Darren Moore is the minister of Chelmsford Presbyterian Church and is a native-born Essex boy!
He is a trustee at European Missionary Fellowship (EMF) and a contributor on Gospel Reformation. He is married to Glad and father of Josiah.
1. How did you become a Christian?
I remember aged 16 I went to a youth-group retreat at Ashburnham Place. Invited by a young lady and thinking I had a chance, I went. In a talk on John 3, I had an overwhelming thought: ‘I can know God, for real’. Looking back at it, as a sermon it wasn’t a great way of handling the text! But, that keeps us humble, our ability isn’t an obstacle to God
More recently an old non-Christian school friend reached out to me, saying how he remembers how my faith made me kinder with oddballs like him. That was actually before I was 16, so maybe it was just a moment of clarity. Maybe I was just a God-fearer, I used to believe some pretty weird stuff.
2. What lessons have you learnt since that you would want to pass on to a younger Christian version of yourself?
I’m not sure I’ve actually learnt these lessons yet! Most of my Christian life is punctuated by thinking ‘In the absence of a grown-up Christian, I’d better…’. I think my ongoing advice to myself is: God doesn’t need me, but I need Him.
3. How would you describe your prayer life?
I find praying with others enormously helpful and encouraging. I also find myself frequently making ‘999’ prayers! But I need to give myself a set time with a structure to make sure that I don’t postpone it, and to make sure I pray broadly. I’ve found things like Jonny Gibson’s Be Thou my Vision, Matthew Henry’s A Way to Pray and suchlike, help shape my prayers.
4. Which two or three Christian books apart from the Bible have most influenced your faith?
At 16 I’d barely read a book (apart from The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole). I’d told the curate that I wasn’t ready to be confirmed because of all my questions. He laughed and said: ‘You’re ready’. I was feeling a bit fobbed off but he turned up the next day with Berkhoff’s Summary of Christian Doctrine. It blew my mind and I’ve been an avid reader since. Van Til’s Defence of the Faith, although hard work, showed me that Christians should see and think about EVERYTHING differently. Piper’s Desiring God is also on the list.
5. Who or what have been your biggest Christian influences?
My youth leader (Graham Burrows, now a vicar) I think helped me start well, then my minister at university (Graham Wintle). But, really, lots of good friends along the way.
6. What are the main challenges you believe Christians face today?
I felt cut by a comment from journalist Timothy Stanley: ‘Evangelism is a game Christians play among themselves.’ We need to reach an alien culture rather than attract a market share.
7. What encourages and what discourages you?
I’m encouraged that each time we think how few Christians there are, we come across a church that we’d never heard of before. God has left a witness. Discouraging: over the past few years, across every denomination, we keep hearing of a scandal, or a minister leaving ministry. Over the years I’ve pastored many people hurt by churches. Of course, many churches seriously hurt their minister too; I know many of them. How many Christians suffer under friendly fire? Christians worry about living in a hostile culture; actually, we’re far more dangerous to each other.
8. What makes you laugh?
It doesn’t take much to make me laugh! But babies and toddlers laughing makes me lose it.
9. What would you want to say to the wider evangelical world?
Be weird. We’re told not to conform to the world, yet we want to fit in and not stick out. You have a friend in Jesus! People think it’s weird. Lean into it (it ends up being magnetic).
10. Which Biblical person (other than Jesus) do you most look forward to meeting in glory and why?
That’s a hard question! There are some really interesting people. Someone I find relatable is Jehoshaphat, who walks in the right path ‘yet…’ is deeply compromised. His inner tension holds up a mirror. I think I’d say: ‘Thanks – and how did you live with that name?’
