28 Oct I’ve never served any time but I’m one of them – Pastor Ricky Taylor Interview
When Pastor Ricky Taylor reflects on how he came to serve with Prison Fellowship Northern Ireland (PFNI), his story is one of listening to God’s prompting, walking in obedience, and finding grace in unexpected places.
This interview was conducted on 22nd October 2025 and seeks to help us understand Pastor Ricky’s motivation to join God’s ministry on a full-time basis, what drew him to work with PFNI, and about his experiences as part of the Aftercare and Prison Workers teams.
“It was during COVID that I was sitting in the house and I felt the Lord say, ‘Go on the computer, go on the Elim website’,” Ricky recalls. “Not too long after filling out the form, I received a phone call — would you come and speak to the Irish Superintendent?”
That invitation began a journey that would eventually lead him behind the walls of Northern Ireland’s prisons.
A Calling Confirmed
At first, Ricky wasn’t sure how to articulate why he wanted to be a minister, a topic the interviewers had specifically asked him about. Seeking clarity, he turned to trusted friends.
“I asked two guys from the previous church… both of them haven’t spoken to each other and both of them say the exact same thing. We’ve been praying for you for the last year. We’ve seen that you are a pastor. And I just went, there’s my confirmation.”
Learning Through Faith and Grace
Ricky is open about his struggles with studying. “First time around school, I wasn’t really a great academic. Still not. I prefer to be hands-on,” he admits. But through prayer and perseverance, he saw God’s help in remarkable ways. “Last year I got three B’s [in my exams]. So the Holy Spirit improved my marks because it certainly wasn’t me!”
He desired that any ministry he pursued would truly make a difference. “I wanted to make sure if I was going to do something, it had to be beneficial. And I prayed about it, and God took me to… Matthew 25. But the line that really hit me was when I was in prison, you visited me.”
That verse became a defining moment. “That really landed on my heart,” Ricky says. “I’m in Northern Ireland, high security. I’m not going to be able to visit people in jail. How am I going to get around that?”
Soon after, he applied to Prison Fellowship — and God opened the door.
Lessons From Behind the Walls
At PFNI, Ricky discovered that ministry is as much about listening as it is about preaching. “I’ve learned more in PF than I did at Bible College,” he reflects. “About my ministry, how to do things, how to speak to people.”
He recalls joining Bible studies with men who had been in prison and were now rebuilding their lives: “Just sit back, watch and learn for the first couple of weeks… get to know the guys and just try to interact with them.”
“I’ve never served any time, but I’m one of them.”
Later, he began visiting inside the prisons. “When you go into the landings, you’ll sense the atmosphere — it’s quite tense… but then you just sense the undercurrent and I just went, wow.”
However, after working on two Sycamore Tree events, he realised a sense of pride creeping in. He had the security clearance, ‘walking the wings’ and saw how that could easily be manipulated into ‘being the big man’. And so, he decided to stay grounded in the aftercare work, specifically Lifesplan, the Bible study held in PFNI’s offices.
The Heart of Acceptance
Among all his experiences, one moment stands out. It was during the Christmas party that many of PFNI’s service users, staff and volunteers came together to celebrate Jesus’ birth and to enjoy each other’s company. One of the men who attended Lifesplan (called J.), who could often be “cantankerous” and not known for giving out compliments, did something completely out of character.
“Last Christmas, J… came up to me… and he put his arms around me and he says, I’m gonna miss you.”
That encounter moved Ricky deeply. “I just felt that I was accepted… I’m one of them and I’ve never served any time, but I feel like I’m one of them.”
A Call to the Church
Ricky’s conviction is clear: “We do have to get our hands dirty. We can’t just sit back in church and sing our songs and pray and think that’s all things. Sometimes we have to put our shoulder to the plough as well. We need to be involved with PF… 100% you need to get behind it.”
“You need to be involved with PF, 100% need to be behind it.”
Through Pastor Ricky Taylor’s story, Prison Fellowship Northern Ireland is reminded that grace often meets us in the most unlikely places — even behind locked doors. He has since become the minister of New Mossley Elim Pentecostal Church and now leads the Lifesplan Bible Study for the men.
How We Can Pray for Pastor Ricky
- Pray for a new worship team at New Mossley Elim Pentecostal Church
- Pray for the outreach time that goes around the estate on Friday nights
- Pray for the New Mossley estate and the people living there in spiritual darkness
- Ask God to provide where the need is greatest
Watch the full interview at the top of this page or on our YouTube channel.