Andy Bannister
1. How did you become a Christian?
I was brought up by wonderful Christian parents and attended the local Baptist church as a kid. Faith was all around me and I had some great role models. But until my teens, that faith was not yet something that had become personal to me. In my early teens I got connected to a brilliant Christian youth organisation called Crusaders (now Urban Saints). And at a youth camp, in tent on a windy clifftop above Hastings, I first heard the gospel preached in a way that made me realise that I, personally, needed to respond to Jesus. And I did! And I’ve been following Him ever since.
2 . What lessons have you learnt since that you would want to pass on to a younger Christian version of yourself?
I think the younger version of me took a while to realise that I was loved and accepted by God fully on what Jesus had done, not on my performance (serving at church, praying, giving, etc.) Particular for evangelicals as we’re inclined to be activists, if we’re not careful we can build our worth on what we do for Jesus. It took me a while to learn that lesson! I’d also introduce the younger version of me to apologetics much earlier—it took me until my late 20s to discover it!
3. How would you describe your prayer life?
Exciting, a daily struggle, and noisy! Let me unpack those: exciting because it’s so thrilling to spend time with the Lord and see prayers answered, especially for evangelism and the kind of things I’ve involved with at Solas; a struggle because my life as an itinerant evangelist has little routine and I love routine, so finding times to pray and read God’s word can often be a fight (I’m not a morning person, but 6am seems to be the best time that works!); and noisy because part of my prayer life would be family worship, which is central to our life as a busy family with two loud children! It’s a joy to read the Bible, sing, and pray with our kids each day.
4. Which Christian books apart from the Bible have most influenced your faith?
I’m an avid reader so picking just two or three is a challenge! But if you must limit me, I’d say C.S. Lewis’s Mere Christianity (as that was the book that first helped me see how we can give a reason for the hope we have (1 Peter 3:15). It also introduced me to Lewis more generally). And then (cheekily!) anything by F.W. Boreham. Boreham was a Baptist minister from 1895 to the 1930s in New Zealand and Australia. One of the last students interviewed by Spurgeon, he was also an influence on Billy Graham. He wrote over 50 books, mainly short devotional essays, and I read him most days.
5. Who or what have been your biggest Christian influences?
My parents and my youth workers, who were responsible for my coming to trust in Jesus in my teens. And then more recently, my brilliant team of colleagues at Solas. They help me, challenge me, encourage me, and are wonderful godly people.
6. What are the main challenges you believe Christians face today?
First, a lack of focus on evangelism. This was exacerbated by the pandemic, when many churches burnt up lots of energy figuring out how church on Zoom works. But post-Covid, I’d say I’ve seen evangelism slide down the agenda a bit. (Yet, ironically, at the same time there is more spiritual openness around than I’ve seen in a long time!)
Second, the need to get Christians equipped and confident to share their faith at work, university, among their peers. Lots of people are afraid of evangelism and say nothing. This is why we run our ‘Confident Christianity’ days at Solas, training thousands in churches up and down the country to feel more able to talk naturally about Jesus. And it’s why I wrote my forthcoming book, How To Talk About Jesus Without Looking Like an Idiot.
Third, falling into the traps – shouting at the culture, running away from the culture, or conforming to the culture. (I run a podcast called Pod of the Gaps that helps try to tackle this problem!)
7. What encourages and what discourages you?
I’m encouraged by seeing God at work through churches large and small up and down the country. There are green shoots of growth everywhere! And a real spiritual openness out there – we’ve seen this on recent university mission weeks. I’m discouraged at the way some of the mainline denominations seem to have been distracted from gospel issues of late (to put it diplomatically!).
8. What makes you laugh?
Any good ‘dad joke’. My kids. A good Terry Pratchett or Douglas Adams novel.
9. What would you want to say to the wider evangelical world?
Let’s stay focused on keeping the main thing the main thing. And let’s talk about Jesus winsomely and persuasively in the public square and not get distracted by culture wars, nor hide behind the doors of our churches.
10. Which Biblical person (other than Jesus) do you most look forward to meeting in glory and why?
Now that’s a tricky one as, again, there are so many! I think I want to say Luke. Luke’s Gospel and the book of Acts are possibly my two favourite New Testament books. Luke was a writer (as am I) and got to see so much of Paul’s missionary work close up. So I’d love to chat to Luke!
