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.
John Piper
Al Mohler
Greg Laurie
David Jeremiah
_____
Osteen, Jakes, Meyer, Hybels should not be on the list because they do not teach an Evangelical form of Christianity.
I do NOT see anywhere in Scripture where women should take the role of pastor.
I DO SEE in Scripture where women are prohibited from taking the role of pastor.
If you can show from Holy Writ where women can and may be ordained, I will gladly change my position. But, otherwise, HERE I STAND. I CAN DO NO OTHER.
I left off Steve Brown of Key Life Ministries from my list. Another great Bible teacher.
Given the differences of opinion on what constitutes being an, "Evangelical", I don't see how you compile a list like this one. Is it based on book sales, attendance record at a mega-church, popularity as a speaker, and/or income figures of some sort?
I also don't see how anyone can even pretend to have the authority to define what "Evangelical" means at this point. Thirty years ago it was a wee bit definitional (more of an adjective even then, really) but now it seems like a marketing category and not much more.
At any rate, that's a very mixed list of folks IMHO.
Out of curiosity, have the PCA and ARP ever considered merging? I’m an LCMS and therefore an outsider, but I don’t see any doctrinal or liturgical differences between them.
There aren't many living prophets whom I would consider both evangelical and influential, which is why Kim Clement came to mind.
P.S. Perhaps 20 years ago, I went to a meeting held by Glenn Miller, who had, and I see on FB still has, a prophetic ministry. I wanted to ask him if he only prophesied when he was in the mood, but I figured he had probably heard that one a hundred times, so I did not yield to the temptation.
Hey, that's a Luther quote, you Calvin people can't steal it :-)
P.S. LCMS Lutherans don't ordain women for the pastorate either; it's the paradox of ontological equality and positional hierarchy that the Bible explains in numerous places.
My two cents: in contemporary culture, an "Evangelical" church is any church that adheres to the basics of Christian doctrine, but is non-liturgical and non-creedal. Some are fundamentalist, some are charismatic or Pentecostal.
One church that is definitely not Evangelical: the now-misnamed Evangelical Lutheran Church In America.
He’s a good one.
Love his voice.
I was PCA for years. Currently ARP. Out pastor was PCA and now ARP.
I honestly don’t know the difference.
I miss David Wilkerson!
IMHO, right about Meyer, wrong about Moore. I think Beth is solid.
Actually, the one that has been on the air for about 50 years and has an amazing rediscovered silent prayer, Roy Masters...has an influence that is far beyond any other minister. He used to be widely popular by Hollywood stars, including John Wayne. Don’t know if that is the case any longer, with Hollywood being so far left nowadays.
". . . the now-misnamed Evangelical Lutheran Church In America."
I was Lutheran, Missouri Synod for over thirty years. The Church I went to had a large faction that was ticked off because they didn't hold services in German any more. About ten years ago, it got to were while they're no where near as far gone as other Lutherans, you can hear the ice cracking under them and feel the changes creeping around.
I think a little at a time even the Missouri Synod is going to fade away as the congregations age to the point that people who are now in their fifties are gone.
Naturally, I only know about a handful of congregations I've got friends in, so maybe it's specific to some areas and less so in others. Here solidly in what was once the Bible Belt, though, it's surprising. I likewise have SBC friends who are having to fight tooth and nail to keep their church from sliding down and leaving the SBC so the rot runs deep across the board.
It's the same sort of winnowing out of the wolves in sheep's clothing, the proud, and those who shirk taking up their cross that's going on in the Catholic Church. It's a reduction of the army the same way Gideon was told to reduce his forces but this time with or without the consent of the "officers".
Those who cannot function as part of a team will be finding they can't function in the Lord's Army any more than they can function in a military unit independently of all others and a law unto themselves. There are incredible victories waiting in the wings but the army of Faithful will be so small there will be no doubt about who was in charge and is responsible for the victory.
JMHO
Not a big fan of lists like this. I am sure there are thousands quietly following God’s perfect will for their lives who we will never know in this life. But in the next, we will be amazed at what impact they had for the Kingdom of God while on the Earth.
Every part of the Body of Christ has an important role to play. And none should be diminished in the Grace God has given them, or where He has placed them. (1 Cor. 12)
1 Peter 5:5-7 (KJV)
5 Likewise, ye younger, submit yourselves unto the elder. Yea, all of you be subject one to another, and be clothed with humility: for God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble.
6 Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time:
7 Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.
add mike huckabee, russell moore, and erick erickson to the list.
Charles Henrickson? Brilliant writer of satire via parody songs such as “E.L.C.A.”
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