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Barbara Cameron, mother of TV stars Kirk Cameron and Candace Cameron, talks about her faith today at the Valley Christian Leadership Association’s Harvest Breakfast in Fargo. Special to The Forum
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	"A Full House of Growing Pains"

Over the years, it’s become common to hear of former child actors growing up to lives of addiction or crime. Barbara Cameron’s child stars were a bit different.

Rather than fall prey to the pleasure principle, Cameron’s two child stars grew up to a life with Christ.

Her son Kirk, who starred as Mike Seaver in “Growing Pains,” and her daughter Candace, DJ Tanner on “Full House,” grew up in a home with little religion but matured into adults with deep religious leanings.

Kirk Cameron’s even become an evangelical celebrity and star of faith-based films such as “Fireproof” who’s very vocal about his beliefs.

Today, Barbara Cameron will be in Fargo as the guest speaker at the Valley Christian Leadership Association’s Harvest Breakfast. But before talking to that crowd, the mother of four and grandmother of 15 took time to speak to The Forum. Here’s what Cameron said about how faith came into her famous family.

Forum: Were you a Christian when Kirk was on “Growing Pains” and Candace on “Full House”?

Cameron: Well, I thought I was. I thought I was. As a little girl, I became a believer. I didn’t grow up in a home where we really understood the Bible. The Bible wasn’t read. We prayed during meal time, but that was it. But it was my mom who wanted us to understand who Jesus was, and she had us going to Sunday school. And that’s where I learned about Jesus and his love. And I just remember one day saying I want to go heaven and if I accept Jesus into my heart then I can get there. So that was my belief up until 10 years ago.

What happened 10 years ago?

My life during those years, there was no real transformation in myself. It wasn’t until about 10 years ago that I heard a message called “hell’s best kept secret” by Ray Comfort, and that radically changed my life. It really helped me to understand sin in its true light. And that there are two standards we live by, there is man’s standard and there is God’s standard. Once I understood the difference I realized the sinner I was and my need for the savior and cleansing.

That is what helped me to truly understand not only sin, but repentance, why Christ came, why he died for me. It all started making sense. It was kind of like the missing piece to the puzzle of my faith. I knew that God was the God of love, but I kind of ignored or didn’t understand that he was just and holy.

Kirk had moved on from the show at that time, correct?

He did. He had heard the gospel message for the first time when he was 16 years old. It was through a girl that he wanted to date. She said the only way he could date her was to go to church. So he heard the gospel message for the first time at that point. My children didn’t grow up in a Christian home. We didn’t pray. We didn’t read the Bible. My husband was not a believer. And so he basically said that when the kids were old enough to understand religion and what religion they wanted to choose when they were old enough to choose, they could seek that out on their own. But he wasn’t interested in going to church.

Kirk was about 16 when he became a believer, along with my other kids. It was due to a situation in our marriage. Something in our marriage caused a separation. And it was then that somebody invited my husband to go to church. And my kids started going. And at the same time Kirk was invited to go to church. … Kirk was actually the one who handed me the CD of the message he had heard.

Can you tell us a little about your book?

It’s called “A Full House of Growing Pains.” It’s basically my story of raising four kids in Hollywood and my testimony of who I was before Christ and who I am after I became born again. It wasn’t something I wanted to write. It was presented to me.

I work for The Way of the Master, Kirk’s ministry. And Ray Comfort, his ministry partner, he would always ask me for stories about my kids when we were raising them. He said, “You should write a book.” He said this would be a great witnessing tool. I thought, “Wow, really?” He said, “Yeah, all those stories and all those things and your marriage and everything, people will be able to relate and then share how you came to Christ and how your family came to Christ.”

I thought, “Wow, am I really going to be able to expose myself to who I was then and then what God did? I didn’t know I could do that, but I thought, ‘For God I can. If this can help other people come to Christ, I can expose myself.’ ”

If you go

• What: Barbara Cameron at Valley Christian Leadership Association’s Harvest Breakfast
• When: 8 to 10 a.m. today
• Where: Holiday Inn, 3808 13th Ave.  S., Fargo
• Tickets: $14

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Readers can reach Forum Features Editor Robert Morast at (701) 241-5518