D. James Kennedy, an early giant of the PCA, was as apt to quote Dostoevsky as Deuteronomy. He also cared just as much for wanderers as for those inside the sheepfold.
Having come to Christ in his early 20s, after hearing the gospel on the radio, Kennedy always had a soft spot for those who had grown up outside the church, all the while shepherding Coral Ridge Presbyterian in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, from a mission church of 45 in 1959 to a multi-site congregation reaching more than 10,000 today. In fact, it was likely his emphasis on evangelism that led to the church’s rapid growth.
Kennedy was convinced that one of the best means of spreading the gospel was through individual believers — laity trained to share their faith in ways that were accessible, relatable, and compelling.
Kennedy … understood that one must appeal to a skeptic’s mind before one can speak to his heart.
Beginning in the early 1960s, Kennedy developed “Evangelism Explosion,” which married sound teaching from the pulpit with discipleship and outreach initiatives to help lay members speak about Christ to friends and neighbors. These materials are still used by some 12,000 churches today.
While helping usher Coral Ridge from a mainline church into the PCA in the late 1970s, Kennedy continued finding creative ways to share the gospel and help Christians influence culture and politics. One avenue was his radio programs — ”Truths that Transform” and the “Coral Ridge Hour.” He also helped found Westminster Academy (1971), Knox Theological Seminary (1989), and the D. James Kennedy Center for Christian Statesmanship (1995) to train public servants and elected officials in biblical principles.
No stranger to the hot seat, Kennedy was also a frequent guest on national talk shows. These appearances, along with his traditional scriptural positions on social issues and his conviction that without a return to biblical principles American society would risk severe decline, earned him no small share of critics, though Kennedy would remain unwavering in his beliefs until the end.
In recognition of Kennedy’s impact on public evangelism, the National Religious Broadcasters inducted him into its Hall of Fame in 2005, two years before Kennedy’s death in 2007 from complications following a heart attack. Kennedy was survived by his wife of 51 years, Anne Lewis (1925-2017), and their daughter, Jennifer Kennedy Cassidy.
The author or co-author of more than 60 books, Kennedy was a skilled apologist who understood that one must appeal to a skeptic’s mind before one can speak to his heart.
This piece is adapted from a long article by Benjamin Morris, which will appear in our 50th Anniversary commemorative issue, coming out later this year.