1) SECULAR INTERVIEW 2008
Interview with Bro Paul by an Aussie Journo in 2008
Profile by Christopher Davis - Journalist for “The Word” newspaper, ACT
“Generation J: The Evangelical Experience.”
I could term my meeting with a post-modernistic Christian amid the haywire world of Canberra as an evangelical experience. But Paul Wallis talks about his faith as an experience of empowerment.
The walls are filled with pictures of religious icons, evangelistic patrons and the odd Dali painting, all placed in curator fashion. Portraits of distant places sing tranquillity as a sense of delicacy opens up the home. “When you travel, it gives you a perspective on your own culture,” he says. “The more you see the more distance it puts between you and your own culture. I think once you’ve travelled you never really belong anywhere 100% ever again. I quite enjoy that feeling.”
Sitting down with the Reverend Paul Wallis it was immediately clear that he wasn’t like the stereotyped preachers of the gospel that you hear of so often. A writer, broadcaster, preacher, and lecturer; while travelling as a type of evangelical-gypsy, it was easy to believe that this was a person who lived in a pilgrimage near the foothills of a treacherous mountain in a community of Mongolian villagers, while teaching children how to write. But in actuality Paul lives in the cosy-newly developed Canberra suburb of Gordon with his wife Ruth. Whilst working on a less dramatic— but equally weighty— Christian community group Jesus Generation.
The group, commonly called J Gen, is the brainchild of Paul and involves the idea of household based churches where groups of Christians gather for a more creative and dynamic relationship with the works of scriptures and Jesus Christ. Spanning many corners of the world including South Africa, the UK and China, Paul has been involved in planting seven churches and works to build these communities into stronger and more capable communities of faith.
“Though I’ve done a lot of different things some things are consistently there - things that I’ve always loved,” he says in his earnestly fervent English accent. Certainly writing is one of those perpetual aspirations, already having three fascinating books under his belt (or collar). His first book Rough Ways in Prayer was written at the rare age of 23 in 1988. “Basically I wrote the book I wished someone had given me when I was starting out as a Christian.”
He backed up his religious arsenal by writing two more in following years. His most recent work, My Dinner With Anton is a book of continual dialogue between a version of himself and a fictional character based upon the Russian Orthodox monk - Saint Seraphim - in which he unpacks his teachings and messages. “It took two complete re-writes and nine years to find a publisher,” he admits. “Consequently I’d lived and breathed Seraphim for nine years, and because I tried to write two other books about him it was all in my brain just waiting to come out and I wrote that book in four days—cover to cover,” he confesses.
Paul strongly identified with this very charismatic and evangelistic monk. “The way his beliefs worked and the way he worked were completely foreign even to his own church at the time,” Paul said he was baffled. He continued “So how did he get this stuff from God?”
The book also brought up Paul’s passion for film explaining the details of a very inspiring film that constructed a basis for his recent work. “I saw a movie called My Dinner with Andre. An unusual film because it’s just a conversation over dinner…with one person telling this incredible story, with the other guy going ‘That’s incredible. Really? No!’” he mimicked in an impressive American accent. Finding the irony in our conversation was amusing. Our interview had turned into a sort of “dinner with anton-esque”. It was life imitating art right in front of us.
His next book covers the introspective look into changing patterns of the Church, which are presently appearing all over the world. “There’s a massive shift going on. The traditionally intuitional Christianity is, in the west, losing people at a rate of knots. Those people aren’t necessarily losing their faith in Jesus, they just don’t want to do church that way anymore. They don’t want to be part of the quasi-showbiz kind of world.”
When it came to his books Mark Beresford – director of Ministry at Burghman Anglican School and a leading light in Canberra’s youth ministries – admitted that he hasn’t read any yet, even though he is one of Paul’s closest friends. Once every fortnight both colleagues get together for a chat. “Part of the pledge (that J Gen members make) is that we all have a mentor. I’m officially that for Paul. But we’re friends more than anything else, so it becomes coffee between friends,” he says.
Mark also described Paul’s unfathered faith. “He’s been called,” he says austerely. “We all like to think that we have callings, but a lot of us deny that there would be a caller implied in that. Paul is one who accepts that implication. He does it out of a sense of love for God, a sense of doing what’s right. He believes he’s making a difference.“
With over 21 years in Christian ministry Paul has learnt a fair bit about finding yourself. Connecting with people in all denominations of Christianity, he learnt that accepting God is the most critical and challenging step of all. In Paul’s case it was more of a leap. “I became a Christian when I was 17, but whether or not God existed was always an important question to me.”
In his teenage years Paul considered himself to be an atheist, a very strongly opinionated one. “I saw myself as a preacher for the atheist cause,” he said giving some enlightenment on his life. Eventually though a critical revelation in Paul’s life had taken over— “My first girlfriend gave me the elbow,” he said smiling. “Now I look at it it seems a trivial reason.” In the aftermath Paul began his quest in creating a list of character flaws to work on in order succeed as a better person. But, like a drunken admission on New Year’s Eve his resolution list had failed.
Taking some time off to think in France he led himself to test his new mindset, and went to a local church. Paul tells of his experience: “At the end of the service I went forward to the Vicar and he said ‘what would you like prayer for’ and I said ‘I want to become a Christian.’ And he looked me in the face and he said ‘do you believe that Jesus died on the cross, to forgive your sins so that he can give you a relationship with God?’” The answer was long awaited but in truth Paul didn’t even know himself.
“I really wasn’t sure. Part of me said ‘well yes, I’m prepared to believe that, that is a reasonable assessment of Jesus Christ’…but another part of was saying ‘well yes, but it’s not proven.’ So I just said yes,” he admits. “What I really was saying is that I’m willing to believe that.” He looks back on that occasion as his defining moment. That was the staring point.
One night while Paul scampered around the house completing odd chores I talked with his wife, Ruth. Paul had mentioned that she fell instantly in love with his voice while listening to his late night show on Radio One Way; a Canberra based Christian radio station.
“I did, that is so true,” she said instantly. “There was just so much inspiration in the way he spoke and what he said… It was at 3am or something like that. I wasn’t quite happy it was that early”
Having been together for two years, and married for nearly a year both live very happily in their “redolently English” home. Ruth. Ruth’s being primary school teacher and a firm believer in God were among the things that attracted Paul’s attention to Ruth.
“I was brought up in a Christian family, back in Ghana and Australia,” explains Ruth. “My aunty, who was a prayer warrior, said ‘Ruth you should start praying for your future husband right now. Pray for him everyday.’” The room was full of good vibes. “So I did, not everyday, but very often. I would pray and say ‘hello, hope you’re doing well.’” At this point Paul chuckles.
Coming close to of the interview Paul speaks about the preaching of Christianity. “I think because people in the world at large often aren’t thinking about the issues that Jesus talked about, Christians start to feel apologetic about that actual real Jesus,” he explains. “There are parts of Church that would say to these people ‘Whatever You want. Jesus will give you that.’ ‘You want material success? Jesus can give you that,’… and that actually is not the Jesus of the bible. We’ve got to be prepared to have a message that’s rejected…if we’re to get the actual message out there. Because not enough people are hearing it.”
On his verandah the views over Canberra’s suburbia, and of the pale hills and trees that criss-cross Canberra’s heights, was splendid. “Chris you must sign our guest book,” he shouts while leaving. On the way home he eats an apple as he drives while discussing Coen Brothers films—a memorable experience in itself.
The consistencies in Paul’s life, combined with his professions both orthodox and radical, reveal an interesting and deeply considered person. All the factors in his life seem to serve a focused purpose: a faith in Jesus Christ and in Christianity. Even weeks after interviewing the Reverend Paul Wallis, his presence still resonates in my mind, the believer’s gentle yet firmaura of goodwill and kindness.
2) SHEEPDIP INTERVIEW 2008
Twenty questions
1. Which verse means the most to you?
John 1.14 “The Word became flesh and dwellt among us.”
2. Have you ever told anyone something ‘in love’?
I came to faith as a teenager so, yes, I have done a lot of awful things like that!
3. Can you remember the date you became a Christian?
I made a private decision on April 18th 1982. On April 25th I prayed with some others and received the Holy Spirit.
4. How do you think you changed on conversion?
Not much at first, but it was like radiation sickness, little by little I realised that my DNA had been reprogrammed!
5. What do you think the UK church is getting wrong?
I think the theology and practice of Jesus and his Apostles need to be much more at the heart of what we value and believe, how we live and “do Church”. As 1/4 Ghanaian I feel that Western values often seem to complicate the simplicity of that.
6. Happy clappy, Taize or organ?
Being 1/4 Welsh, I love to sing - all kinds of music - (all kinds of genres). Having said that, to narrow it down, I prefer singing truths about God rather than untruths about the way I feel about God. No matter what mood I’m in if I sing a Wesley or an Isaac Watts hymn I always come away inspired.
7. What’s your ideal Sunday?
My church does something called a “l’Abri Sunday” - morning of quiet prayer and reading with friends dotted around the house, cooking and sharing lunch, then some yard work or a bush-walk together. Love it.
8. Where do you go to get inspiration for your work?
Engaging with people today, reading about people through history, and then seeing the connections.
9. Favourite preacher
A tie between Charles Haddon Spurgeon and my old Baptist Pastor, John Farren. Neither ever seemed to preach an unimportant message. Amazing.
10. Favourite Christian soundbite?
“I have a dream that one day my four little children will live in a nation where they will not be judged by the colour of their skin but on the content of their character.”
11. What do you remember about the people who nurtured you in the faith?
They were serious and sincere about what they believed. (Eternally thank you Brian, Shale, Phil and Richard.)
12. If you could ask Jesus one question, what would it be?
Can I stay with you?
13. How do you imagine heaven?
Just like Jesus said - a party with lots of food!
14. How do you imagine hell?
I try not to.
15. Which of the 10 commandments have you broken the most?
“Thou Shallt not covet”.
16. What would your 11th commandment be?
Thou shallt always think before you speak.
17. Sum up the Gospel in 10 words or less.
I would rather do it in 10 verses:
i) Hebrews 1.3
ii) John 1.14
iii) John 3.16-17
iv) John 4.26
v) John 5.23-24
vi) John 6.29
vii) John 17.3
viii) Matthew 22.37-39
ix) I John 3.16
x) John 10.10
But if forced my 10 words would be: “‘I am the way, the truth and the life’ - Jesus.”
18. What are you working on next?
My website - www.paulwallis.net - also a book: “The New Monastic” about closer-community models of church, another book: church history with a twist called “The Turning” and another book about the life-changing power of the bear of little brain, called “Winnie the Pooh’s Guide to Happiness”
19. Email, phone or face to face?
If I like the other person, always face to face!
20) How would you answer Jesus: ‘Who do you say that I am?’
I think I would quote Apostle Peter and say, “Lord, you know!”
