bored because I like to be around other people.

What will your next book be about?
I'm working on a story about a nurse from Dunfermline called Helena McKay Watt. She was an amazing woman who took the first radiography course in the world in Glasgow in 1897. She became a missionary and was sent to China to run a 40 bed hospital in Siam, where between 10,000 and 20,000 Manchus were being slaughtered by the Chinese.
An old pal from Inverness, who died recently, was working on a book about Peter Grant, who was from Scotland and the pre-eminent hymn writer of his day. His wife gave me all his research and so I would like to write that book as well.
There's plenty of other stuff I'd like to do, but I don't have the time.

What do you do in your spare time?
I enjoy playing golf and I go and see Clyde play from time to time. I also play the trumpet and play in a musical group in Lambhill. We play mainly gospel music but I like playing anything really - it helps me relax.

Getting to know you
First Record: Al Jolson - Rock-a-bye Your Baby
Favourite TV programme: Frost
Book Currently Reading: A book about the life of Jodie Foster
Favourite Holiday Destination: Jersey
First Car: A 1955 black Standard 10
Famous person you would most like to meet: Martin Luther or former President Jimmy Carter.