Posted on 04/03/2014 1:48:37 PM PDT by SeekAndFind
I conducted an informal survey of over 30 persons, simply asking them to name the most influential evangelicals in America today. Though my choice of the respondents was subjective, I do have confidence that the men and women who gave me these names are very knowledgeable about the evangelical scene in the United States.
The respondents represent a cross section of denominational and non-denominational churches and entities. From my perspective, those I surveyed are clearly evangelicals themselves. Among the criteria I gave them, I included the following:
The problem with any list such as this one is the names you omit. Many well-known evangelicals did not make this top twenty list. I realize that another list done by another person would likely yield some different names. Here, then, are twenty of the most influential evangelicals listed in alphabetical order.
Matt Chandler - The lead pastor of teaching at The Village Church in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex and prominent author. Chandler's podcast is consistently in the top five of the leading Christian podcasts on iTunes.
Wilfredo De Jesus - Better known as Pastor Choco, he is the head pastor of New Life Covenant Church in Chicago and the author of Amazing Faith. Time magazine named him one of the 100 most influential people in America in 2013.
Ross Douthat - Author, blogger and New York Times columnist. He was a senior editor at The Atlantic and wrote Bad Religion: How We Became a Nation of Heretics.
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Tony Evans - Prolific author and senior pastor at Oak Cliff Bible Fellowship in Dallas. He is also founder and president of The Urban Alternative, a national organization that seeks to bring about spiritual renewal in urban America through churches.
Louie Giglio - Pastor of Passion City Church in Atlanta, speaker, author, and founder of the Passion Movement.
Franklin Graham - President and CEO of Billy Graham Evangelistic Association and Samaritan's Purse. Prominent evangelist.
Craig Groeschel - Founder and senior pastor of LifeChurch.tv, one of the largest churches in the United States with 15 locations in five states.
Bill Hybels - Founding and senior pastor of Willow Creek Community Church in South Barrington, Illinois, and founder of the Willow Creek Association. Prolific author.
T. D. Jakes - Bishop/chief pastor of The Potter's House in Dallas. Prolific author of many books.
Tim Keller - Apologist, speaker, and the founding pastor of Redeemer Presbyterian Church in New York City. Author of several books.
Lecrae - Christian hip hop artist, record producer, and co-owner and co-founder of the independent record label Reach Records. Co-founder and president of the non-profit organization, ReachLife Ministries.
Albert Mohler - President of The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary for more than 20 years. Prominent spokesman in evangelicalism. Author of several books and hundreds of articles.
Beth Moore - Founder of Living Proof Ministries in Houston. The ministry focuses on aiding women who desire to model their lives on Christian values. Prominent author and speaker.
Joyce Meyer - Prolific author and frequent speaker, with many of her appearances on television. Heads Joyce Meyer Ministries, based in Fenton, Missouri.
Joel Osteen - Senior pastor of Lakewood Church in Houston, one of the largest churches in America. Prolific author of several books.
John Piper - Served as pastor for preaching and vision for 33 years at Bethlehem Baptist Church in Minneapolis. Retired from the church in 2013. Prolific author. Founder of Desiring God Ministries.
Dave Ramsey - Best known for his syndicated radio show, "The Dave Ramsey Show," heard on more than 500 radio stations. Authored many books, including four New York Times bestsellers. Focuses on personal financial health.
Priscilla Shirer - Bestselling author and frequent speaker, largely at women's events. Most common venue is Bible teaching to women. She and her husband, Jerry Shirer, own and run Going Beyond Ministries.
Andy Stanley - Senior pastor of North Point Community Church in Alpharetta, Georgia, and affiliated churches. Also founded North Point Ministries. Prolific author and frequent speaker.
Rick Warren - Senior pastor of Saddleback Church in Lake Forest, California, one of the largest churches in the United States. Author of several books, including Purpose Driven Life, which has sold over 30 million copies.
Keep in mind that just over 30 persons responded to my questions. In that sense, it is more of a panel than a survey. Though the respondents did not have to offer comments, most of them did. Some of them offered two lists, such as two levels of influence. Others struggled in their own responses, trying to decide whether or not different persons were truly evangelicals.
I appreciate their time and thoughtfulness. Now it's time to hear from you.
Marcus and Joni Lamb?
Very pleased to see Matt Chandler on the list. His books, “The Explicit Gospel” and “To Live is Christ, To Die is Gain” are some of the most profound yet readable works I’ve read by a contemporary Christian author. That, and he’s funny. And is in remission from brain cancer. And is the pastor at my kid’s church in North Texas.
Your list has more influence with me for sure. Piper, Mohler, and Chandler are the only men on the other list I pay any attention to whatsoever. Then again, I believe in sovereign grace.
Tim Keller - A great intellect, but not an Evangelical. Keller is a mainline Protestant of the diocesan variety and should not be included.
REv. Keller is PCA, which I have never heard referred to as "mainline".
“The late pastor and radio evangelist J. Vernon McGee”
I grew up listening to J. Vernon McGee and after I became a Catholic I still listen to his “Through the Bible” series. He was a great pastor.
Really makes you wonder about the motive of the writer to use the results of 30 people to show everyone who the most influential evangelicals in America are.
I mean, there are some heretics on this list that unless they change their teachings and truly accept Christ as their Lord and savior, will be frying in hell one day.
Several of them are representative of what is wrong with American Christiany.
But I suppose that is influential too.
Bingo.
Tim Keller is NOT a mainliner. He is ordained in the PCA. I’ve attended his church a cohple time. Very impressed with what is happening there.
The Presbyterian Church in America (PCA), of which Rev. Tim Keller is a member, is the second largest Presbyterian church body and the largest conservative Reformed denomination in the United States.
The PCA split off from PCUSA because of the latter’s trend towards Theological liberalism.
The churches of the PCA sought to reaffirm the Westminster Confession of Faith as the fullest and clearest exposition of biblical faith, which many conservatives felt that PCUSA presbyteries had been violating by recieveing ministers who refused to affirm the Virgin birth and bodily resurrection, and to call all pastors and leaders to affirm the inerrancy of Scripture. As a result they also felt the church should disavow the ordination of wome
Prophetics seem to have been overlooked when compiling this list.
Aside from Tim Keller, D James Kennedy of Coral Ridge Presbyterian Church, RC Sproul of Ligonier Ministries a popular teacher-scholar and Phil Ryken, President of Wheaton College are all PCA ministers.
The late Francis Schaeffer of L’Abri is considered a foremost evangelical Christian thinker and a PCA minister.
Well, there you go. Thanks.
Not a very good list. Some of the very best are not listed.
And some on the list should not be.
RE: Not a very good list. Some of the very best are not listed.
You hit the nail right on the head. The list considers the “most influential” not “the best”.
In a better world, the best should be the most influential. Unfortunately, we live in THIS world where people prefer to listen to things they like instead of what they SHOULD be listening to.
Nothing new under the sun. This has been happening since Biblical times.
I’m very surprised to not see Dr. Robert Jeffress of First Baptist Dallas mentioned.
Anybody know who the twenty most influential secular humanists are in America?
Regardless of who they are, they seem to have much more influence in this secular humanist nation.
R.C. Sproul and Ravi Zacharias ought to be on that list.
Ravi Zacharias
Chuck Swindoll
Charles Stanley
David Jeremiah
Alistair Begg
Billy Graham?
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