Posted on 09/06/2007 4:47:40 AM PDT by CitadelArmyJag
Megachurch Leader D. James Kennedy Dies By MATT SEDENSKY Wednesday, September 5, 2007
The Rev. D. James Kennedy, a pioneering Christian broadcaster and megachurch pastor whose fiercely conservative worldview helped fuel the rise of the religious right in American politics, died Wednesday. He was 76.
Kennedy died at his home in Fort Lauderdale, said Kristin Cole, a spokeswoman for Kennedy's Coral Ridge Presbyterian Church. The cause of death has not been determined, but Kennedy had not been seen publicly he suffered cardiac arrest Dec. 28. His retirement was announced last month.
Kennedy's voice and face were known to millions through radio and television broadcasts, urging Christians to evangelize in their daily lives, while condemning homosexuality and abortion as assaults on the traditional family. His also preached on the major policy issues of the day, rejecting evolution and global warming.
Kennedy was influential in the founding of the religious right, but did so more often from behind the scenes, as attention focused on his allies, the Revs. Pat Robertson and Jerry Falwell.
"He was never in the front ranks of evangelical leaders that were also political leaders, but he was active at every stage of the Christian right," said John Green, a senior fellow at the Pew Forum for Religion & Public Life who specializes in religion and politics.
Kennedy was a founding board member of the Moral Majority, which Falwell formed in 1979. In 1996, Kennedy created Coral Ridge's political arm, called the Center for Reclaiming America for Christ, to mobilize conservative Christians against gay marriage, pornography and what he called "judicial tyranny," among other issues.
Kennedy also founded the Center for Christian Statesmanship, which organized Capitol Hill Bible studies and other events that attracted top government officials. He encouraged them "to embrace God's providential purpose for this nation."
"The Bible says, 'Be fruitful and multiply and have dominion over the earth,'" Kennedy said in a 1996 interview with The Los Angeles Times. "God should be in every sphere of life: economics, business, education, government, art and science."
In 1959, the pastor started his congregation with about 45 members, eventually expanding into a megachurch that claims 10,000 members today.
In the 1960s, when many conservative Christians were still debating how much to engage the broader culture, Kennedy jumped in and created Evangelism Explosion International, which trained Christians to share their beliefs with others.
"That simple goal is now widely adopted in evangelical churches and widely accepted, but at the time he started it, it wasn't," said Frank Wright, president and chief executive officer of the National Religious Broadcasters association.
At the time of his death, Kennedy's influence was beginning to wane, as his congregation aged and new evangelical leaders emerged. Coral Ridge shuttered its Center for Reclaiming America earlier this year.
Still, Kennedy was the author of more than 50 books and founded two schools _ Knox Theological Seminary and Westminster Academy, a K-12 Christian school near his church.
Coral Ridge Ministries, his radio and TV outreach arm, claimed a weekly audience of 3.5 million people for all its broadcasts. Kennedy's TV show, "The Coral Ridge Hour," has been airing reruns on more than 400 stations and is broadcast to more than 150 countries on the Armed Forces Network, his ministry says. Last year, the National Religious Broadcasters group inducted him into its hall of fame.
"He was one of the early visionaries who saw that you could use electronic media to extend the four walls of the church to reach a broader audience," Wright said.
Dennis James Kennedy was born Nov. 3, 1930, in Augusta, Ga., and his family moved in 1936 to Chicago and in 1945 to Tampa. Kennedy's father was a traveling salesman whom he described as "long suffering," and his mother was an alcoholic. They were not churchgoers.
Kennedy dropped out of college to become an Arthur Murray dance instructor, but eventually returned to earn multiple degrees, including a doctorate from New York University. He met his future wife, the former Anne Lewis, while teaching dance.
Besides his wife of 51 years, the pastor is survived by a daughter, Jennifer Kennedy Cassidy. Both were by his bedside when he died.
Coral Ridge Ministries website:
http://www.coralridge.org/default.asp
from: http://65.240.226.104:8080/life.aspx
make sure you watch the video.
A Memorial Tribute to D. James Kennedy
November 3, 1930 – Dennis James Kennedy is born to George and Ermine Kennedy in Augusta, Georgia.
1936 – The Kennedy family moves to Chicago, settling in an apartment just 50 yards from Lake Michigan.
1945 – The family relocates once more to Tampa, Florida.
1952 – Arthur Murray Dance instructor Jim Kennedy meets Anne Lewis and signs her up for six months of dance instructions.
1953 – Sleeping late on a Sunday morning, Jim Kennedy hears the Gospel for the very first time from a radio preacher. Shortly thereafter he professes faith in Christ.
December 3, 1955 – After fighting God’s call to full-time ministry for nearly a year, Jim Kennedy, with great trepidation, quits his job as a dance studio manager.
December 3, 1955 – Jim Kennedy and Anne Lewis become engaged.
December 4, 1955 – Jim is given the chance to preach at a local Presbyterian church and, to his surprise, is employed as the interim minister the same day.
August 25, 1956 – Jim and Anne are married at First Presbyterian Church of Lakeland, Florida.
Fall 1956 – Jim Kennedy begins seminary training at Columbia Theological Seminary in Decatur, Georgia.
May 11, 1959 – Days before his seminary graduation, Jim receives a letter from the Home Missions Committee of the Everglades Presbytery inviting him to consider pastoring a new church to be started in Fort Lauderdale.
June 21, 1959 – The first Coral Ridge Presbyterian Church worship service is held at McNab Elementary School, led by D. James Kennedy.
July 21, 1959 –Rev. D. James Kennedy is ordained.
1960 – Rev. Kennedy tells his fledgling congregation: “You know what? I believe we can change the world!”
July 31, 1960 – Rev. D. James Kennedy is installed as minister of Coral Ridge Presbyterian Church.
1962 – Rev. Kennedy begins to train church members to share Christ using the techniques learned from Rev. Kennedy Smartt.
March 16, 1962 – Jennifer is born and adopted into the Kennedy family.
March 18, 1962 – A new church building seating 500 on Commercial Boulevard is dedicated.
February 20, 1967 – The first Evangelism Explosion clinic is held with 36 people in attendance.
Summer 1967 – Tragedy strikes when Anne undergoes cancer surgery. Rev. Kennedy later describes God’s provision during that dark time in his message, “Songs in the Night.”
1970 – Evangelism Explosion, the first of more than 65 books by Dr. Kennedy is published by Tyndale. More than 1.5 million copies have been sold.
1970 – Like A Mighty Army, a dramatic motion picture depicting the story of Evangelism Explosion, is produced by Gospel Films.
August 28, 1970 – Lay Evangelism, Inc., later changed to Evangelism Explosion III International, Inc., is organized.
April 11, 1971 (Easter Sunday) – Groundbreaking for new church on Federal Highway.
August 1971 – Classes begin at Westminster Academy® with 300 students enrolled.
February 3, 1974 – The new church building on Federal Highway is dedicated. Dr. Billy Graham addresses the 11,000 people in attendance, some on benches outside the church, and 597 decision for Christ are recorded.
October 1, 1974 – Radio station WAFG (90.3 FM) is licensed as a non-commercial educational station.
October 3, 1976 – Church membership reaches 5,000 people.
January 8, 1978 – Coral Ridge Presbyterian Church votes to leave the Presbyterian Church (U.S.) and unites with the Presbyterian Church in America (P.C.A.).
September 17, 1978 – First television broadcast of worship service.
February 1979 – Dr. Kennedy receives his Ph.D. from New York University, completing his list of degrees as follows: A.B., M.Div. (cum laude), M.Th. (summa cum laude), D.D., D.Sac.Lit., Ph.D., Litt.D., D.Sac.Theol., and D.Humane Lit.
November 30, 1980 – Coral Ridge Presbyterian Church celebrates its 20th anniversary.
May 29, 1990 – George Kennedy, Dr. Kennedy’s brother, dies. Dr. Kennedy learns after his death that George, who had long resisted the Gospel, was led to Christ on his death bed by a young hospital chaplain.
1984 – Truths That Transform, Dr. Kennedy’s daily radio program begins.
November 24, 1985 – Coral Ridge Presbyterian Church celebrates its 25th anniversary.
1988 - With Evangelism Explosion in only 66 nations, Dr. Kennedy challenged the organization’s vice presidents to take the lay-evangelism training program to every nation by 1995.
March 14, 1989 – The Session of Coral Ridge Presbyterian Church establishes Knox Theological Seminary and appoints Dr. Kennedy Chancellor.
March 30-April 1, 1990 – Coral Ridge Church marks its 30th Anniversary during a “Celebrate the Dream” weekend celebration.
September 1990 – Knox Theological Seminary begins classes to train pastors and laymen in a graduate school of theology.
1992 – The Kennedy Commentary, a daily 90-second radio commentary, is launched.
May 21, 1994 – Coral Ridge Presbyterian Church celebrates Dr. Kennedy’s 35th year in Gospel ministry.
September 14, 1995 – Dr. Kennedy dedicates the D. James Kennedy Center for Christian Statesmanship in Washington, D.C.
February 23, 1996 – Evangelism Explosion International becomes the first Christian organization in history to establish its ministry in all 211 nations of the world.
March 7, 1999 – Coral Ridge Presbyterian Church celebrates its 40th anniversary.
June 10, 2000 – Daughter Jennifer marries Charles D. “Chip” Cassidy in Newport Beach, California.
December 2000 – Along with Dean Jones, Dr. Kennedy co-hosts Who Is This Jesus, a one-hour documentary viewed by some 12 million people nationwide.
February 15, 2005 – Dr. Kennedy is inducted into the National Religious Broadcasters Hall of Fame.
October 2005 – After Hurricane Wilma rips off the church roof and drenches the sanctuary, Dr. Kennedy encourages the congregation, telling them this is “our finest hour.”
December 9, 2005 – Dr. Kennedy is feted at a surprise 75th birthday celebration.
August 25, 2006 – Dr. and Mrs. Kennedy celebrate 50 years of marriage.
2006 – Nearly five million people profess faith in Jesus Christ through Evangelism Explosion.
September 5, 2007 – Dr. Kennedy enters into the presence of God in Heaven.
Yes, he was one of the few always out there on the front lines.
This is what probably impressed me about him the most.
which threads are you tracking today?
Sad news.
What a powerful gift God graced us with in the person and life of D. James Kennedy.
Thank you, dear Lord, for him.
Ed
We agree! Very sad news. I just shared this news with my Aunt. Her mother, my grandmother, loved Dr. Kennedy at attended church with him in Ft. Lauderdale. Now they are together with Jesus in heaven. What a glorious promise of eternal life in His presence we have through Jesus Christ.
So what? I didn’t know about it and I am glad it was posted a fourth time.
Dr. Kennedy was a mighty man of God. He will be missed. May God comfort his loved ones and give them strength in the difficult days ahead.
Prayers for the family.
Amen.
I’m still in search of a contemporary Francis Schaeffer. D. James Kennedy wasn’t him, but he made his mark.
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There will never be another like either men, or Jerry Falwell for that matter.
Bless his family as they miss him terribly!
Thank you for posting this article. I had heard about his death from TBN, but found nothing in my newspaper and television, and I missed any other postings on FR. Dr. D. James Kennedy was my hero in a way. He was not afraid to confront evil and liberal backward thinking, yet he did it with intellectual reasoning, not name-calling. I pray that the ripples he has produced in our nation and culture will just continue to spread and grow bigger.
May God comfort Dr. Kennedy’s family and loved ones.
I’m sorry to learn this. He was a good man and great apologist. Prayers for his family.
Thanks for posting that - sums up my feelings as well - although I couldn’t have said it as good. I will miss him.
Dr James Kennedy and Jerry Falwell die the same year. They did bring millions of people to Christ and will be hard to replace. Prayers and blessings to both families for their lifetime service to the Lord.
They did a lot to get Conservatives elected to office unfortunately some of those who rose to the leadership blew it and didn’t follow thru on promises to Christians that want America to return to a Constitutional Republic that has been turned into a quasi socialist judicial state.
Agreed! We will have great challenges ahead living up to Dr. Kennedy’s legacy. I did just try to ‘spread the message’ by donating a huge vhs series of his sermons to a local Methodist church hoping some of his conservative patriotic views might infiltrate this group!! It is a true war in our country for Christ to reclaim it and it appears more ‘churches’ are working for the enemy than ever!
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