Carl Chambers
1. How did you become a Christian?
Although I started going to my local Anglican village church as a teenager, looking back I was more religious and a God-fearer than converted.
I gave it all up by the end of school, but half-way through university a series of events led me back to church and to knowing Jesus as Lord and Saviour. Someone offered to read the Bible with me; he taught me grace. I walked home and felt like a heavy yoke had been lifted off my shoulders: Jesus died for me, yes me, in my place, knowing full well what I was like!
2. What lessons have you learnt since that you would want to pass on to a younger Christian version of yourself?
Today is a great day to serve the Lord: let today be your best day for Him. Don’t worry about tomorrow. Your loving heavenly Father has far more in His hands than you will ever realise. Also, don’t be afraid – or delay – in seeking to address your heart as to who you are, in all that this means (your hopes, your fears; your hurts, your joys, etc).
3. How would you describe your prayer life?
My first car comes to mind: a Ford Fiesta 957cc. So my prayer life is probably not the moped it once was, but not quite a V6 or V8 either. It would also work hardest going uphill (through the troubles of life). I’m still learning not to coast when life is more ‘downhill’, so to speak. I’ve never regretted taking time out to pray, even just to pour out my heart to the Lord. I’m so thankful God’s grace covers the times I don’t.
4. Which two or three Christian books apart from the Bible have most influenced your faith?
Sometimes I think my answer is ‘which ever one I’ve just read’. But I’ve benefitted profoundly from When Helping Hurts, because of the dignity it gives those in need, and the wisdom for those who seek to help. We are not the hero by Jean Johnson: I liked it so much I took Jean to Cuba to encourage to the church there. And Pathway Jesus (which en had kindly asked me to review) because of the way it encourages us in our witness.
5. Who or what have been your biggest Christian influences?
Chris, who led me to Christ and taught me grace. Also, BCUK and Biblical counselling has had a huge impact. A few years back I (and we as a family) went through such a difficult time that I fear I would have cracked up, but for some ability to self-counsel. And mission in Cuba for more than 25 years has also humbled me and greatly encouraged me to see God at work in so many ways through so many different brothers and sisters.
6. What are the main challenges you believe Christians face today?
I wonder whether we realise just how post-Christian our country has become. We used to live in Brighton which 20 years ago was known as the most ‘atheist’ city in the country. I just thought it was the most honest. The post-Christian worldview holds no place for a Creator God who has some claim on our lives. This means when we speak of Him, we’re likely to be hugely misheard or misunderstood. I’m not sure we’ve begun to realise the implications of this fully.
7. What encourages and what discourages you?
Encouragement: The hope we have in Christ Jesus as Lord: He is risen and will return. We wait on Him. There is more to life than we think. Discouragement: my own hard-heartedness, pride, complacency, and slowness to learn. But I should add the ointment of the gospel is a great comforter as well as corrector.
8. What makes you laugh?
Smile: many TikToks or Instas that my children and wife show me. Chuckle: looking back on my past foolishness, with thanks to God for His grace. LOL: Yes, Minister and Only Fools and Horses on tv. Al Murray. Jim Jefferies on gun control (the language filter I use watching Brighton & Hove Albion away needs to be applied to so many comedians today, I find). Whackhead Simpson.
9. What would you want to say to the wider evangelical world?
I fear the word limit is too short, and my answer may be misunderstood. But there is a real need to wake up to the way the church has been and the way the world is now. We need greater corporate responsibility across the churches to address past abuse, theological drifting, and how to engage with a post-Christian worldview that has been a majority for a decade or two now, I think. And then there is our imperialistic view of mission within our nation and across the world.
10. Which Biblical person (other than Jesus) do you most look forward to meeting in glory and why?
Right now, it would have to be Mordecai. We recently preached through Esther, so I want to say well done and thank you. His faith shines through when calling on Esther to take a stand. Mordecai knows God will rescue them (that’s Mordecai’s faith in God’s faithfulness shining through), but he calls on Esther to play her part.
Carl is married to Jenny with three teen-age children. He is Vicar of St Michael and All Angels, Wilmington, Kent, an Anglican church, and also a trustee of Latin America for Christ and Anglican Futures.
