Trevor Archer
1. How did you become a Christian?
Though my parents were not Christians, as a child I was sent, with my stepsisters, to a nearby Brethren Sunday School. I didn`t realise it at the time, but the essence of the gospel was taught me then. In my teens, an uncle was converted at a Billy Graham Crusade. He began to witness to our family, as a result of which, Jenny, one of my stepsisters was converted, and through her a year later I came to know the Lord around the age of 18.
2. What lessons have you learnt since that you would want to pass on to a younger Christian version of yourself?
Always make the gospel and its proclamation your priority in ministry; take it with the upmost seriousness. However, and here’s the thing, whilst taking the gospel seriously don’t take yourself too seriously! Know yourself. Your failings, sins and inconsistencies provide a constant reminder that in this life you will never progress beyond the wonderful fact that you are a sinner saved by grace. This will keep you from pretentious self-importance and dependent on daily grace!
3. How would you describe your prayer life?
Apparently, Spurgeon told a woman once that ‘he never prayed for more than five minutes’! Seeing the shocked look on her face he went on to add in his inimitable way, ‘but there’s not an hour when I don’t pray’! I have always sought to keep that in mind. I fear we overemphasise individual prayer at the expense of the weight given in the Bible to plurality in prayer. My best prayer has always been with others, whether in small or larger numbers, not least the church prayer meeting.
4. Which two or three Christian books apart from the Bible have most influenced your faith?
Knowing God by Jim Packer, The Cross of Christ by John Stott and Lectures to my Students by C.H. Spurgeon.
5. Who or what have been your biggest Christian influences?
My two predecessors in the pastorate at Chessington, Harry Kilbride and Andrew Davies, taught me Reformed truth, mentored and encouraged me into ministry, and imparted a love for Christian history and experiential Christianity. Then John Tindall, with whom I served as co-pastor at Chessington for 20 years, modelled persevering humility in ministry. Finally, there is Val, my wife of almost 50 years. Her servant heart and love for Christ and love for people is a constant inspiration – and challenge!
6. What are the main challenges you believe Christians face today?
Here in the West the accumulated force of a rampant secularism and its aggressive determination to silence the Christian voice in every area of public life. In that regard, Stephen McAlpine’s Being the Bad Guys is a great analysis of the challenge, but also provides a hugely practical encouragement for Christians to live for Jesus.
7. What encourages and what discourages you?
‘Ordinary’ Christians of all ages and churches around the country determinedly serving Christ in their communities and workplaces with persevering expectancy. Conversely, I despair at the total lack of grace and humility with which some Christians engage with Christians and non-Christians through social media and in other communications. Such an appalling witness, so lacking in charity and love.
8. What makes you laugh?
Anyone taking themselves too seriously! Leadership is first and foremost relational (not transactional) in which the Lord gathers together a bunch of redeemed sinners in order to grow us in Him. The ability to laugh at yourself, to see the funny side of things, is invaluable in ministry. I worry for those who have little or no sense of humour! At Chessington, John Tindall and I were akin to Les Dawson meeting Del Boy. Our shared humour often led to uproarious elders’ meetings, but undoubtedly provided the cement that bonded us together and preserved sanity through the inevitable ups and downs of ministry life.
9. What would you want to say to the wider evangelical world?
Given the desperate spiritual state and the utter lostness of millions in our nation, a plea that evangelicals work in generous partnerships together for the advance of the Kingdom of God through church revitalisations and new plants and put the gospel of ‘Christ crucified’ front and centre,
10. Which Biblical person (other than Jesus) do you most look forward to meeting in glory and why?
The apostle Peter. He is someone a lot of us men can identify with, a complex paradox of contradictions! Passionate but Proud, Courageous but Cowardly, Can-Doer but Cluelessly Unaware of his own sins and vulnerabilities. Yet over decades the Lord didn’t give up on him and by the end of his life Peter finally learned the vital lesson – ‘God opposes the proud but shows favour to the humble’ (1 Peter 5:5 is wonderfully autobiographical). I think we may have a few things in common to discuss!
