Ep 43: Nicky Gumbel (Vicar of Holy Trinity Brompton, London & Pioneer of the Alpha Course)

Nicky Gumbel is an English Anglican priest, vicar of Holy Trinity
Brompton, London and pioneer of the Alpha Course - a course that
has reached over 25 million people who are looking to discover
the meaning to life!





This episode is so special to me not least because I used to
attend HTB myself! 





In this STIMY episode, we explore Nicky’s incredible faith
journey - how he went from being an argumentative atheist to
someone completely on fire for God! - and what HTB and the Alpha
course was like back in the 1970s, including the pivotal moments
that led to what it is today. As well as his thoughts on online
church and online Alpha!





Highlights:


3:48: Growing up in London in the 1950s

5:13: Having an eventful conversation with his mum at the age
of 14

11:44: Why Nicky labelled himself a “logical determinist”
while at Eton

12:50: Why Nicky entered Cambridge University to do economics
(before switching to law!)

13:56: The Nicky lunches

15:02: Coming to faith in February 1974

19:46: How Nicky ended up in Kitchen with Phil Lawson
Johnston

22:13: How Sandy Miller came into Nicky’s life

24:01: The change in HTB culture from robed choirs to
contemporary worship

26:25: Why Nicky went from working as a barrister in a tax
chamber to criminal then a mix set

27:34: Meeting John Wimber in 1981

28:10: “Come, Holy Spirit”

29:23: Why Nicky studied theology at Oxford

30:46: Learning that he had tied his self-esteem to his job

32:12: Being rejected from 9 parishes!

32:55: How Nicky went from Agnostics Anonymous to the Alpha
course

35:36: How the first Alpha training conference in May 1993
came about

37:58: The 1994 Toronto blessing that spread to HTB

39:35: Alpha Asia Pacific

40:42: Doing online church & online Alpha

42:34: Where Nicky gets his drive from






Show notes: https://www.sothisismywhy.com/43