Category: Media and Christianity

2022 Inspirational Faith List of Influential Preachers, Pastors, Evangelists and Ministries Living in the United States

Posted on by Loretta Gardner

A Five Year Milestone

Loretta Gardner, Editor

Since 2016, Inspirational Faith Magazine has been publishing articles that are meant to support the men and women promoting and inspiring Christianity throughout the United States.  This year, we recognize both new and previous names and groups to the list as a tribute to five years of this series.

2022 Influential Pastors, Preachers, Ministries and Evangelists

Steven Furtick (2022) is a founder and the lead pastor of Elevation Church in North Carolina.  Steven Furtick Ministries is a global ministry through online streaming, television, and the music of Elevation Worship. He is a pastor, songwriter, & New York Times best-selling author. He and his ministry provide examples of leadership for small churches to reach out within their community.

Craig Groeschel & Bobby Gruenwald (2022, 2020/2019) As leaders of Life Church and both integral to You Version Bible, these men have contributed on a global scale. You Version Bible reaches millions of people each day. Life Church is a multi-site church, a forerunner in online distance sermon and worship.

Priscilla Shirer (2022, 2020/2019) Author, actress, motivational speaker, and Christian evangelist, Priscilla Shirer is effective at teaching and preaching the gospel to women. She is participating in a country wide revival in 2022 and inspires both men and women as a motivational Christian speaker.

Max Lucado (2022, 2021,2020/2019,2017,2016) Pastor of Oak Hills Church in Texas, author of multiple books, known for being an encouragement to all, even when called in challenge on his views of homosexuality in 2021 at the National Cathedral.

John Collins (2022, 2021, 2020/2019, 2017, 2016) A leader among the country’s community churches, Pastor John continues to set the example for revival of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.   His church, River Terrace Cowboy Church in Chillicothe, Illinois, acts as a central location across the United States for revival. In addition to Christian internet programming, syndicated radio and television broadcasts, he is featured on TCT.tv, Tri-county Christian Television that is seen in media formats across the United States and internationally. Pastor John has served as panel member and host for Ask the Pastor, featured on Prayer on Purpose, and serves as pastoral guidance to Nashville musicians.

Charles Stanley (2022, 2021, 2017, 2016) Now pastor emeritus of First Baptist Church Atlanta, he continues to reach for his goal to get the gospel to “as many people as possible, as quickly as possible, as clearly as possible, as irresistibly as possible, through the power of the Holy Spirit to the glory of God” through radio, television and Internet broadcasts, reaching globally and touching locally in the community of Atlanta, Georgia.

Franklin Graham (2022, 2020/2019, 2017, 2016) Samaritan’s Purse and the Billy Graham Association are now both led by Franklin Graham since the passing of his father, Billy Graham.  Currently involved in matters in the Ukraine, both associations have historically been reaching across the world through evangelism and the gospel.

Other members of the last 5 issues include:

Billy Graham, Rick Warren, John MacArthur, Andy Stanley, Warren Wiersbe, Barbara Brown Taylor, Tim Keller, Charles Swindoll, Bill Hybels, Robert Morris, Mike Higgins, Jen Wilkin, James Bryan Smith, Dr. Reverend Bernice King, Kanye West, Lysa TerKuerst, Chris Hodges, Greg Laurie, Joel Osteen, Victoria Osteen, Paula White, TD Jakes, Kenneth Copeland, Creflo Dollar, Joyce Meyer, John Grey, Jimmy Swaggert, Jim Bakker, Benny Hinn, Pat Robertson, Times Square Church, Teen and Adult Challenge, and Crowder.

The contributors for Inspirational Faith are independent writers, and content for articles written is chosen by a collaborative panel. Influential does not necessarily mean positive. We recognize that there are many who are not chosen and welcome feedback from the readers. It is our feeling that revival, while demonstrated in large scale media presentations, will happen as small community churches and local groups link arms and hands.  These establishments will look to those who are positively promoting and inspiring Christianity, such as those mentioned in this article. Thank you to all who contributed.

2021 Mid-year Top Influential Pastors, Ministries, and Evangelists of the United States

Posted on by Loretta Gardner

A Mid-year Survey

Generally, Inspirational Faith Magazine posts the annual survey of Pastors, Ministries and Evangelists at the beginning of a year. COVID-19 affected the scheduling and release of this annual survey at the end of 2019, therefore, we have chosen to “catch-up” the series with this mid-year release of a 2021 survey done across the 50 states and Puerto Rico.

Influential Pastors, Ministries and Evangelists

Rick Warren.  Pastor of  Saddleback Church in Lake Forest, California, Saddleback Church is is noted to be the largest church in California, and one of the largest in the United States.  Pastor Rick, as he is known, is recognized as an author of several books, including the Purpose Driven Life and God’s Answers to Life’s Difficult Questions. In addition, Pastor Rick established the Purpose Driven Network and Pastors.com as resources for pastors and mentoring for new pastors.

Dr. Charles Stanley. Dr. Stanley is pastor emeritus of First Baptist Church, Atlanta, Georgia.  He has spread the gospel around the world through the ministry of In Touch Ministries, founded in the 1970’s. In Touch Ministries includes intouch.org, In Touch devotional magazine, and books and broadcasts authored by Dr. Charles Stanley.

Pastor John Collins.  Pastor John, as he is called, leads the way for revival of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.   His church, River Terrace Cowboy Church in Chillicothe, Illinois, acts as a central location across the United States for revival. In addition to Christian internet programming, syndicated radio and television broadcasts, he is featured on TCT.tv, Tri-county Christian Television that is seen across media formats across the United States and internationally,  Pastor John has served as panel member and host for Ask the Pastor, and has been featured on Prayer on Purpose.

Lysa TerKuerst. Currently the president of Proverbs 31 Ministries, Lysa has written multiple books providing help to women seeking God. Having endured challenges to her faith, her personal life is a testimony to women.  Her books help women to focus on forgiveness of self and learning to live well again as Christians. Among her best sellers is Forgiving What You Can’t Forget: Discover How to Move On, Make Peace with Painful Memories which has received critical acclaim and recognition on best seller lists.

Max Lucado.  Pastor and author, Max Lucado reaches out from Oak Hills Church, San Antonio, Texas.  His stories and books continue to delight children and adults alike while teaching Bible lessons in an easily understood and memorable fashion. His writings also include television shows and movies, which preach and teach memorable lessons.

Chris Hodges. For twenty years, Pastor Hodges has grown Church of the Highlands in Birmingham, Alabama. Connecting church with community, his church became the largest in Alabama.  Amidst a feeding frenzy of negative social media accusations in 2020 and cancel culture, Pastor Hodges has continued to reach out to communities in unity of Christianity, recognizing that race has no place in the kingdom of God or the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Greg Laurie. Harvest Churches in Riverside and Irvine, California and a location in Maui are the reach of Pastor Greg Laurie. Since the early 1970’s, Pastor Laurie has been involved in ministry, speaking on syndicated Christian television and radio, producing movies, working with Billy Graham Evangelistic Association, writing, and yearly Harvest Crusades to spread the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Other noted influences

Crowder

With songs such as Red Letters, I Know A Ghost, and in 2021 the chart topping Good God Almighty, David Crowder has been drawing people to Jesus through his music and performances, reaching across social barriers of generations and race.

You Version Bible

Created by Bobby Gruenewald and others at Life.Church (under the direction of Craig Groeschel), the You Version downloadable Bible app reaches countries around the world, including third world and Christian oppressing countries. It is translated into multiple languages, printed in multiple versions of the Bible and provides access to the Bible at a finger touch, with children’s resources, Bible study plans, daily verses, podcasts and more.

Times Square Church and Adult and Teen Challenge

Continuing as a leading source of rehabilitation and renewal since the death of its founder, Reverend David Wilkerson, Adult and Teen Challenge with Times Square Church offers Christ based long term rehabilitation to people struggling from addictions across the United States and around the globe.  Headquartered in Columbus, Georgia, it has reached out with services since 1961.

Prosperity, Prophesy, and Deliverance Doctrines

Jesus Christ Himself cautioned against false prophets and those who would twist the words and works of God to suit themselves for personal gain. The glory goes to and is for God, not man. Pastors call the following out as individuals or ministries who pander God for their personal gain, and unfortunately have misled followings.  They are among many and are not limited to those listed who continue to influence faith today: Kenneth Copeland,  Jimmy Swaggert, Joel and Victoria Osteen, Benny Hinn, Pat Robertson, Joyce Meyer, and Paula White.

US Influential Pastors, Evangelists, and Ministries of 2019-2020.

Posted on by Loretta Gardner
Loretta Gardner

The year 2020 is drawing to a close as a record-breaking and media driven year full of life changing events.  Another turbulent election year, followed by an unprecedented pandemic, people are turning back to faith and seeking guidance from those who are our spiritual experts in Christianity.

Influential Pastors, Evangelists, and Ministries:

  1. Rick Warren.  As a long-time pastor and leader of Saddleback Church in Lake Forest, California.  Saddleback Church is noted to be the sixth largest megachurch in the United States.  Pastor Warren is recognized as an author of several books, including the Purpose Driven Life and God’s Answers to Life’s Difficult Questions.
  2. Dr. Reverend Bernice King.  The daughter of the late Dr. Reverend Martin Luther King, Jr., Dr. King began her calling to follow in her father’s footsteps of  ministry at the age of seventeen.  Dr. King was ordained as the second woman to become a pastor at Ebenezer Baptist Church.  She has pursued the message of non-violence that her father began, speaking during multiple occasions on non-violence, conservative moral issues of abortion and same-sex marriage. 
  3. Pastor John Collins.  Pastor and evangelist, Pastor John Collins of John Collins Ministries spreads a revival of faith across the United States.  Redeeming the gospel through sermons, revivals, and multiple syndicated and Internet radio programs, Pastor John Collins reaches to every state in the United States, and every country in the world. His unique style of saying it like it is appeals to many searching for answers and guidance in the turbulence of the world we live in.
  4. Charles (Chuck) Swindoll. An evangelical pastor, author, and educator, Charles Swindoll has  taught decades of pastors and preached to many through radio programs over the years. Located in Texas, Chuck Swindoll continues to preach and teach leaving a legacy behind him such as Grace Awakening and Insight for Living.
  5. Max Lucado. Pastor and author, Max Lucado reaches out from Oak Hills Church, San Antonio, Texas.  His stories and books have delighted children and adults alike while teaching Bible lessons in an easily understood and memorable fashion. His writings also include television shows and movies, which preach and teach memorable lessons.
  6. Franklin Graham. The son of the late Billy Graham, Franklin Graham engages in revivals-known as “festivals” around the world and political commentary.  As a conservative Protestant evangelist, he encourages people to pray and vote.  He leads Samaritan’s Purse, a world-wide humanitarian aid organization.
  7. Andy Stanley. Pastor of Northpoint Church, Georgia, Andy Stanley encourages involvement of the church in the local community. Through Northpoint Ministries, thousands of unchurched people have been brought back to involvement in church and local community.
  8. Kanye West.  An American song-writer, hip-hop artist, and fashion designer, Kanye West began “Sunday Service” as a kind of participatory concert and gathering by invitation only to bring people together to worship and praise God.  He has presented this program at churches, gatherings, and venues across the United States to give people a place to feel the love of God.
  9. Priscilla Shirer.  Author, actress, motivational speaker, and Christian evangelist, Priscilla Shirer is effective at teaching and preaching the gospel to women.  Her role in “War Room” was her debut, and books such as The Armor of God help to explain the Bible in an effectively understandable manner.  As a motivational Christian speaker, she is effective in bringing the Bible into everyday life.
  10. John MacArthur. A leading educator and syndicated pastor of Grace To You, John MacArthur has reached across decades of students.  Noted for controversial views against same-sex marriage, women as ordained pastors, and drew attention during social distancing of COVID-19.

Other Noted Influences:

You Version Bible

Created by Bobby Gruenewald and others at Life.Church (under the direction of Craig Groeschel), the You Version downloadable Bible app reaches countries around the world, is translated into multiple languages, printed in multiple versions of the Bible and provides access to the Bible at a finger touch. 

Prosperity doctrine

Prosperity preachers continue to influence thousands across the country with the message that God wants us to feel good.  Included in this list are Joel Osteen, Victoria Osteen, Paula White, TD Jakes, Kenneth Copeland, Creflo Dollar, Joyce Meyer, John Gray, Jimmy Swaggart, Jim Bakker, among many others.  To leave these names off the list of influential pastors and evangelists would appear biased.  These individuals have made a name for themselves by promoting financial prosperity as the basis for faith in God.  Some began ministry with righteous intentions, but somewhere along the way strayed by the lure of financial wealth and notoriety. Prosperity theology views the Bible as a contract between God and humans: if humans have faith in God, He will deliver security and prosperity. The doctrine emphasizes the importance of personal empowerment, proposing that it is God’s will for His people to be happy.  These individuals can be seen on media of all genres and travel the country giving speaking engagements that spread the doctrine.

Media in Christianity: reaching the unreachable

Posted on by Loretta Gardner

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Today’s Christian is bombarded from a colorful palette of media and technology, each one with its own set of benefits and distractions.  It’s the world we live in today, and we can’t turn our back on that influence. The Holy Bible teaches us to become discerning, to know what is righteous and good.  Technology and media can be used to honor God with the right approach.  Today’s younger generations have been exposed to media and technology from birth: tablets for children are teaching them skills earlier than generations before them.  It is foolish of us to condemn the technology or ignore its impact that has become a permanent part of our world.  It’s up to us to teach each other how to use media and technology, not for manipulation of the Word, but for the benefit of reaching the unreachable, of teaching the possibility of millions about Jesus and His salvation.  With media, the quality of the technology, not the quantity, will continue to be a valuable tool in evangelism today.

Reverend Billy Graham began his early years holding indoor and outdoor rallies and using the media of radio and television broadcasts, many of which are still re-broadcast today.  He is estimated to have reached 2.2 billion people including his radio and television audiences.

Books and news print media like magazines and journals are old school but continue to reach another generation as books are converted to digital formats that are more accessible than ever before.  Ebooks, Ejournals, and Emagazines are reaching a new generation of readers searching for answers.  A popular free digital application that is valuable to any Christian is You Version Bible app, a free downloadable application that allows the user to access and read the Holy Bible in a translation of his or her choice anywhere.

News talk radio with hosts like Hannity, Larry King, Limbaugh, Lars Larson, and others provides a mass media, syndicated approach to quick clips, guest speakers, and topics of interest that can be played and replayed on the Internet.  Local Christian radio stations and internet radio stations are also sources of media content that can be live streamed on digital devices.

Movies with Christian content are a growing market reaching out to movie goers looking for uplifting content and answers to questions of the ages.  Movies have become a way to reach masses and educate people in an entertaining medium.  T.D. Jakes is an influential pastor who is using the medium of film making to spread inspirational Christian content.

The Internet has opened many avenues of media and content that is easily accessed and used.  The earliest of these are Web pages for ministries, churches and pastors. These have become a means to show the world what each ministry has to offer, through simple to complex web construction. Links on websites provide access to information within a web site as well as external links to music, software, publications: a means to reach millions of people, just as Billy Graham did with his early rallies and program broadcasts.

A quickly growing form of spreading articles and releases is by blogging, an online forum known as weblog-shortened to blog-that can be created easily.  Blogs appeal to Millennials, promoted in the film Julie and Julia. Blog content can be a review of sermon, an editorial, articles on hot topics, recordings on blog talk radio all provide an endless list of topics with the opportunity to reach millions of young people who are savvy in using this technology.

Video clips online have two avenues of viewing.  Popular YouTube is easy to access, easy to use and can be seen digitally on cell phones, tablets and personal computers.  Recorded sermons can be easily uploaded then viewed at leisure by an unlimited number of congregation members. Podcasts either linked off of websites or produced and uploaded to a server such as iTunes is another means to broadcast video to a wide population.

Facebook and Twitter can be considered the “gossip pages of the world”.  Used with discernment, a pastor can use these resources as an almost instant communication with followers and friends alike.  Posting popular Christian music links, Bible content, and daily devotionals are just a few ways that pastors can reach out and maintain contact with their congregations. The key again is discernment and using it to honor God and Jesus, not to promote personal egos or gossip pages. Ministries and churches can use the pages to promote upcoming events, concerts, revivals, community activities-the list is endless.

There are many other social media sources available that pastors, churches and ministries can use to reach out to the previously unreachable.  They are unreachable for many reasons, work, travel, distance, education, deployment….but we all have something in us that wants to shine through, God put it there and we just don’t realize it.  God Vine, Pinterest, God Interest are other sources that can be used to spark an interest in a hard to reach population in a hard to live day and age.

Evangelism is not about choreographed theatrics with a lot of drama and pageantry followed by an empty message by a canned presentation. Many churches have used media in order to please a population.  At what sacrifice?  It is up to us as pastors, evangelists, church families…all of us…to spread the message of hope that God gave us and has for us through His Son Jesus.  Using technology as discerning stewards is not a sin, but a tool that can reach billions over a period of time.  And isn’t that something that would please God? God bless you all.

 

 

 

New for 2016: 15 Most Influential Pastors Living in America Today

Posted on by Loretta Gardner

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As 2016 begins, we as Christians need to look toward the most influential American pastors living today for guidance in a world that is spiraling out of our control. Who are they? Our independent panel has selected the following pastors as those who influence us today.

1. BILLY GRAHAM. Billy Graham is the most influential pastor of the past 50 years. He has set the stage for pastors in leading millions to Jesus Christ and is a pillar in challenging pastors to remain faithful in their ministries.              church
2. RICK WARREN. Rick Warren is the founder of Saddleback Church in Orange County, California. He is a model for today’s new preachers, using the Internet and Web resources to reach out to another generation of preachers. He is the author of The Purpose Driven Church and The Purpose Driven Life.

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3. CHARLES STANLEY. Charles Stanley founded In Touch Ministries. Currently, “In Touch” radio is syndicated and its broadcasts in the United reach approximately 500 radio stations, 300 television stations and several satellite networks. Charles Stanley is the senior pastor of First Baptist Church, Atlanta.

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4. FRANKLIN GRAHAM. As an evangelist and missionary, Franklin Graham now heads the international Christian relief program, Samaritan’s Purse. He is outspoken in his beliefs of one God and the salvation of Jesus Christ in the face of criticism in his stands regarding Muslims, homosexuality, and other forms of religions.

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5. JOHN MACARTHUR. Another pastor influencing a generation of new pastor through innovative media, John MacArthur is a teacher on “Grace to You”. He is not afraid of controversy and addressing the difficult questions facing today’s Christians.

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6. ANDY STANLEY. Andy Stanley reaches young adults through a communication style that is appealing to this younger generation. He has led by example in opening and seeding new churches in the Atlanta, Georgia area of the United States.

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7. WARREN WIERSBE. This pastor is called a pastor for pastors, reaching out through radio, book series, and conventions to teach a generation of pastors. Billy Graham gave him high praise for his explanations of the Bible.

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8. JOHN COLLINS. While this pastor has arrived on the public scene only recently, his style is as influential as Billy Graham. Pastor Collins’ use of media via the Internet and radio is quickly spreading among pastors and Christians alike. He is the head pastor of Love That Cross Ministry and his evangelism, passion and openness to address the difficult issues facing Christians today is an avenue for future pastors to model and Christians to find hope.

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9. BARBARA BROWN TAYLOR. Recognized by TIME magazine as one of 100 most influential people in the world, Barbara Brown Taylor is an influential pastor through her books and her career as a professor at two Christian colleges, providing publications on preaching for new pastors, including the publication of her 1997 Lyman Beecher Lectures on Preaching.

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10. TIM KELLER. His biblical preaching, best-selling books, and his commitment to church planting has led us to choose this more obscure but popular pastor. His preaching has become some of the most listened to sermons in America via iTunes podcasts.

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11. T. D. JAKES. As an author, filmmaker and pastor, T.D. Jakes has influenced Christians through his use of media as well. He also reaches out in an annual revival and a women’s conference, crossing gender, race, and generations in his ministry located in Texas.

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12. CHARLES SWINDOLL. A long time pastor in California and now Texas, Charles Swindoll has influenced thousands with his Internet resources, books, and radio programs. A generation of pastors has learned the influence of media in reaching congregations through his work.

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13. MAX LUCADO. A best-selling Christian author, Max Lucado has written around 100 books, with 80 million copies in print, received the Gold Medallion Christian Book of the Year, and appears regularly on bestseller lists. He is a pastor at Oak Hills Church in San Antonio, Texas.

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14. BILL HYBELS. Senior pastor of one of America’s megachurches, Bill Hybels led the revision of preaching to attract Christians who otherwise may not attend church or hear the word of the Gospel. He promotes the Global Leadership Summit which is meant to transform Christian leaders around the world by developing vision, skill development, and inspiration for the sake of creating and supporting the local, community centered church.

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15. ROBERT MORRIS. Robert Morris is the founding senior pastor of Gateway Church, a multi campus church in Texas. He is an author and featured in a weekly television program, promoting answers to current issues facing today’s Christian.

It is of note that there are other pastors who are worth mentioning, perhaps in a later article. It is our hope that you are able to use this list of influential pastors and the hyperlinks contained within it to further your faith in your journey as a Christian. God bless you all.

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See 2017 influential pastors, published March 6, 2017.