Stirling Long was born a twin in Johannesburg, South Africa. Shortly thereafter his parents moved to Kitwe in Zambia. He and his twin brother Garth were educated in the Eastern Province of South Africa and attended a Private Boarding School Run by Catholics.
After school Stirling and his twin brother Garth joined the British South Africa Police Force. The 1960’s and 1970’s were very troubling times in Africa. Rhodesia was at that time at war with Communist Trained Insurgents. This was at the height of the Cold War and Communism was fast spreading through the undeveloped world of South America, Asia, and Africa.
Later Garth, Stirling’s Twin was to be ambushed in the May of 1977 and although he survived the ambush attack, he was left severely injured. Garth, told Stirling in hospital that as the ambush occurred, he had shouted out, ” Jesus Save Me!” Milliseconds later the RPG rocket exploded inside his vehicle. Leaving Garth and the driver as the sole survivors. He was seriously injured and left totally blind.
One Good Friday in 1988, Stirling attended a Protestant Church and heard the full Gospel preached. The Preacher repeatedly stated, “You must be Born Again, or you won’t even see Heaven!” This simple Gospel message so impressed Stirling that as the altar call was given, he raced up to the altar to give his life to the Lord.
Stirling completed a D J Kennedy Evangelism Explosion Ill training Course and worked with an Australian Ministry called, “Reach Out Ministries “, helping with their street evangelism programs in Soweto and Johannesburg. Reach Out Ministries also traveled to nearby Swaziland and did open air preaching in the townships and surrounding Cities. The 80’ and 90’s and early 2000’s was an incredible time to be a Christian in changing Southern Africa.
In 2006 Stirling and his then wife Diana immigrated to Los Angeles CA. They later moved South East to Georgia in 2009 and settled close to their daughter Bernadette in Dawsonville GA. Three years later Stirling’s wife Diana was diagnosed with ALS or Lou Gehrig’s Disease. It was whilst nursing Diana with an incurable condition that he came to understand the true meaning of God’s faithfulness. The Lord supernaturally provided for them and made a way for Stirling to give up work to help nurse Diana. The last five months of Diana’s life and the 11 days in Hospice reinforced his belief that death was a certainty, and we all in desperate need of a Savior. Diana died in March 2016.
In June 2017 Stirling married Carol Pilcher, also a widow. They soon became involved in street ministry handing out gospel tracts at Malls and College Campuses. In August 2019 Stirling contacted Son Life Ministries in Athens GA. SonLife mentored and instructed Stirling in the basics of Open-Air Preaching.
They are dedicated to taking the Gospel to their Neighbors and surrounding Cities. Stirling has preached on two occasions at their City’s “Moonshine Festivals”. Stirling and Carol are active on the streets and Squares of Dahlonega, Dawsonville, and Helen GA.