GEORGE HENRY, STAR Writer

Forty-nine years ago Ezron Cassanova was a man who had up to five intimate girlfriends, he was an addicted smoker and a man who would not miss a dancehall for all it's worth. When he indicated to members of his community that he wanted to start his walk with the Lord, he was at pains to convince anyone, based on the reputation he had and what was known about the handsome young man at the time.

Well, Cassanova was serious about surrendering his life to God and today that seriousness is still evident, as he has moved up the ranks in the Church of God of Prophecy and is now a Bishop, with responsibility for leading the flock at the New Forest branch in that denomination.

'wild' career

He has been involved in pastoral work over the past 33 years and has pastured six churches during the period. He is now at the New Forest branch for 19 of those years and loves the work which God has called him to do.

"It is not that I saved myself but that the Lord called me while I was in my 'wild' (womanising) career. Some nights I used to go to dance with up to four packs of 20 cigarettes; and when the dance was over I had to ask somebody for a cigarette," confessed Bishop Cassanova who further confessed that wherever he was, persons would see him using one cigarette to light another, because he was a hard smoker.

But, according to the man of God, one morning he was in his bed and turned on his radio. It so happened that an American preacher was preaching and it was as if he (the preacher) was speaking directly to Cassanova - he said, 'you have to lay aside all your girls, put away the smoking and leave your dances'.

The Bishop said after the preacher said all that he (preacher) started to sing the song 'Oh Where Is My Wandering Boy Tonight'. He added that before the song was finished he felt a strange feeling from his head to his feet; and that proved to him then that the Lord was calling him.

"I really never wanted to give up because obviously I had a lot of girls. I used to 'run' five at times and I felt like there was nothing greater to me at the time," said the bishop.

He pointed out that on the day in question which was a Sunday he saw some church people going to church in his district at Rose Hill and he said to them that he would join them in church soon; but little did they know that he was not joking.

Cassanova said the church people were not aware of his conviction and their response to his utterance was that he was only joking, because they would not see him in church. All that was because of the lifestyle they were aware of about him.

the sinner

"They did not realise that the viler the sinner the richer the blood; and at times it is the vile man that Jesus wants. They did not understand that I was under conviction when I was talking to them. However, that Sunday night I went to church and while there, an altar call was extended to me, but I was under conviction; but had not yet decided to leave the world to come to Jesus," noted Bishop Cassanova.

The long and short of it is that that night after returning home, he took a cigarette to light but could not do so. The following day he went to work and according to him he felt like the world was pressing down on his head; as Satan spoke to him saying that he could not surrender to God.