Dr. D. James Kennedy

November 3, 1930 - September 5, 2007

Dr. D. James Kennedy is the most listened-to Presbyterian minister in the world today. His forthright and rational presentation of the Gospel is heard via television and radio throughout America and the world.

It all began on a Sunday morning in 1953, when he was startled awake by a preacher’s stern question on his clock radio: “Suppose you were to die today and stand before God, and He were to ask you, ‘What right do you have to enter into My heaven?’—what would you say?” Dr. Kennedy soon discovered the answer, was converted to Christ, and shortly thereafter was called into the Gospel ministry.

Today, Dr. Kennedy’s broadcast messages are televised from the Coral Ridge Presbyterian Church in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, to an audience of some three million people across the United States and into approximately 200 nations. A modest mission church of 45 people when Dr. Kennedy arrived in 1959, the rocketing growth of Coral Ridge since then made it, for 15 years, the fastest growing Presbyterian church in America. Decision magazine named the church one of the “Five Great Churches of North America.” In 2005, Dr. Kennedy was inducted into the National Religious Broadcasters Hall of Fame.

Beyond his leadership at Coral Ridge Presbyterian Church, Dr. Kennedy’s energetic commitment to both evangelism and cultural renewal is demonstrated by four organizations he founded: Coral Ridge Ministries, Evangelism Explosion International, Knox Theological Seminary, and Westminster Academy.

Coral Ridge Ministries — The radio and television outreach of Dr. Kennedy, Coral Ridge Ministries began in 1974 with the mission of bringing the Gospel via broadcast media to America and the world. Its programs are The Coral Ridge Hour, a weekly one-hour television program; Truths That Transform, a daily half-hour radio program; and The Kennedy Commentary, a daily 90-second radio feature.	Evangelism Explosion International — A lay-witnessing training program first developed in 1962 by Dr. Kennedy, Evangelism Explosion is now used in every nation and territory. EE has been used by God to spark explosive growth in congregations around the world.
Knox Theological Seminary — Dr. Kennedy launched Knox Theological Seminary in 1989 to prepare and equip Christians for ministry. Knox offers an education grounded in the historic Reformed faith and shaped by commitments to the sovereignty of God, the inerrancy of the Bible, and obedience to the Great Commission and the Cultural Mandate.	Westminster Academy — Dr. Kennedy founded Westminster Academy in 1971 to help meet Fort Lauderdale’s need for quality Christian education. It is a fully accredited Pre-K to 12th grade academy with more than 985 students.

Dr. Kennedy earned a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Tampa, a Master of Divinity from Columbia Theological Seminary (cum laude), a Master of Theology from Chicago Graduate School of Theology (summa cum laude), and a Ph.D. from New York University. He is the author of more than 65 books, including Evangelism Explosion (more than 1.5 million copies), What If Jesus Had Never Been Born?, The Da Vinci Myth versus The Gospel Truth, and Cross Purposes: Discovering the Great Love of God for You.

Born in Augusta, Georgia, Dr. Kennedy was raised in Chicago and moved to Florida while in high school. Dr. Kennedy preached his last sermon on Christmas Eve in 2006 from the pulpit of Coral Ridge Presbyterian Church. Following an extended illness of almost nine months he passed peacefully into the presence of the Lord on September 5, 2007. He is survived by his wife of 51 years, Mrs. Anne Kennedy, and his daughter, Mrs. Jennifer Kennedy Cassidy.