Chip Ingram

Chip Ingram
Born Ralph Browne Ingram II
(1954-06-21) June 21, 1954[1][2]
Columbus, Ohio
Alma mater West Liberty University
Dallas Theological Seminary
Occupation Pastor, author, orator
Spouse(s) Theresa Ingram
Children 4: Jason Ingram[3]
Parent(s) Ralph Browne Ingram[2]
Martha Ann Carpenter[2]
Website livingontheedge.org/about-us/chip-ingram

Ralph Browne "Chip" Ingram II (born June 21, 1954)[2] is a Christian pastor, author, and orator. He is the founder and teaching pastor of Living on the Edge, an international discipleship ministry, and the senior pastor of Venture Christian Church in Los Gatos, California. Ingram is also the co-founder of PrimeMovers, a six-month, facilitated discovery process that activates Christian high-capacity leaders into their God-prepared purpose in life.[4]

Early life

Originally from Columbus, Ohio,[5] Ingram grew up in what he called "a negative religious environment".[6] In his book, Living on the Edge: Dare to Experience True Spirituality, Ingram recounts growing up in a church that did not believe in the Bible or in having a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. "We read our prayers, we said the right things, we fulfilled our religious duty, and then we went home. There was absolutely no expectation that what we did on Sunday would have any impact on how we lived the rest of the week.”

As a result, by the time Ingram was a teenager, he was disengaged from church and God. He recalls, "I wanted to believe, but the older I got, the less interested I became in going through the religious motions and pretending and saying things that no one lived or believed." [7]

The intersection of faith and basketball

Throughout high school and college, Ingram was an avid basketball player. After high school, he found himself at a summer camp playing basketball with the Fellowship of Christian Athletes. At first, Ingram “was more than a little skeptical” of the Christians he met at the camp. Yet, he couldn’t deny the sincerity of these student athletes' faith – or their love for one another. It was also during that time that Ingram began to wonder about the purpose of his life. He realized that up until that point he had attained success and achieved his goals, yet he didn't have peace or purpose in his life. He began asking, “If God exists, what does He really want from me?” [7]

One day at camp, Ingram opened his Bible and began reading Romans 12. As he read, he realized that God simply wanted his heart, his life, and a joyful relationship with him. God did not want him to follow a set of rules and attend "boring religious services where people don't live what they actually believe."[7] That same week, Ingram became a Christian when he “heard the news of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.”[7]

Ingram went on to graduate from West Liberty State College in 1976. Afterwards, he received an invitation from Sports Ambassadors to travel overseas with other college basketball players from around the nation using basketball as a vehicle for evangelism. During the next two summers, Ingram toured the Caribbean, South America, and Asia with three international basketball teams, a trip that he said to be the turning point of his life.[6]

While he was on tour, he caught a vision for something he never dreamed of—that God could use an ordinary person like him to accomplish extraordinary things.[6][8][9] As God’s plan unfolded, Ingram realized that God was not calling him to coach athletes, but to “coach” people for Jesus Christ and become a pastor.[10]

Ministry

In 1982, Ingram began his pastoral ministry at a small, rural church near Dallas, Texas. While he was there, it grew from 30 to 500 people. In 1990, he became the senior pastor for Santa Cruz Bible Church in Santa Cruz, California[11] where he led a church congregation of 1,000 that grew to over 4,000.[6]

In 1995, he founded Living on the Edge as a nationally syndicated radio ministry, which has since grown into an international Christian discipleship ministry. In 2003 Ingram moved to Atlanta, Georgia to become president and chief executive officer of Walk Thru the Bible Ministries, succeeding Bruce Wilkinson.[11][12]

Today, Ingram serves as the senior pastor of Venture Christian Church in Los Gatos, California, and the CEO and teaching pastor of Living on the Edge.[13] He is the author of 16 books and several small group ministry studies.

Teacher and speaker

Ingram’s direct, practical teaching style helps everyday people apply God's truth to relevant issues, relationships and challenges. His passion is to help "Christians really live like Christians" by inspiring them to "move from spiritual spectators to healthy, authentic disciples of Jesus by living out God's truth in their lives and relationships in transformational ways."[10] In a winsome, down-to-earth way, Ingram reveals Bible truth about God's perspective on marriage, understanding love and sex, raising kids, money and how to overcome painful emotions and circumstances. Reaching more than a million people a week, his teaching can be heard online and through hundreds of radio and television outlets worldwide.[10]

Education

Ingram completed his undergraduate work at West Liberty State College and went on to earn a Master of Education from West Virginia University and a Master of Theology from Dallas Theological Seminary.[9][10][11]

Family

Ingram and his wife, Theresa, have four children and 10 grandchildren.[10]

Works

External links

References

  1. ↑ "WorldCat Identities: Ingram, Chip 1954-". WorldCat. Retrieved 5 July 2013.
  2. 1 2 3 4 "Ralph Browne Ingram II (b. 1954)". Ohio Birth Records. Retrieved October 11, 2015.
  3. ↑ Gahanna-Jefferson Public Schools. "Inductee: Ralph "Chip" R. Ingram II" (PDF). Gahanna-Jefferson Public Schools. Retrieved October 11, 2015.
  4. ↑ "About Primemovers". Primemovers. Retrieved 24 April 2015.
  5. ↑ "Chip Ingram Biography". Chaires United Methodist Church. September 6, 2009. Retrieved July 5, 2013.
  6. 1 2 3 4 Moore, Waveney Ann (10 October 2007). "Churches unite voices in sweet sound". St. Petersburg Times. Retrieved 11 July 2013.
  7. 1 2 3 4 Ingram, Chip (2009). Living on the Edge. New York: Howard Books. p. xxiv,xxvii-xxix. ISBN 978-1-4391-9052-4.
  8. ↑ "Alumni Wall of Honor Inductions to take place Thursday, October 7th". West Liberty University. 7 October 2010. Retrieved 14 July 2013.
  9. 1 2 "Chip Ingram's Bio". Christian Book Previews. Retrieved 11 July 2013.
  10. 1 2 3 4 5 "Chip Ingram". Living on the Edge. Retrieved 24 April 2015.
  11. 1 2 3 "99.5 KKLA-FM Radio Host Chip Ingram to Speak on Love, Sex and Lasting Relationships March 15". Los Angeles: Salem Communications. February 28, 2005. Retrieved July 5, 2013.
  12. ↑ "Ministries Names New President". Lakeland Ledger. 10 August 2002. Retrieved 25 April 2015.
  13. ↑ Henry, Nancy (2 September 2011). "Marriage program scheduled at Greenwood church". Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. Retrieved 11 July 2013.
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