By Tamara Buchanon
The following testimony was written by the surviving wife of Colby Buchanon. Like so many people who are raised from birth as Jehovah's Witnesses, Colby struggled to understand what he had been taught as a child. Colby was a good friend, and he is missed by all of us at New Light Ministries.
My husband was a kind and wonderful person. He had an abundance of character and was extremely humorous. He was also skeptical of many things, including the beliefs he had grown up under as a Jehovah's Witness.
Though Colby spent his childhood in a Witness family, at the time of our marriage, his mother had stopped attending meetings because she had been disfellowshipped. Before we were married, he had assured me that he was a Christian. After we were married, however, he began to have some serious questions about what he truly believed. We talked about what it meant to be a Jehovah's Witness and about what it meant to be a Christian. It was only then that I began to realize just how much Colby had been through during his younger years. He told me about not caring for school or college because he had been assured that the end of the world was so near. He also tried to explain many of the JW teachings to me. Colby just wanted to know who was right and who was wrong.
So, we both started praying for God to show us the truth. All of this was very hard for me since I already knew the Lord. But I also knew that the Lord would show himself to Colby if he was truly seeking Him. Admittedly, it was very hard for me at times. I did not want to say the wrong thing because I was afraid it might send Colby in the other direction. I did the only thing I knew to do: I simply put it in God's hands.
Not long after we began praying, a Christian neighbor told us about a large protestant church in downtown Atlanta (First Baptist Atlanta). We began attending the church, and Colby soon walked down to the alter to speak with someone about his many questions. He was introduced to a man named Larry, who was the church's minister of world missions. Ironically, Larry had a Christian friend named Gary who had grown up as a Jehovah's Witness. Within a couple of days, Larry had introduced Colby to Gary over the phone, where they arranged to meet for lunch. Gary was just the person Colby needed to meet. Colby could relate to what Gary had been through and to what he had to say. It was a great lunch, and Gary left Colby with a couple of books (Reasoning from the Scriptures With Jehovah's Witnesses, by Ron Rhodes; and Kingdom of the Cults, by Walter Martin) that could answer many of Colby's questions. Gary also introduced us to Helen Ortega, one of the founders of New Light Ministries.
We began attending a Bible study at Helen's house about once a week. Colby continued to pray and study the Bible. God showed him that Christianity is about love, faith, and forgiveness. He also showed him that he didn't have to work for his salvation. As he began to read the Bible, Colby started to understand that it is only Christ's blood that saves. He read Ephesians 2:8-9, "For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith-and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God-not by works, so that no one can boast."
One morning while studying in Helen's kitchen, Colby prayed to receive Jesus as his Lord and Savior. He was finally trusting in Jesus to save him-not in his good works and not in his association with a man-made organization (the Watchtower Society). He told me that he had no doubt he was saved and that he was going to heaven. He was so excited to finally know the Truth. He called a friend, and he even tried to talk to his mother and grandmother about the Lord.
Colby continued to study many different topics with Helen, but the subject he was most interested in was hell. I suppose it is a difficult concept for ex-Witnesses to grasp since they are taught not to believe in hell. I know the Lord led us to every person we came in contact with and I thank Him for the work He did in our lives. Colby had finally gotten the answers he had searched for for so many years. Without a doubt, all of these things were accomplished in God's perfect timing.
In 1995, Colby began experiencing some physical problems. In September, after several months of searching to find out what was wrong, he was diagnosed with Wilson's Disease, which is a hereditary disease caused by an autosomal recessive gene. Symptoms include liver problems and severe mental disorder due to a ceruloplasmin deficiency and a resulting inability to metabolize copper. The disease affects people mentally and physically, and is described as a cross between Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease.
Colby was very sick for more a than a year. He suffered terribly, but he never lost his faith in Jesus. When he was in hospitals, and could not walk or talk, he would communicate for me to sing praise songs. They were songs we had sung together many times before. I believed it was comforting to us both at those times, even though I can't "carry a tune in a bucket!" We would just make fun and laugh about my scary voice. One thing Colby could not lose, however, was his sense of humor, even during those most difficult times.
As time passed, the mental affects of the disease worsened. Colby and I had to separate due to actions taken by his parents. They disagreed with the medical advice of practically every one of Colby's doctors.
Two hours prior to Colby's death, our pastor had a chance to pray with Colby. He told me that when they prayed, all of Colby's shaking stopped. Colby's faith-and the Lord-were there, all the way up to his last breath. On August 19th, 1996, at the age of 26, the Lord took Colby home to be with Him.
But Colby's story didn't end with his death. His mother had a Jehovah's Witness elder speak at the funeral. He sounded normal at first, but toward the end of the speech, he began to refer to specific JW teachings related to death. Most of the people at the funeral home didn't know what he was talking about. They were statements that didn't make sense unless you were a Witness. When the man finished speaking, one of Colby's family members got up and stopped everyone from leaving. She said she had a few words she wanted to share with us. She then assured everyone that Colby was a Christian and that he was in heaven. Amazingly, a second person went up to the front. She was obviously angry that Colby's parents had allowed this man to speak at his funeral. Standing in front of all those people, which included several Jehovah's Witnesses, this family member told everyone, "Colby was not in that cult." She even quoted scripture and praised the Lord while she was up there. I still thank the Lord for those two wonderful people. Colby would never have wanted a JW elder to speak at his funeral, but as always, God prevailed in the end!
Colby's favorite verse was Isaiah 40:31. "But those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint." I thank God that Colby is finally at peace. He has his strength back; he is finally soaring, walking, and running with the Lord.
Colby & Tamara Buchanon