The Eternal Wall of Answered Prayer — An interview with Eternal Wall’s Founder: Richard Gamble

What is Eternal Wall?

The Eternal Wall of Answered Prayer will be a colossal piece of public art in Coleshill, Birmingham. Opening in 2023, the landmark will be built of one million bricks, and every brick will represent an answered prayer.

Visible from six miles away, this 169ft infinity loop will be over twice the height of the Angel of the North, and the size of a football pitch. Visitors will hold their phones up to the million bricks and read the answered prayers linked to them. These stories will make hope visible to our visitors, encouraging them in their faith and pointing them to the God who answers.

What do you hope it will achieve?

We have three main aims:

To ignite a faith for prayer on a national level, by providing free access to the world’s largest database of answered prayers. People can search for situations similar to theirs, and perhaps be inspired to try praying.
To reveal Christ to the nation. People will discover unique aspects of Jesus through the stories they read, and as they realise the scope of one million stories of God’s intervention in people’s lives, we hope they will personally encounter Him.
To preserve stories from our Christian heritage, by sharing answered prayers spanning from Christianity’s arrival in the UK up to WWII, when King George VI called the nation to pray for the soldiers on the beaches of Dunkirk.

What impact has Christians on the Left had on Eternal Wall?

God gave me the vision in 2004, but He didn’t give the green light to begin the project until 2015. In those early days, Stephen Timms MP (Labour Member for East Ham, Christians on the Left Chair 2012-2016) became a huge supporter. He boldly backed the project, allowing us to host a parliamentary reception in February 2017, and another in May 2019. The support he has given has been invaluable to Eternal Wall, giving us legitimacy and opening doors that would have otherwise been shut to us.

“I think it’s an inspiring idea and it’s a fantastic design. It’s going to be visible from lots of motorways, railways, from the air, and I think it’s going to inspire a lot of people. I really look forward to seeing it up and built… I think it will make a big impact on the national consciousness. It’s a reflection of the fact that many, many people in Britain today, as well as in our history, have experienced answered prayer...”
Stephen Timms MP

How is the project funded, and what would you say to people who think you should give the money to the poor instead?

If Eternal Wall isn’t from God, spending £10 on it is too much. However, we’ve seen the incredible favour of God throughout this journey. So far we have been funded by tens of thousands of donors giving over £1million, including donations from trust funds and private contributors.

Over the last 18 months, the pandemic has shaken the foundations of people’s lives and many face financial struggles. Alongside the million bricks in the landmark, we shall also be donating one million bricks to social housing. This should build 100 homes, and we have wonderful partners like Hope Into Action and Cornerstone Partnership supporting this aspect of the project.

One thing I’ve learned from running a charity is how hard it is to raise money. We estimate that once built Eternal Wall will generate £1million a year in tourism, and these ongoing profits will be distributed to Christian causes, supporting their unique visions.

What can Christians on the Left do to help?

We want Eternal Wall to represent all parts of society. We’re not proposing a supermarket God, a prosperity gospel or a triumphal ‘God answers every prayer’. Instead, what we’re putting forward is that prayer is a conversation with God, who is more interested in the journey than the answered prayer itself. We want to hear journeys from all walks of life.

We hope Christians on the Left can help us with this. What has God done for you in your work in the realm of politics? Your stories will encourage the generations for hundreds of years, and people in similar situations need to hear of the hope you carry.

Please share your story with us at eternalwall.org.uk/testimony