Ten Questions - with Andy du Feu
Andy du Feu has taught at Moorlands College since 2011, currently serving as Principal and CEO. He led a Congregational church in Oxfordshire for seven years, while his formative missions experience was working with children and young people in the inner cities of Camden, NJ and Wilmington, DE, in the US.
1 How did you become a Christian?
I grew up going to Christian camps and responded to the gospel whilst sitting around a campfire. I always had a sense of being set apart from the crowd, and the fire burns hot – with a name like mine, literally “man of the fire”, it’s almost like I have no choice! Jeremiah’s experience of God’s Word in his heart like a fire resonates powerfully.
2 What lessons have you learnt since that you would want to pass on to a younger Christian version of yourself?
A challenge that Malcolm Duncan gave me as a 22-year-old: What does it look like to do things in God’s strength, not your own? It’s a challenge I accepted. I would remind my 18-year-old self that God is who He says He is and does what He says He does, and therefore to rest in God’s sovereignty.
3 How would you describe your prayer life?
Full on. The Bible is my prayer book. If you believe it, your prayer life should reflect it. I’m typically at Moorlands by 7am and that hour (from when I get in the car at 6:30 through to 7:30 or so) is so impactful in how my day goes. And there’s no kill switch on prayer. It runs in the background like an operating system. I’m so thankful for it.
4 Which two or three Christian books apart from the Bible have most influenced your faith?
Three books that I was introduced to at 18 or 19 while serving in the inner city have had profound influence:
- Abandoned to God, the biography of Oswald Chambers. I read it at 18 before I got into the daily devotional he is better known for, and was in equal measure challenged and inspired to go all in. Last year I was invited to join the board of the Oswald Chambers Publishing Association, which was a massive honour.
- Silence, by Shūsaku Endō. A powerful story of what it means to follow when ministry is tough, and the heavens seem unbreachable.
- Life Together, by Dietrich Bonhoeffer. It underpins my passion for the body of Christ and how I relate to others.
5 Who or what have been your biggest Christian influences?
The “who” is easy, as I’m always looking to learn from people who are beyond where I am, and that sense of being a sponge has never lessened. I’m as hungry now as ever. The “what” is the hard part: suffering. No greater influence on my Christian life than the trials you go through (1 Peter 1v7).
6 What are the main challenges you believe Christians face today?
Biblical illiteracy is foremost, because this is the foundation on which wisdom and understanding sit. I find it fascinating that non-faith voices, like clinical psychologist Jordan Peterson, are pointing to the wisdom and value of the book that many Christians have wandered from or played down.
7 What encourages and what discourages you?
I am so encouraged when I see students “get it”, and when I hear the stories of alumni many years after graduating. What discourages me is… discouragement! It comes in many shapes and sizes. The sooner we can see it, the quicker we can take action or bounce back.
8 What makes you laugh?
I have three adopted children who can all make me laugh. There is never a dull moment in our household.
9 What would you want to say to the wider evangelical world?
Keep going back to The Book and keep going back to the person of Jesus. Practice His way, learn from Him because He is gentle and humble of heart, and in Him we find rest for our souls (Matt. 11v29).
10 Which Biblical person (other than Jesus) do you most look forward to meeting in glory and why?
My sparring partner is David. Elijah, Esther and Daniel give him a run for his money, but I’ve spent so much time treading out his story and gleaning from his heart of worship. Pop quiz: what name did God give David’s son, Solomon? Answer: Jedidiah. Beloved of the Lord. Despite the mess and human failure, David is a story of grace, out of whom would emerge the root of Jesse, the Messiah.
