Neil Anderson

Dr. Neil Anderson has nearly 25 years of pastoral and teaching experience. He now dedicates his ministry to writing, teaching, and public speaking with the aim of helping the church minister more effectively to its members through what he calls "discipleship-counseling." This includes helping believers deal with the spiritual and emotional baggage they bring with them into the Christian life by dealing with unconfessed sin, understanding their identity "in Christ," and experiencing the freedom that relationship produces in order to fulfill the Great Commission more effectively.

Raised on a farm in Minnesota, Anderson spent four years in the Navy and four years as an aerospace engineer before answering the call to full-time ministry. His extensive education includes a B.S. from Arizona State University, an Ed.D. from Pepperdine University, plus an M.A. in Christian education, M.Div., and D.Min. from Talbot School of Theology. He taught for 10 years at Talbot, where he served as chairman of the Practical Theology Department, then went on to found the Freedom in Christ Ministries, which now has offices in Canada, Europe, India, and the U.S.

His bestsellers are numerous, but his most popular books are Victory Over the Darkness and The Bondage Breaker, which have sold more than two million copies. They have remained among the top 20 Christian bestsellers since their release in 1990. They were both reissued in a revised and expanded edition in 2000. At the heart of Anderson's teachings is his belief that most emotional and spiritual problems faced by Christians are the result of inadequate discipling earlier in their lives. They have been deceived by the devil and need to experience their freedom in Christ by dealing with their sins and believing the truth about themselves as children of God. Anderson often seeks to integrate psychology with theology to help Christians find freedom in Christ from emotional and spiritual bondage. Anderson does not support the idea that "the devil made me do it," but he does contend that a believer can be deceived by "the one who deceives the whole world" and can be tempted to try to meet their needs apart from their relationship to Christ.

Recent books by Anderson include Pastors at Greater Risk and The Christian's Guide to Alternative Medicine. His upcoming books are Breaking the Bondage of Legalism, which shows how to be freed from trying to be good enough for God, and the first two titles in the Bondage Breaker series--Praying by the Power of the Spirit, and Finding God's Will in Spiritually Deceptive Times.

Anderson is committed to his cause, which has led thousands of troubled people throughout the world to freedom in Christ. He continues to pour his energies into his writing, seminars, conferences for Christian leaders, and teaching appearances at several seminaries. Among his many other bestsellers are: The Christ-Centered Marriage, which addresses spousal relationships between each other and God; God's Power at Work in You, encouragement for holy living in a fallen world; Daily in Christ, a daily devotional written with his wife, Joanne; Freedom from Addiction, a Christ-centered model for recovery; The Seduction of Our Children, a resource for parents to help counter the world’s assault on the family; and many more.

Neil and Joanne have been married for more than 30 years and have two grown children. They make their home near Phoenix, Arizona.

Posted November 2001