Rev. Dr. Michael Carr

Michael pioneered his first church when he was in his mid-twenties, whilst also working as a Civil Engineer. Within the first year, the church became full, so they built a second and larger one. However, he eventually resigned from that assembly because his wife Patricia had developed Myasthenia Gravis, a rare muscular disease, seven years into their marriage. He continued itinerant preaching in many different denominations in the West Midlands area at weekends for seven years, until he joined the Renewal Christian Centre, Solihull, at their invitation, which was an Elim Church. He became an associate to his younger brother David. The work thrived under his consistent Bible-based ministry and lifestyle.

During this time, he was a senior lecturer and subject tutor in Building Studies for three degrees in building and surveying and ran his own programme on Radio Birmingham called “Your Home”. This was at peak listening time for homeowners. He assembled experts from a wide spectrum of the Building Industry, linked to DIY, who answered on-air questions. He also represented all the local Pentecostal denominations as their representative on SACRE (Standing Advisory Committee on Religious Education) which influenced trends in religious education in Birmingham. Concurrently, he ran his own consultancy business in building design (Amalgamated Design & Development – ADD), working for the largest private company in Britain, and many others. When Billy Graham held his last London Crusade, Michael headed up all the men’s groups in the city.

He took his first degree at Aston University in Birmingham in Building Technology, and his master of philosophy degree at Reading, under Professor Biggs from Cambridge, researching the teaching of the subject Buildings Studies as taught to the General Practice Surveyors who were studying for admission to the RICS. He was a Member of the Charted Institute of Building, [MICOB] and took his doctorate in ministry at sixty, completing his secular and spiritual education.

He retired from secular employment early at 50 in 1984 and was immediately called and appointed by his denomination, who had ordained him in 1971, to Kensington Temple, Elim’s largest and prestigious London church. Within 8 months of joining that church, he was appointed Superintendent or more biblically called Bishop of the London Region, covering the area inside and just outside the M25, which was a pioneer scheme to reorganise the denomination. This was successful and the whole denomination was consequently divided into nine regions. Michael continued for six years in this capacity until he resigned in 1992. He left Kensington Temple in 1988 and pioneered his own church known as the Harrow International Christian Centre (HICC). This started as a house group and grew to 50 with 35 in attendance within nine months.

Over the last three decades, HICC has grown to be a successful multinational church of some 50+ nations, and many different denominations. Its main thrust is worship and teaching, which are Michael’s strengths, and calling. Michael has preached in many countries but whilst pioneering HICC curtailed his itinerant ministry. Having now reached 82 he believes he has several more years left (God willing and health allowing) to continue in a semi-retired capacity [preaching not running a church], establishing a young team to pioneer their own church. Thus, he is pastor emeritus of HICC and worships in Solihull, where he now lives. He is also an author, His first book was published in August 2016, “As Sparks Fly Upward, weathering the storms of life,” and his second one “Lifestyle Christianity, volume 2,” will be in 2017. A dissertation on the blessed life and its vagarious adventures.

Michael was married to Patricia, his first wife, for 54 years and they had three children and has eight grandchildren. The eldest son Leighton is Dean of Battersea for the Anglican Church, and lives in London. He originally founded 3Z Design Services as a qualified architect, but closed his architectural business at 48 and entered Trinity College to study for the full-time ministry. Their second son Greshame is a doctor in Christ Church, New Zealand, and lastly, Jannine their daughter, is an interior and fashion designer, and works for the Royal Institute of British Architects.

Patricia, his first wife, headed up the pastoral services of HICC, having designed a unique caring system for the congregation supervising ten area pastors. She was technically the senior pastor of the Church, whereas Michael was the senior minister. She had a fine prophetic voice and cutting edge, and a real sense of God’s will and presence about her. She was an invaluable co-partner in the running of the church. She died 11th January 2014 having suffered for 47 years, and Michael married for a second time to Pamela Dale in April 2015. They both now worship at RenewalCC a Free Methodist Church in Solihull.

If you would like to find out more about Dr. Michael’s previous ministry you can visit HICC’s website here: http://hicc.org/our-story