Actor Embraces Role as Agent of Change in a Culture of Chaos
(Editor's Note: This article was published first in the May 2022 print edition of The Stand).
Many know him best as the mischievous Mike Seaver from the 1980s sitcom Growing Pains. Others recognize him as Buck from the Left Behind movies or Caleb from Sherwood Pictures’ Fireproof. But in real life, actor and filmmaker Kirk Cameron is a born-again Christian who is making a difference for Christ in today’s culture.
Cameron, 51, grew up an atheist and was invited to church by a friend when he was around 17 years old. He left church with a lot of questions, so he started reading a book titled More Than a Carpenter by Josh McDowell. Then one day as he was driving, he pulled off to the side of the road and just cried out to God for the first time. (See AFA Journal at afajournal.org, 3/05.)
From that point forward, Cameron began reading the Bible and going to church and “something just completely captured my heart about the message of the gospel,” he said.
Evidence for revival
New life in Christ brought new purpose to Cameron’s life. He married actress Chelsea Noble, also a believer, who played his on-screen girlfriend in Growing Pains, and they have six children. They remain a part of the entertainment industry and use it as a platform to further the kingdom. Cameron is very bold and outspoken about his Christian beliefs, and all of his projects have an eternal focus and value.
“It’s harder to do it God’s way, but it’s so worth it,” Cameron told The Stand during a recent visit to The Stand offices at AFA. “God redeems and revives His world through the hearts and the homes of the people who are devoted to Him.”
Cameron is quick to admit that America is in bad shape right now, but he does not make that assessment out of defeat. He truly believes the country is “teed up for revival right now,” and he is hopeful that God is going to open the heavens and do miraculous things.
“Historically, revivals have come roughly every 50 years from what I understand from the historians that I trust,” Cameron explained in reference to revivals from the Great Awakening in the early 1900s to the Jesus Movement of the 1970s.
“And they always come at times of moral collapse and spiritual decline. … So what I’m hearing and what I’m seeing is, historically, God uses the pressures of this world to get the attention of His people” – which is exactly what Cameron is seeing happen throughout the nation.
Efforts for change
At the beginning of 2021, God called Cameron to start American Campfire Revival (americancampfirerevival.com) at the same time that President Joe Biden rolled out his new administration’s 100-day plan.
“So I thought … I’m going to make use of the time and come up with my own 100-day plan,” Cameron said. “I’m going to make a campfire in my backyard and do what God says. His executive orders are ‘If My people will humble themselves and pray, turn from their wicked ways and pray, I’ll heal their land.’ I thought, OK, so let’s do that.”
Cameron went live on Facebook every evening for 100 days and taught through the book titled The American Covenant: The Untold Story. Written by Christian historian Marshall Foster, the book “talks about what our founders knew, and we’ve forgotten,” Cameron said. It explains how “this nation would never remain free and will fall apart if we ever get away from our covenant with God and with one another.”
Cameron’s efforts piqued an interest, and millions began joining him on social media each night and continue doing so even now. In addition to national covenants, his campfire meetings also cover marriage, parenting, and individual covenants, and the importance of renewing those as families. The online meetings led to a tour that included a large bonfire at the National Monument to the Forefathers in Plymouth, Massachusetts, (See AFA Journal, 7/21.) as well as large gatherings at farms in Texas, barns in North Carolina, and large churches across the country. (More 2022 dates are to be announced.)
“People were just coming out of the woodwork to exercise their faith and their patriotism,” Cameron said. “I sought to bring our faith to bear on what is going on in the country, not just by complaining, but by saying, ‘Let’s go back to the recipe for blessing and prosperity and security, back to God’s way.’”
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The value of family
Over the years, actor Kirk Cameron has played a lot of roles, but he values most being a husband of 30 years to Chelsea and father to Jack, Bella, Anha, Luke, Olivia, and James – all now young adults.
The couple’s children are stairsteps, each one about a year apart in age. They adopted the first four back-to-back, and then had two by birth. (See AFA Journal, 5/05.) After years of homeschooling and all that comes with raising six children in the fear and admonition of the Lord, the couple is now in a new season of life.
“I’m getting my girlfriend back after 20-something years,” Cameron said laughing. “[But] we’re so grateful that we were able to spend a lot of time with our kids. Now we’re seeing them have healthy perspectives … in a culture that’s very unhealthy.”
Three of the Cameron children are now married. Jack and his wife work for Focus on the Family where he is a video producer and she is a pro-life writer and event coordinator. Bella is also married and is a singer and former worship director. Anha is a newlywed who used to work for the pro-life organization Save the Storks. Luke is a college student studying communications and working toward opening his own adoption grant agency. Both James and Olivia are recent high school graduates who are in Nashville learning about music and songwriting.
Protecting the unborn and doing kingdom work is very personal for the Cameron family. Chelsea is an adopted child herself who “was one doctor appointment away from not existing,” Cameron explained.
If she had been aborted, the Camerons would not be who they are today – a family who values and protects the gift of life.
Cameron added, “Our hope is in the power of God working in the hearts of His people. And it starts in the home and in the family.”
Current and upcoming projects from Kirk Cameron
▶ American Campfire Revival – A night of revival under the stars. Live in-person some nights and every night on Facebook Live.
▶ Takeaways – A TBN talk show in which Kirk Cameron interviews Christian influencers about pressing issues facing the family of faith and provides actionable steps people can take to make a difference at home and in their community. Airs at 8 p.m. CT, Mondays on TBN.
tbn.org/programs/takeaways-kirk-cameron
▶ Homeschool documentary – An upcoming documentary that takes a positive look at the ever-growing homeschool movement and how homeschooling can be for families from all walks of life. Set to release this summer as a one-night Fathom event.
▶ LifeMark – An upcoming feature film from Kirk Cameron and the Kendrick Brothers that’s based on a true story and highlights the value and preciousness of life in the womb and the beauty of adoption. Set to release in theaters this fall. Look for more information in upcoming issues of The Stand.
