Chris Maxwell has joy in his voice, peace permeates his words, and encouragement flows easily in every moment. Maxwell has had every reason to live in fear, anger, or pessimism, but he has elected, every day, to choose life. Life in his family. Life in his friendships. Life in his job. Life in his words. And words have always been especially important to him. While he has learned that everything could change in a moment, he also learned that his God, his Heavenly Father, remains steadfast and sure.
Chris Maxwell and his wife, Debbie
Chris Maxwell was born and raised in Georgia where he attended a Methodist church until he left home for Emmanuel College (now Emmanuel University) in Franklin Springs. He married his wife, Debbie, between his Junior and Senior years, and they moved to Orlando, Florida following the completion of his degree.
Maxwell’s Graduating Class at Emmanuel College
In Florida, he was a part of the Assemblies of God denomination, serving as a youth pastor for five years before taking on a full-time pastorate for 20 years. Maxwell jokes that he never intended to return to Georgia, but in the fall of 2006, he did just that. He was called back to Emmanuel to serve as campus pastor and Director of Spiritual Life. He and Debbie are parents to three boys, who are now grown and married, and grandparents to nine. They are certainly a blessed family!
The Maxwell Family
Currently, Maxwell works at five different jobs, making it all look effortless, and that’s probably because he is enjoying almost every minute. He is the Campus Pastor and Director of Spiritual Life for Emmanuel University, an editor, writer, and ghostwriter, a valued member of a pharmaceutical company in Atlanta, a Council Member for the LifePoint Conference, and a pastor at a local church, Goldmine IPHC. In addition, Maxwell hosts a podcast that releases a new episode every Thursday called “Next Step Leadership,” and he is also the narrator for the IPHC’s new Ministerial Credentialing Program recordings. It would be easy to look at this list of Chris Maxwell’s accomplishments and assignments and become intimidated. However, spend a few minutes speaking with him and soon realize that he is a humble man and a friend for life.
Chris Maxwell Speaking
There is another part to Maxwell’s story that you would never know unless he told you. Maxwell has epilepsy. Caused by a severe case of encephalitis, which is a swelling of the brain triggered by infection, he became extremely ill in March of 1996, and his doctors were unable to find the issue at first. What started with a headache, quickly grew to hallucinations, that led to a ten-day stay in the hospital. Once the infection was found, the Maxwell family was surprised to learn that the encephalitis was destroying his brain, leaving behind severe scar tissue in his left temporal lobe that would cause cognitive issues for the rest of his life. Maxwell spent months in rehab relearning to do things that he had been doing for most of his life, such as using a fork or tying his shoes.
It wasn’t just a physical toll that the encephalitis took on his body; there was also a great mental and emotional toll as well. Maxwell came out on the other side with a different personality, a different way of processing information, emotions, and relationships. He recognizes that he isn’t the same man that Debbie married all those years ago, and in his book, Underwater, his wife shared that so much changed about him, even down to his sense of humor. Sometimes Maxwell is overcome with sadness, but that sadness is short-lived because he has chosen to live in the now with optimism.
Maxwell is hoping to show people that God works with our wounds and scars. He stated that God is using him: “Not because I can do something, but because of my weakness. His ability is using my inability.” Maxwell’s thoughts on this bring to mind the words Paul wrote in 2 Corinthians 12:9-10: “But he said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.” Blake Rackley, PsyD, a friend and neighbor of Maxwell’s, as well as a Licensed Clinical Psychologist and Associate Professor of Psychology, often shows his students a picture of Maxwell’s brain, pointing out the areas that were scarred by the encephalitis. Rackley explains that Maxwell shouldn’t be able to speak or even comprehend speech: “I remind (the students) that while he is a miracle, he is still a broken miracle” (Underwater, p.47).
Maxwell’s Book Underwater
There is a rhythm, a pace, a flow to Chris Maxwell’s writing and speaking, and truly, writing is an integral part of Maxwell’s life. He stated that words have always been important to him, that “stories were always a strength of mine.” Writing is a lifeline for him, a necessity, and since 1996, when the encephalitis threatened to take his life, Maxwell says: “(I) write to remember, to release emotions, to think, to remind someone (I) care for them” (Underwater, p.29). After his illness and subsequent brain scarring, Maxwell’s close friend described him this way: “The scholar became poetic.” And he has. Publishing eleven books to date, he has written on topics stemming from his own experiences. One book, referenced earlier, Underwater, speaks about his, and others’, personal experiences with encephalitis, brain injury, and epilepsy. Underwater is an encouraging read for those with traumatic brain injuries (TBI), a loved one of someone with a TBI, but also for anyone who needs more hope in their lives.
Maxwell’s upcoming book, his twelfth, is a series of letters written to the younger generation, full of thoughts and advice that he would want to impart. In the late part of 2023, he hid away in the mountains of Georgia and wrote most of this book. Without giving too much away, Maxwell shared: “So much of my role is listening to students, talking with them about their disappointment with God. Talking with pastors about their disappointment with God.” He is pulling from his own life and his experiences as a pastor, mentor, and friend. According to Maxwell, the best way to combat that disappointment is to walk with and press into God, not to pull away in fear and anger.
Maxwell’s 12th Book – release date October 1
Chris Maxwell’s ultimate desire is to be known as a “son of Barnabas,” a son of encouragement. He wants “ears to listen and a heart to care.” To those who know him, he already is a son of Barnabas. He has chosen to live life full of joy and peace, sharing his optimism and faith with others, inviting them to walk this sometimes difficult journey alongside him.
To purchase Maxwell’s book Underwater, follow this link: https://a.co/d/aFjumF0
To purchase Maxwell’s most recent book, Equilibrium, follow this link: https://a.co/d/5E9lE3S
