This is an interview with George Barna and Frank Viola on their book, Pagan Christianity, and Other Issues Involving Missional Organic Church. Questions by Dries Cronje — December 2, 2008.

Question: Tell us a bit about yourselves... How did you end up where you are, serving God and bearing fruit for Him?

George: I began by managing political campaigns for people running for Congress and other elective offices. I enjoyed the speech writing and survey research most, so I returned to grad school to get more degrees in research, then began working for a large marketing research firm. One of our clients was a Christian media management company, which eventually hired me to run their research and marketing operations. After several years, my wife and I felt called to begin a company that provided strategic information for ministry leaders. Consequently, we returned to California to start The Barna Research Group in an effort to provide current, accurate and reliable information in bite-sized pieces, at affordable costs, to ministries so that they could make better strategic decisions. Along the way I’ve had the privilege of writing books that allow us to disseminate the information to a wider audience, along with all the articles and other free information we post on our website (barna.org). I’ve also been able to serve various roles in churches, from teaching pastor at a mega-church to founding elder in a church plant and, currently, as the leader and teacher in a house church.

Frank: After I retired from Major League pitching, I quickly became bored. So I started writing controversial Christian books :-). Just kidding. Ever since I’ve been a Christian, I've questioned the things we do and sought to evaluate them by the teachings of Jesus and the apostles. This has led me on an interesting journey, one that has landed me on a path that many have called "the deeper Christian life" which includes a fresh understanding and experience of the church.

As for serving God, I had many opportunities to publicly serve the Lord in my 20s, but I came to conclusion that I wasn't ready. I first needed to know Christ deeply, and I needed to understand His church experientially. Therefore, I spent my 20s learning those two things: Jesus Christ and the experience of the body of Christ.

Most of my peers were doing something different. They were taking leadership positions in parachurch organizations, some became pastors, some missionaries, etc. When we all hit the age of 30, something telling happened. Most of them burned out and a number of them aren't even following the Lord today. When I was 31 years old, the organic church of which I was a part laid hands on me and sent me out to begin the work of planting organic churches. And I've been engaged in it ever since.

Rob Bell was born on 23 August 1970. His full name is Robert Bell. He is the son of US District Court Judge Robert Holmes Bell.

When Rob went to Wheaton College, he still did not know what he wanted to do with his life. This is where he met his wife Kristen. He also started a band with some friends while at Wheaton College, called _ton bundle. In 1992 he received a bachelor’s degree from Wheaton.

Bell claims he was called by God to preach the Word while at the Wheaton College's Honey Rock Camp. This prompted him to complete his Masters in Divinity at Fuller Theological Seminary.