D. James Kennedy

A giant has passed. I did not know about his failing health; so when I heard late last night that D. James Kennedy had died, I was surprised. His only pastorate was that of the Coral Ridge Presbyterian Church, in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. He began his ministry there in 1959. Within a few months, the church membership dropped from 45 to 17. But by 1967, it was one of the fastest-growing churches in America; and by the 1970's, it was viewed as one of the first "mega-churches." Of course, Dr. Kennedy was the founder of Evangelism Explosion. He was best known for this worldwide approach to evangelism for most of his ministry. During the 1980's, however, and especially by the 1990's, he had begun to be more and more identified with conservative social and political causes. At one time, I remember my mintor and I discussing Kennedy's involvement in politics and lamenting the fact that he had become more widely known for his political views than for his evangelistic approach. That is probably an unfair criticism. One may disagree with Kennedy's views; but to him, the principles he espoused were so closely connected with his understanding of Christianity that the two could hardly be separated. I personally believe that mmost of his views have intellectual integrity and are grounded in sound biblical scholarship and a proper view of reformed theology. Even his critics, however, could not deny his capability and his intellectual power. His death is significant for many reasons. I am particularly impressed at the moment, however, with the great hole it leaves in the leadership of evangelical and reformed Christianity. So many of the great leaders have fallen in recent years; and Billy Graham is no longer an active force, as his health fails and his life nears its end. God does not need any of us to do His work or accomplish His will. And yet, there is a tremendous responsibility, a great burden, placed upon the shoulders of those of us who have been called to ministry--either as pastors and church leaders or simply as Christian individuals--to carry on the work that is so vital today. The need for leadership within the Christian evangelical movement has never been greater. We must turn to God, praying for Him to raise up new leaders among us. When one man goes down--whether in the field of athletic competition or among the laborers in the kingdom, those who are left must double their efforts, raise their level of commitment, and strive for new heights. We must do that which, humanly speaking, cannot be done. But in Christ's strength, it can be done. We must rededicate ourselves and renew our determination to stand where this man stood. Few of us may think of ourselves as being in positions of leadership or as having great opportunity to affect our communities, nation or world; but that is because we are too prone to think as the world thinks. We must take the eternal view, the divine perspective. I am a minister of a small church in a mostly rural area of Texas; and I have been here but a short time. You may be in a position that seems insignificant and unlikely to change the world. Yet, with our prayers, with the opportunities God gives us, with our conversations and our influence, with this little blog, with whatever resources God gives us, we can carry on and take up the torch that has been passed to us by great men and women of faith. And our churches can explode. And our communities can be renewed. Recently, our congregation sang that old gospel hymn, "Revive us again." I think of the words of the prophet who pleaded with God to "revive thy work in the midst of the years." Dr. Kennedy spoke of reclaiming America for Christ. Maybe that doesn't mean the same thing to you that it meant to him; but one thing is clear. Dr. Kennedy never gave up on revival. Neither should we.