15 Aug 2025, 13:24Adina Lupu; Edited by SM CommunicationsGlasgow, Glasgow City, Scotland, United Kingdom
An Interview with Pastor Don MacLafferty, Guest Speaker at the Glasgow Revival Series
Pastor Don MacLafferty reflects on his life, ministry, and vision for the upcoming Glasgow revival series.
Pastor Don MacLafferty is recognised for his passion in calling children, youth, young adults, and older adults to a daily revival with Jesus, which he describes not as a one-time event or church programme, but as a way of life. Equally committed to discipling others to follow Christ, he shares in this interview, conducted by Adina Lupu of Glasgow Church, inspiring insights into his life and ministry.
Pastor Don MacLafferty will be the guest speaker for The Last Elijah revival series, hosted by Glasgow Church from 21–24 August. Everyone is warmly welcome to attend!
Q: Could you share a little about your childhood and the influences that set you on the path you are on today?
A: I was born and raised in Hawaii, in the home of two Seventh-day Adventist (SDA) teachers. My dad is a retired university professor. That shaped my life because I grew up in a minority situation, surrounded by people from all kinds of backgrounds. This gave me a love for people from all over the world. I’m excited to hear that in the Scottish Mission there are people of many nationalities, because it reminds me a little of Hawaii.
Q: Please tell us about your youth and early adult years.
A: When I was about seven years old, we moved from Hawaii to Tennessee in the USA. I thought Tennessee was an island! I attended what is now called Southern Adventist University, where my father was a professor, as well as Collegedale Academy. During all my years in Tennessee, I came to love the great outdoors — the woods and the caves. Nature had a profound influence on my life and shaped the way I pursue the Creator God.
Q: What led you to make the decision to follow Jesus?
A: My mum and dad definitely helped me realise that Jesus is my friend. They didn’t just teach me about the love of Jesus, they showed it to me in the way they loved each other as a couple, and in the way they loved me and my siblings. So, it was only natural for me to want to make a decision to follow the One who loves me the most.
Q: What would you like to share about your family — your wife and your children?
A: I have one wife, named April, and we have been married for over 37 years. She is not only my wife but also my girlfriend — and has been for all these years. That’s a big deal for me! We have three children: Jason, Julie, and Jessica. We are very invested in our family and enjoy walking outdoors in nature. I am very grateful for my family. Our children are busy and living on their own now, but we get to see them quite often.
Q: Regarding your decision to become a pastor, did you always want to pursue this path in ministry?
A: Absolutely not! From about Year 5 up to my second year in college, I knew I was going to be an elementary school teacher, because I had been blessed with many teachers who powerfully impacted my heart and life for Jesus. That’s what I wanted to do — influence young people for Jesus in that way. But then I began to sense stirrings in my heart, as if God had something else for me, though I couldn’t describe it. While studying at Canadian Union College, I began visiting a nearby Native reservation every Sabbath, where the children were wealthy but where drugs and alcoholism were serious problems. It was an exciting and heart-pounding opportunity to reach these children with the Gospel. That’s when I began to realise that God was calling me to more than one classroom — that there was a whole world to reach for Jesus Christ. For 25 years I served as a pastor, and for a few of those years as a conference youth director. For the last seven and a half years, I have been a full-time volunteer missionary.
Q: What motivated you to start the In Discipleship Ministry, and what is its main purpose?
A: The background of In Discipleship is that in 2002, April and I left conference youth ministry and returned to local pastoral ministry, starting a programme called Kids in Discipleship to help parents, grandparents, uncles, and aunts disciple the next generation. That gradually grew into what is now In Discipleship, which still includes Kids in Discipleship but also Schools in Discipleship and all kinds of intergenerational revivals — all with the goal of helping children, youth, and adults be revived in Christ. It offers tools and training to help us grow as disciples of Jesus and to disciple the next generation for Him. This is my heart’s cry — to call all ages to revival and to grow them as disciples and disciple-makers.
Q: Can you tell us about the General Conference (GC) Back to the Altar initiative and how you became involved?
A: The Back to the Altar concept was first shared at GC level by Dwayne Esmond from the Ellen G White Estate, who felt inspired to call children, youth, and adults back to the altar of worship. When the GC heard his passionate vision — calling all back to the altar with the Elijah message and appealing for us to put electronics in their proper place so there’s room for worship — something of a miracle happened. God placed this vision on the hearts of the Ministerial Department, and they realised that the tools developed by In Discipleship could help implement the initiative. That’s how my collaboration with the GC began — because revival and discipleship are at the heart of Back to the Altar.
Q: What has God been placing on your heart as you prepare for your visit to Scotland?
A: I believe we are living in the very end of time, and I’m not coming to Glasgow casually or as a tourist. I believe Jesus is ready to do something precious in the hearts and homes of the people of Glasgow and the Scottish Mission. My prayer is that God will bring a modern-day revival to Scotland, just as He has done in the past — that He will turn the hearts of fathers and mothers to their children, that young and old will experience healing in their relationships, and that God will turn the busy hearts of His people back to Jesus Christ, to the written Word, and to prayer.
Pastor Don MacLafferty reflects on his life, ministry, and vision for the upcoming Glasgow revival series.
Pastor Don MacLafferty is recognised for his passion in calling children, youth, young adults, and older adults to a daily revival with Jesus, which he describes not as a one-time event or church programme, but as a way of life. Equally committed to discipling others to follow Christ, he shares in this interview, conducted by Adina Lupu of Glasgow Church, inspiring insights into his life and ministry.
Pastor Don MacLafferty will be the guest speaker for The Last Elijah revival series, hosted by Glasgow Church from 21–24 August. Everyone is warmly welcome to attend!
Q: Could you share a little about your childhood and the influences that set you on the path you are on today?
A: I was born and raised in Hawaii, in the home of two Seventh-day Adventist (SDA) teachers. My dad is a retired university professor. That shaped my life because I grew up in a minority situation, surrounded by people from all kinds of backgrounds. This gave me a love for people from all over the world. I’m excited to hear that in the Scottish Mission there are people of many nationalities, because it reminds me a little of Hawaii.
Q: Please tell us about your youth and early adult years.
A: When I was about seven years old, we moved from Hawaii to Tennessee in the USA. I thought Tennessee was an island! I attended what is now called Southern Adventist University, where my father was a professor, as well as Collegedale Academy. During all my years in Tennessee, I came to love the great outdoors — the woods and the caves. Nature had a profound influence on my life and shaped the way I pursue the Creator God.
Q: What led you to make the decision to follow Jesus?
A: My mum and dad definitely helped me realise that Jesus is my friend. They didn’t just teach me about the love of Jesus, they showed it to me in the way they loved each other as a couple, and in the way they loved me and my siblings. So, it was only natural for me to want to make a decision to follow the One who loves me the most.
Q: What would you like to share about your family — your wife and your children?
A: I have one wife, named April, and we have been married for over 37 years. She is not only my wife but also my girlfriend — and has been for all these years. That’s a big deal for me! We have three children: Jason, Julie, and Jessica. We are very invested in our family and enjoy walking outdoors in nature. I am very grateful for my family. Our children are busy and living on their own now, but we get to see them quite often.
Q: Regarding your decision to become a pastor, did you always want to pursue this path in ministry?
A: Absolutely not! From about Year 5 up to my second year in college, I knew I was going to be an elementary school teacher, because I had been blessed with many teachers who powerfully impacted my heart and life for Jesus. That’s what I wanted to do — influence young people for Jesus in that way. But then I began to sense stirrings in my heart, as if God had something else for me, though I couldn’t describe it. While studying at Canadian Union College, I began visiting a nearby Native reservation every Sabbath, where the children were wealthy but where drugs and alcoholism were serious problems. It was an exciting and heart-pounding opportunity to reach these children with the Gospel. That’s when I began to realise that God was calling me to more than one classroom — that there was a whole world to reach for Jesus Christ. For 25 years I served as a pastor, and for a few of those years as a conference youth director. For the last seven and a half years, I have been a full-time volunteer missionary.
Q: What motivated you to start the In Discipleship Ministry, and what is its main purpose?
A: The background of In Discipleship is that in 2002, April and I left conference youth ministry and returned to local pastoral ministry, starting a programme called Kids in Discipleship to help parents, grandparents, uncles, and aunts disciple the next generation. That gradually grew into what is now In Discipleship, which still includes Kids in Discipleship but also Schools in Discipleship and all kinds of intergenerational revivals — all with the goal of helping children, youth, and adults be revived in Christ. It offers tools and training to help us grow as disciples of Jesus and to disciple the next generation for Him. This is my heart’s cry — to call all ages to revival and to grow them as disciples and disciple-makers.
Q: Can you tell us about the General Conference (GC) Back to the Altar initiative and how you became involved?
A: The Back to the Altar concept was first shared at GC level by Dwayne Esmond from the Ellen G White Estate, who felt inspired to call children, youth, and adults back to the altar of worship. When the GC heard his passionate vision — calling all back to the altar with the Elijah message and appealing for us to put electronics in their proper place so there’s room for worship — something of a miracle happened. God placed this vision on the hearts of the Ministerial Department, and they realised that the tools developed by In Discipleship could help implement the initiative. That’s how my collaboration with the GC began — because revival and discipleship are at the heart of Back to the Altar.
Q: What has God been placing on your heart as you prepare for your visit to Scotland?
A: I believe we are living in the very end of time, and I’m not coming to Glasgow casually or as a tourist. I believe Jesus is ready to do something precious in the hearts and homes of the people of Glasgow and the Scottish Mission. My prayer is that God will bring a modern-day revival to Scotland, just as He has done in the past — that He will turn the hearts of fathers and mothers to their children, that young and old will experience healing in their relationships, and that God will turn the busy hearts of His people back to Jesus Christ, to the written Word, and to prayer.
