True Crime-Paranormal-Conspiracy Theories Stories Part V #Wattys2023

Jesus Army: Noel Stanton

Noel Stanton (25 December 1926 –20 May 2009) was the founder of the Jesus Army.

Life

Stanton was born in Bedfordshire in theEast of England, and educated at Bedford Modern School. His parentswere farmers. When he was 18, he was conscripted into Britishmilitary service with the Royal Navy. The navy sent him to Sydney,Australia, where he was approached by evangelist Frank Jenner, whoasked him, "If you should die tonight, where would you go?Would it be heaven or hell?" Stanton felt convicted forseveral months afterwards and consequently converted to Christianitythe next year.

When World War II ended, Stantonattended All Nations Bible College and worked for and then went intobusiness. In 1957, he became the pastor of a Baptist church inBugbrooke, Northamptonshire. Under Stanton's leadership, the churchtook on characteristics of the Charismatic Movement and then of the1960s counterculture. In 1973, he began turning the church into anintentional community modeled after early Christianity, and theresulting movement became the Jesus Army. He wrote the book YourBaptism Into Jesus Christ and His Church, which was published in1998. Stanton remained the Jesus Army's leader until 2009, when henamed Mick Haines the new leader before dying on 20 May.

After Stanton's death in 2009, theJesus Army supplied allegations to Northamptonshire Police of sexualoffences against Stanton and others, and as of 2019 there are 43complainants of historic sexual and physical abuse.