Nicky Gumbel

{{Infobox clergy

| honorific_prefix = The Reverend

| name = Nicky Gumbel

| honorific_suffix = {{postnominals|country=GBR|size=100%|CBE}}

| image =File:Nicky Gumbel.jpg

| alt =

| caption =Gumbel in 2009

| birth_name = Nicholas Glyn Paul Gumbel

| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1955|4|28|df=y}}

| birth_place = London, England

| death_date =

| death_place =

| education = Hill House School, Knightsbridge, London
Eton College, Berkshire

| alma_mater = {{unbulleted list | Trinity College, Cambridge | Wycliffe Hall, Oxford}}

| occupation = Priest, author, barrister

| religion = Christianity (Anglican)

| spouse = {{marriage|Pippa|January 1978}}

| church = Church of England

| ordained = {{unbulleted list | 1986 (deacon) | 1987 (priest)}}

| offices_held = {{unbulleted list | Curate of Holy Trinity Brompton (1986–2005) | Vicar of Holy Trinity Brompton (2005–2022)}}

| signature =

| signature_alt =

}}

Nicholas Glyn Paul Gumbel {{postnominals|country=GBR|size=100%|CBE}} (born 28 April 1955) is an English Anglican priest and author in the evangelical and charismatic traditions.{{cite book |last=Old |first=Hughes Oliphant |author-link=Hughes Oliphant Old |year=2010 |title=The Reading and Preaching of the Scriptures in the Worship of the Christian Church |volume=7 |location=Grand Rapids, Michigan |publisher=Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company |page=487 |isbn=978-0-8028-1771-6}}{{cite book |last=Cross |first=Anthony R. |year=2013 |title=Recovering the Evangelical Sacrament: Baptisma Semper Reformandum |location=Eugene, Oregon |publisher=Pickwick Publications |page=26 |isbn=978-1-62032-809-5}} He is known as the developer of the Alpha Course, a basic introduction to Christianity supported by churches of many Christian traditions. He was Vicar of Holy Trinity Brompton in the Diocese of London, Church of England from 2005 to 2022.

Early life and education

Nicky Gumbel was born on 28 April 1955 in London, England. He is the son of Walter Gumbel, a German secular Jew{{cite news |last=Bell |first=Matthew |date=31 March 2013 |title=Inside the Alpha Course – British Christianity's Biggest Success Story |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/inside-the-alpha-course--british-christianitys-biggest-success-story-8555160.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220620/https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/inside-the-alpha-course--british-christianitys-biggest-success-story-8555160.html |archive-date=20 June 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live |newspaper=The Independent |access-date=3 January 2018}} from Stuttgart whose licence to practise law in that city was withdrawn in one of the early Nazi purges. Walter Gumbel emigrated to Britain and became a successful barrister.{{Cite web|date=7 May 1940|title=The London Gazette - 7 May 1940|url=https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/34844/page/2714/data.pdf|website=The London Gazette}} Gumbel's mother, Muriel, was a barrister and nominal Christian.{{cite book |last=Heard |first=James |year=2012 |title=Inside Alpha: Explorations in Evangelism |location=Eugene, Oregon |publisher=Pickwick Publications |page=16 |isbn=978-1-60899-450-2}}

Gumbel was educated at Hill House School,{{cite web|url=https://katebowler.com/podcasts/questions-of-meaning/|title=Questions of Meaning with Nicky Gumbel|work=KateBowler.com|author=Kate Bowler|date=27 March 2024 |accessdate=6 May 2024}} an independent day preparatory school in Knightsbridge in London, followed by Eton College, an independent boys' boarding school near Windsor, in Berkshire. He studied law at Trinity College, Cambridge, graduating with a Bachelor of Arts (BA) degree in 1976;{{cite news |last=Bell |first=Matthew |date=30 November 2013 |title=Alpha: The Slickest, Richest, Fastest-Growing Division of the Church of England |url=http://www.spectator.co.uk/spectator-life/spectator-life-life/9085161/alpha-rising/ |work=The Spectator |access-date=3 January 2018}} as per tradition,{{cite book

| year = 2005

| title = University of Oxford Examination Decrees and Regulations for the Academic Year 2005–2006

| chapter = Chapter 4: Regulations for the Degree of Master of Arts

| publisher = Oxford University Press

| page = 563

}} his BA degree was later promoted to a Master of Arts (MA) degree.

He converted to Christianity while attending university in 1974. Gumbel also attended the Iwerne holiday camps founded by EJ "Bash" Nash; these were evangelical Christian holiday camps aimed at children from English public schools, aimed at preparing boys for future ministry at the highest level in the church. Further to the revelations in the Makin review cataloguing the sexual and physical abuse perpetrated on trainees by fellow-barrister John Smyth at these camps, Gumbel gradually distanced himself from Iwerne, and in subsequent editions of his 2011 book [https://www.bible.com/reading-plans/23472-bioy21en Bible in One Year], replaced the eulogy to Nash with a verbatim eulogy to John Collins.{{Cite web |date=2021-10-11 |title=Part Five: Iwerne: HTB's Unwanted Uncle? |url=https://yournameislikehoney.com/2021/10/11/week-five-iwerne-htbs-unwanted-uncle/#_ftnref38 |access-date=2024-11-19 |website=Your name is like honey |language=en}}{{Clarify|reason=The Makin Review was published in 2024; it is hard to believe that Gumble has published several subsequent editions (plural!) of his book since then. Is it possibly so, that he started distancing himself to Nash a lot earlier, and then again as the Makin Review was published? Please clarify!|date=November 2024}}

Life and career

After graduating from university, Gumbel followed in his father's footsteps and became a practising barrister. Meanwhile, he became a regular worshipper at Holy Trinity Brompton Church, Knightsbridge.{{cite news |last=Gumbel |first=Nicky |date=28 August 2009 |title=Nicky Gumbel Interview Transcript |url=https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/belief/2009/aug/28/religion-christianity-alpha-gumbel-transcript |work=The Guardian |interviewer-last=Rutherford |interviewer-first=Adam |interviewer-link=Adam Rutherford |access-date=3 January 2018}} In January 1978, Gumbel married at the church{{cite book |last=Aitken |first=Jonathan |author-link=Jonathan Aitken |year=2006 |title=Heroes and Contemporaries |location=London |publisher=Continuum |page=230 |isbn=978-0-8264-7833-7}} Pippa, with whom he would go on to have three children.{{cite news |last=Ronson |first=Jon |author-link=Jon Ronson |date=21 October 2000 |title=Catch Me If You Can |url=https://www.theguardian.com/theguardian/2000/oct/21/weekend7.weekend |newspaper=The Guardian |access-date=27 January 2017}}

In 1982, Gumbel announced his decision to leave the bar to train for ordination in the Church of England. In 1983 he began theological studies and training for ordained ministry at Wycliffe Hall, Oxford. He graduated with a BA degree in 1986; as per tradition, his BA degree was later promoted to an MA degree.{{Crockford| surname = Gumbel | forenames = Nicholas Glyn Paul | id = 32263 | accessed = 28 January 2016}}

Ordained ministry

Gumbel was ordained in the Church of England as a deacon in 1986. After some difficulty in finding a curacy, he joined the staff of his "home" church of Holy Trinity Brompton (HTB) in the Diocese of London. He was ordained as a priest in 1987. In 1996, the Bishop of London appointed him Alpha Chaplain, though he remained at HTB as a curate.{{cite news |last=Gumbel |first=Nicky |date=21 September 2005 |title=Interview: Rev Nicky Gumbel, Alpha Course Chaplain |url=http://www.christiantoday.com/article/interview.rev.nicky.gumbel.alpha.course.chaplain/4021.htm |work=Christian Today |interviewer-last=Clark |interviewer-first=Andrew |access-date=3 January 2018}} In 2005, Gumbel was officially installed as Vicar of Holy Trinity Brompton Church. The previous vicar, Sandy Millar, had retired from stipendiary ministry and became an assistant bishop in the Diocese of London.{{citation needed|date=January 2018}}

In 2007, Gumbel was awarded an honorary doctorate by the University of Gloucestershire as recognition of his broad contribution to the wider church through Alpha.{{citation needed|date=January 2018}}

He was appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in the 2024 New Year Honours for services to the Church of England.{{London Gazette|issue=64269|supp=y|page=N10|date=30 December 2023}}

=Alpha Course=

In 1990, Gumbel took over the running of the Alpha Course that had been running there since 1977. The course was transformed under his leadership from being one designed for new Christians to one primarily for those outside the church who would not consider themselves Christians.{{citation needed|date=January 2018}} Gumbel serves as the public face of the course, being described by James Heard as something of a "Weberian{{clarify|date=May 2023}} charismatic leader".{{cite book |last=Heard |first=James |year=2012 |title=Inside Alpha: Explorations in Evangelism |location=Eugene, Oregon |publisher=Pickwick Publications |page=18 |isbn=978-1-60899-450-2}}

Gumbel is the author of a number of books related to the Alpha Course, including Questions of Life which has sold over 1,000,000 copies.{{citation needed|date=January 2018}} Voted "Christian Book of the Year" in 1994, it has been published in 48 languages.{{citation needed|date=January 2018}} Other related books include Why Jesus, Searching Issues, Telling Others, A Life Worth Living, Challenging Lifestyle, Heart of Revival, and 30 Days.{{citation needed|date=January 2018}}

References

External links

[https://web.archive.org/web/20140625102444/http://www.htb.org.uk/ Holy Trinity Brompton Church website]
[http://www.bible-reflections.net/contributors/nicky-gumbel/290/ Gumbel sermon archive]