Interview ~ David Dunlop ~ Pastor at Windsor Baptist Church, Belfast

David Dunlop is one of the pastors at Windsor Baptist Church in Belfast. I'd like to thank David for taking the time to answer a few questions for my blog.


Could you tell us a bit about your family?
Married to Glen (that’s Glenys to avoid any confusion and misunderstanding!!) for 18 years and we have 3 girls – Shannon (almost 14), Caragh (11) and Kristen (6).

Plus a rabbit – also a girl – I’m surrounded by them!


What is your background & how did you come to Christ?
I had the privilege of parents who recognised (and modelled) the values and importance of Christian faith. As a young kid I ‘prayed the prayer’ and the journey on the way of Jesus began (and continues).


Can you bring us on the journey from Christ’s call of salvation to serving as teaching pastor at Windsor Baptist Church?
I have to be honest – I often wonder how I got here! To say I never saw it coming is an understatement – certainly as a kid this was not what I wanted to be when I grew up.
After school I worked in an Insurance Brokers in Belfast for 7 years, then spent 2 years in London doing the Oasis Youth Ministry Course and serving as a part-time youth worker at Hornchurch Baptist Church (Essex). We returned to NI in 1995 and for approx 8 years Glen and I served as the Youth Pastoral team at Ballynahinch Baptist and then for 5 years I served as the Associate Pastor at Ballynahinch Baptist. The call to Windsor Baptist came in 2008 and (to cut a long story short) I found myself staring at the empty space of a wide open door.


Can you tell us who or what God has used to influence, teach & shape you in the pursuit of Christ?
Parents, youth leaders, other inspiring God-centred people known personally or from a distance and a restless heart.


Undoubtedly ministry brings with it both blessings and challenge. What would you say is the most challenging thing facing pastors in our day?
Feeling the pressure to live up to the expectations of others is an immediate response but let me use these words of Henri Nouwen which have gripped me recently;

‘It is not enough for the priests and ministers of the future to be moral people, well trained, eager to help their fellow humans, and able to respond creatively to the burning issues of their time. All of that is very valuable and important, but it is not the heart of Christian leadership. The central question is, are the leaders of the future truly men and women of God, people with an ardent desire to dwell in God’s presence, to listen to God’s voice, to look upon God’s beauty, to touch God’s incarnate Word and to taste fully on God’s infinite goodness? . . . Their leadership must be rooted in the permanent, intimate relationship with the incarnate Word, Jesus, and they need to find there the source of their words, advice and guidance. Through the discipline of contemplative prayer, Christian leaders have to learn to listen again and again to the voice of love and to find there the wisdom and courage to address whatever issue presents itself to them’


What is the vision of Windsor Baptist Church?
‘To seek to be a church without walls’


Windsor has a strong focus on missions, why?
That’s probably a question you’d need to ask those who have been part of the Windsor community for longer than me – the simple answer is that it rises from a passionate commitment to ‘go’ and make disciples.


What advice would you give to a Church or indeed individual who isn’t passionate about missions?
Reconnect with and to a missionary God


If you had one sentence to say to the following people, what would that be:
1. Non-Christian – God loves you

2. Christian – walk as Jesus did

3. Backslider – return to the Prodigal God


If you could travel back to just one Biblical event, what would you choose & why?
The Mount Moriah incident – what was Abraham thinking? How did he even contemplate going through with it?


What is the most helpful book you’ve read in the past year, and why would you recommend others read it?
The Prodigal God by Tim Keller because it challenges and refreshes


What are your top three Worship Songs:
Did You Feel the Mountains Tremble (Delirious?)
When the Music Fades (Matt Redman)
Obsession (Delirious?)


Books
Bible (or is that 66?)
The Day is Yours (Ian Stackhouse)
Your God is Too Safe (Mark Buchanan)


Websites
Spotify
Amazon
Google


You’re into football, which team do you support and are you into other sports?
Chelsea (ever since I was 3 - that’s important to stress).
I also enjoy cycling, running, badminton and going to the gym.


One thing I ask everyone I interview is about Family Devotions. How important would you say they are, and what do they look like in the Dunlop home?
Vital and erratic.


One of the recent atrocities in Belfast has been ethnic attacks on Romanians. What would you say the Bible teaches on this, and how do we take this to non-Christian racists?
The challenge to love our neighbour as ourselves is surely our inspiration and the story of the Good Samaritan urges us to show mercy.


You have a long history of youth work, what advice would you give to people interested in working with youth and what challenges would you say they’ll face?
Follow your heart – speak to their hearts and commit for the long haul.


Would you share the funniest or most embarrassing moment in the history of David Dunlop?
Burning down a tent in Castlewellan Forest Park immediately springs to mind – the details are probably best kept under wraps!!


I’ve asked a lot of questions and figure I’ve taken far too much of your time, so I’ll finish by asking how people could pray for you, your family & your ministry?
For me – that I would live out my ‘call’ to love Glen as Christ loves the Church
For my family – to live life in all its fullness
For my ministry – to model servant leadership and that I would constantly guard my heart.