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Christianity Today, September (Web-only), 2007 |

Empire Builder D. James Kennedy Dies at 76

Pastor, broadcaster, and activist may be best known for Evangelism Explosion.

Sarah Pulliam | posted 9/06/2007 08:58AM

Megachurch pastor and Evangelism Explosion founder D. James Kennedy died Wednesday in his Florida home from complications following a December heart attack. He retired last week as senior pastor of the ...

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george Ross

Posted: September 18, 2007 10:12 AM


I will miss DR. kenney.

John316

Posted: September 17, 2007 11:19 AM


Dr. Kennedy was a man who loved the Lord. He encouraged me to tell others about Jesus and His love for us. Like Dr. Falwell, he took a stand for Christ and did not allow the media to turn him away. He will be greatly missed but those who are left behind can carry on what the Lord had willed him to do. John 3:16-17

Robin Lippman Campbell

Posted: September 16, 2007 11:17 AM


Dr. Kennedy impacted my husbands life thru Diane Bish's music and his sermons that he being a jew had completed himself and a christian. They are both in God's presence rejoicing. What an awesome reunion

Tonya

Posted: September 16, 2007 8:51 AM

I was very shocked and saddened when I turned on my television this morning (Sunday Sept. 16th) and only caught the tail end of the Coral Ridge broadcast, and heard Dr. Kennedy saying do not cry over his passing. I will admit I rarely watched his entire program ( maybe one Sunday out of a month), but my heart is just broken to know that he's not here anymore. No matter what his views were, he had a soft spoken peacefulness that I had come to look forward to seeing every Sunday. And although I never knew much about him, he was obviously a great man of God because just the few minutes I watched him, he touced my heart. So to his wife Anne, and daughter Jennifer I offer my deepest condolences. Your husband and father was awsome and will be truly truly missed. God bless you both.

Peter J

Posted: September 15, 2007 9:28 PM

Dr. Kennedy was truly a remarkable man of God. I got to meet him several times and I always sensed his humility and Christ likeness. Although I was not a close friend he has made an impact on my walk with Jesus Christ. He will be missed. But, God will raise up others that Dr. Kennedy inspired to be men and women of God who stand for biblical truth and changing the culture for Christ. The vision will not die.

Pat	Posted: September 15, 2007 8:46 PM

I feel so sorry for the ones that have so much hate in their hearts. It is sad to read the hateful things coming from so many uninformed people. Jealously and anger does strange things to people. I thank God for Dr. Kennedy and his messages from Gods True Spoken Words of the Bible.and espescially reminding us of this countrys history.It is the people that write with such hate that is distroying it. But we all know that even the elite will fall in the end times. I felt myself getting angry but then stopped and prayed for the ones that have felt it necessary to hurt this famly and the ones that are feeling the lose of such a wonderful man. I know that God welcomed him home with a "Well done faithful servent"

Mark	Posted: September 15, 2007 8:13 PM

Jesus built an Empire...It's called the Kingdom of God. Dr Kennedy worked fervantly for the Kingdom of God and numerous people will be there because God used him to reach them for Christ. Dr Kennedy daily inspired and encourage me in Christ thru his radio & TV programs. His dream for all believers to Courageously share the Gospel with our neighbors is ongoing and needs to be fulfilled in obedience to Christ and a tribute to a great man of God, Dr D. James Kennedy.

Donna

Posted: September 13, 2007 6:48 PM

Being a born again Christian long ago, I respected Dr Kennedy and his efforts until he condemned me to hell because I didn't believe exactly the way he did in his interpretations in a few lines in the old Testament. This damning of Christains goes against what Jesus was all about, for He came not to condemn the world, but to save it. This of course stopped my financial support of CRM and I was shocked this is how he operated.

John Lindner

Posted: September 13, 2007 3:35 PM

Well, we're never told that Dr. Kennedy thought of himself as an Empire Builder. He was a man of God who clearly discerned the times we live in and saw it from the perspective of historic Christianity and the founding fathers of America. We may criticize those who call others "empire builders," but Dr. Kennedy was above all this. He was unashamedly captured by the gospel and was willing to proclaim it to tall and lowly alike, and challenged us all to enter the fray with him.

Don Jocks

Posted: September 10, 2007 3:50 PM


Through his sermons he made me aware that every second of life is God's gift and I rejoice in it.

Dr. Dorothy J. Lucas

Posted: September 09, 2007 11:54 AM


I appreciated this kind gentlemen who spoke with extreme conviction about the rights of others. A giant in the ministry has gone to his reward.

Mr. C

Posted: September 08, 2007 7:27 AM

James Kennedy was truly a man of God who stood on Biblical principals. Though liberals will disagree with his conservative views, he stood on these principals without compromise. It would not be fair to compare him with the Jim Bakkers, Jimmy Swaggarts, and others of that ilk. His messages were inspiring, and encouraging. Some of his doctrines are different than mine, but that's due to being of different denominations. However, he will surely be missed.

Mr.Kay

Posted: September 07, 2007 2:39 PM


It's sad that "Christians" are condemning Dr.Kennedy for his uncompromising stand on God's Word. As for me, a great man after God's own heart has been lost, he stood for Truth and not the PC stuff we are now used to.

Matthew Morrison

Posted: September 07, 2007 2:04 PM

Whether you agreed witht the methodologies or not, Dr. Kennedy has lived a life respectful of the God that he so faithfully served. He served his church, his country, his God with dignity and with respect and with everything that he had. It was very obvious that he was very passionate about the things that he believed in and spend hours, probably hundreds of hours, on his knees in prayer in front of the Lord. I personally would not choose to attend Coral Ridge. But I have to say that I have great respect for this man of God and his contribution to the American church and churches around the world. We do need to sing the Halelujah Chorus at his funeral, not because we are glad he is gone, but because he is standing in front of the throne of Grace in the presence of the Lord God, whom he faithfully served for so many years. Thank you Dr. Kennedy for your contribution to the church and to the world. It is truly better because of your sacrifice.

Harvey

Posted: September 07, 2007 11:11 AM


I am a Methodist minister. Dr. Kennedy was second to none during his lifetime. Too bad the Christian haters want to destroy his ministry even before his body is laid to rest. We Christians know where is immortal soul resides.

Nancy A. Almodovar

Posted: September 07, 2007 11:02 AM

How dare you denegrate a godly man such as D. James Kennedy by calling him an "empire builder". Far from his thoughts were an earthly kingdom (unlike those false prophets you constantly promote as true believers...but heretics will always value heretics). Dr. Kennedy taught the Word of God, promotted the Doctrines of Grace, led his congregation and many others into the proper exegesis of scriptures, that best explained by the Reformers (later known as Calvinists). Dr. Kennedy never spoke a "word from the Lord" that was outside the Word of the Lord. He helped american Christians realize we are called to be light and salt; light to proclaim the Gospel and salt to preserve our communities from falling more and more into degredation. the difference is that falwell, get the approval of the world while Kennedy got the approval of God.

Les Brown

Posted: September 07, 2007 8:42 AM

James Kennedy had a view to keep America defined as a white Christian nation. This was his unspoken yet deliberate agenda. I consider myself to be a Conservative Baptist. But his narrow and exclusive view was the greatest threat to evangelism in the latter part of the 20th century and mirrors the spread of Christianity in its infancy to Europe at the cost of Africa. With AIDS and famine and wars on the African Continent the world is still paying for that blunder. Indeed, slavery in America might have never occured had the Early Church seen the richness of Africa. How long shall America pay for Kennedy's exclusive faith that embraced only certain people?

John	Posted: September 07, 2007 7:24 AM

I am naturally suspicious of all tele-evangelists, and especially those of Kennedy's ilk that so quickly blend modern political issues into their sermons. Contrary to some comments earlies, Jesus had remarkably little to say about the politics or the policies of the Roman Empire, good or bad. Different Christian denominations read the Bible as being for or against abortion, homosexuality, capitalism, etc. To put on a collar and claim that God speaks for your political values is reprehensible.

Shirley Elinor Jordan

Posted: September 07, 2007 5:09 AM


Was that the David Corbin of ISCF, Trinidad. Whether or not, I agree with your comment every bit. Dr. Kennedy is to be respected.

Sam Andress

Posted: September 06, 2007 9:24 PM

Wendell I could not agree with you more. The Scriptures could not agree with you more! Ummm...Kennedy was a modnerist so I don't know how he responded appropriately to modernism? By accomodating to it? Jesus was building his Kingdom (read Empire). Ceasar was building his kingdom (read Empire). Ceasar was delivering his gospel. Jesus was living the gospel. Which story do you live in? In whom do you trust? Caesar or Jesus? America or God? You can't have both!

Wendell Franklin Wentz

Posted: September 06, 2007 7:16 PM

I have noticed that George Bush is an Empire builder, and now I read that James Kennedy was an Empire builder. Searching the New Testament I cannot find anything about Jesus building Empires. In fact he spoke against the Empire of his day. So-called Christianity has come a long way since Jesus was on this planet. Men and nations today are building their kingdoms while Jesus wanted us in His kingdom.

Larry Nobles

Posted: September 06, 2007 11:28 AM


To have such a well-crafted article with the associated links for futher study is an enormous blessing and help. Thank you so much for the such thorough journalism.

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