Religious journey brings Colin home from America

Jul 3 2008 by Graham Fraser, Hamilton Advertiser

A HAMILTON man who now lives in the United States returned home this week to undertake a religious pilgrimage.

Colin Gunn (34), visited Lanarkshire with 99 Americans as he took part in the Faith and Freedom Tour.

The ex-Hamilton College pupil lives in Waco, Texas, with his wife Emily (33), and their six children.

He works as a computer animator and an amateur filmmaker.

The 100-strong group visited a number of sites of Christian, cultural and historical significance, including Loch Ness, John Knox House and a number of sites relating to William Wallace and Robert the Bruce.

Last Friday the group visited a number of sites in Lanarkshire including scenic Dalserf Church, Hamilton Old Parish and the David Livingstone Centre in Blantyre.

While on his travels, Colin caught up with the Advertiser.

He said: “It is great to be back home.

“I was keen to see some of the religious sights in Hamilton and the rest of Lanarkshire as they are often missed.”

Colin moved to the USA in 1999 following his marriage to Emily in Chatelherault Lodge the same year.

They originally met after a mutual friend, who is a pastor, introduced them up in New York.

The couple now have six children: Grace (7), Noah (6), Knox (5), Molly (3), Mercy (1) and Patience, who was born only three weeks ago.

“I guess by Scottish standards, I have a large family,” joked Colin.

“But in Texas it is the norm to have a very large family.

“On this trip, there are 100 Americans and they are only from 12 families.

“One of my friends back home in the States has 17 kids.

“Emily and I plan to have more. We just want to keep having kids.”

The Faith and Freedom Tour came over to Scotland on June 21 and will end on July 5.

The tour’s organiser is Douglas Phillips, whose father Howard was one of the founders of the US Taxpayers Party, who changed their name to the Constitution Party in 1999.

A party associated with anti-abortion and pro-life issues, he was their presidential candidate in the 1992, 1996, and 2000 elections for the President of the United States.

So what is life like in Waco for the ex-Hamilton man?

“Sadly Waco, like Dunblane, is known for tragedy before people realise that it is a place where families live,” said Colin.

It made headlines around the world when the US Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms tried to raid a compound of the Davidians – a bizarre religious sect whose leader was David Koresh – on the outskirts of Waco in February, 1993.

An exchange of gunfire left four agents and six Davidians dead.

A 51-day siege then ensued before a large fire in the compound on April 19 killed at least 76 people, including 21 children and two pregnant women.

Some of the facts behind the violent conclusion to the siege, including the number of deaths, remain unclear to this day.

However, the Waco siege remains a stain on recent American history.

“There were mistakes on both sides,” added Colin.

“The actual siege took place quite a few miles away from Waco, but the place has been tarnished since. Over 200,000 people live here, and I lead a great, suburban life.”