Wanted: A Few Good Men
Clint Chamberlain was born and grew up in southern Oklahoma in the small rural community of Ringling. He attended Oklahoma State University where he studied geology, then spent 11 years working in the oil and gas industry and the environmental services industry as a consultant and managing two different companies. Clint and his wife, Deb, have lived in the Oklahoma City area since 1989 and have served at Council Road since 2003. He often reminds people that the church is not a building, but a community of individuals living out their faith where they are in everyday life. Clint currently serves as the Executive Pastor of Outside the Walls Ministries at Council Road in Bethany, Oklahoma. He is passionate about creating environments where people can experience God in the “everyday” of life. Clint married his wife Deb in 1982 and they have three adult children that are all married, two wonderful daughters-in-law, one great son-in-law and five incredible grandkids.
Clint Chamberlain provides an old country boy’s view of what godly masculinity is about. Read on and see if you measure up.
How important is Fatherhood?
I personally feel that Fatherhood is one of the highest callings any man can have in life. What other environment can you be placed in direct relationship with another person and have the ability to inform, influence, encourage and shape them for life?
How has the importance of fatherhood changed in the last few years?
Being a father of three kids ranging from 37 years old to 21 years old I have seen a lot of changes in our society. I would say that fatherhood is of greatest importance at this time in our society. Our children are being overwhelmed with social media that is telling them to question everything. Question any authority figure, the president, the police, the pastor, the teacher, the coach, the parents. Question your gender, question your faith, question the reason you exist. The father today has to stand in that gap and answer the questions the kids are asking or social media will.
What are the biggest struggles men face today?
Being men! That may sound really simple, but the truth is that our society has made masculinity a bad word. It makes a strong, self-confident man look either like a moron or a bully. Another struggle men face today is creating space to be with other men in an environment where you can challenge each other to be better husbands, dads and leaders. We have over committed ourselves in areas of finances and time where we no longer have time to be in healthy relationships with other men.
What do you see as men’s biggest needs?
Healthy role models / mentors to learn from. Men lack a compelling vision for themselves and their families today and are just going through the motions and sadly are more followers than leaders.
How can men best help our culture today?
Norman Mailer, American novelist once wrote this, “Masculinity is not something given to you, but something you gain. And you gain it by winning small battles with honor”. I think men can best help our culture today by being honorable in the little things as well as the big things. Let our culture see what it means to be a godly man that doesn’t compromise, but stands for what it right, what is true. Men that reflect this in their place of business as well as their home with be the counterculture that is missing.
How can men help our churches today?
Be present and use the gifts, talents and abilities God has given you in His church. Be an example of a servant leader. Look for places where there is a void and fill it. I have seen some incredible ministries come out of the church that all began with someone seeing a void and asking, “have you ever thought about this….”?
How would you describe Godly masculinity?
The first thing I think about is Jesus, the ultimate example of strength under control. I believe that humility and masculinity are opposite sides of the same coin, you can’t truly have one without the other.
I also reflect back to a time when I went through a men’s bible study several years ago titled, Quest for Authentic Manhood. From that study I learned the acronym REAL. It was used to describe what a real man does. Here is the quick description: Each phrase began with, A Real Man:
R – rejects passivity
E – experiences God daily
A – accepts responsibility
L – leads courageously
I have had the privilege of officiating all three of my kids wedding and I used this this with both of my sons as well as my son-in-law during the ceremonies to remind them what real manhood looks like.
What is a good book you would recommend to encourage men?
UNFINISHED – Believing is only the beginning by Richard Stearns, President Emeritus, World Vision U.S.
The Man Up podcast hopes to encourage men to connect with God and with other men. Our podcast will cover a range of topics that are relevant to our day and to the heart of man. It is the hosts’ desire to help men find and live out their divine purpose in life. We believe that all men and women are created in His Image and that our ultimate example is the Messiah. We hope you are encouraged to live a godly masculine life.
