William Wilson
1. How did you become a Christian?
I grew up in a Christian home in Northern Ireland – so there’s never been a time in my life when I haven’t been part of a church. When I was a teenager, I was part of the youth fellowship in our church. We went along to a ‘Gospel Hall Mission’ one Sunday night. This was the late 1970s/early 1980s and at that time evangelistic preaching in NI often focussed on ‘where would you be if Jesus came back tonight?’ I stood up in response to the appeal at the end of the meeting, partly out of fear. It was only over the following couple of years that I began to understand that being a Christian is about knowing I am loved by God in Jesus Christ and loving Him in return.
2. What lessons have you learnt since that you would want to pass on to a younger Christian version of yourself?
Always trusting God is more important than always understanding God. I’ve had many experiences where I haven’t understood at the time why God has been leading in a particular direction, but obedience to Him has always proved to be more important than understanding all the details of ‘why’, etc.
3. How would you describe your prayer life?
Better than it once was, but always a work in progress. I pray at my desk each morning. My wife and I finish the day by praying together. Throughout the day I’m in constant dialogue with God, but I’m aware that can sometimes be more about my concern at that moment, rather than about God or growing closer to Him. I have always been hugely helped by praying with other people.
4. Which two or three Christian books apart from the Bible have most influenced your faith?
Under the Unpredictable Plant by Eugene Peterson was significant in my call into ministry and introduced me to his writings which I’ve always found helpful. Issues Facing Christians Today by John Stott showed me how to wrestle with ethical issues from a Biblical perspective. Like so many contemporary Christians I’m profoundly grateful for the writings and sermons of Tim Keller.
5. Who or what have been your biggest Christian influences?
Local Christians and churches have always been my biggest influences – from a home Bible study when I was a teenager in Northern Ireland to the church families I’ve been part of wherever I’ve been living. God has used those around me to encourage, challenge and shape me.
6. What are the main challenges you believe Christians face today?
Ensuring that we remain obedient to God in a society where that is challenging. It can sometimes be difficult to distinguish between obedience to God and loyalty to a particular Christian ‘tribe’, which is why Biblical literacy is crucial but is harder work in our post-Christendom context.
7. What encourages and what discourages you?
It’s taken a long time, but I’ve learned to be encouraged by the small things (if that’s what they are) – a good conversation about God, another answered prayer, the faithfulness and sacrifice of people around me in the church where I serve, the fact that people are still committing to follow Jesus – especially people much younger than me who face far greater challenges than I ever did.
The politics and direction of the denomination of which I’m part is discouraging, but like many others I’m convinced that God has called me to be in this branch of His church and that call hasn’t gone away.
8. What makes you laugh?
Dogs will always make me laugh!
9. What would you want to say to the wider evangelical world?
For people whose theology majors so much on the grace of God we can be remarkably judgemental (in that, I’m speaking as much to myself as others).
10. Which Biblical person (other than Jesus) do you most look forward to meeting in glory and why?
Jeremiah intrigues me as his message was difficult and often not well received, yet he remained faithful and obedient despite discouragements. There have also been questions about the state of his mental health – I’m curious whether that’s real or whether we’re projecting live issues in our society on to a Bible character.
