Kenneth E. Hagin

Kenneth E. Hagin

Kenneth Erwin Hagin
Born August 20, 1917 (1917-08-20)
McKinney, Texas, U.S.
Died September 19, 2003 (2003-09-20) (age 86)
Tulsa, Oklahoma, U.S.[1]
Cause of death Old age
Nationality American
Occupation preacher
Known for Pioneer of the "Word of Faith" movement
Religion Pentecostal Christianity
Spouse(s) Oretha Rooker
Children Kenneth Wayne Hagin, Patsy Harrison
Parent(s) Lillie Viola Drake Hagin and Jess Hagin

Kenneth Erwin Hagin (August 2, 1917 – September 19, 2003) was an influential American Charismatic preacher. He is often referred to as the "father" (or "granddaddy") of the "Word of Faith" movement. Many of his followers often refer to him affectionately as "Dad Hagin," "Papa Hagin," and more commonly "Brother Hagin."

Biography

Personal life

Kenneth E. Hagin was born in McKinney, Texas, the son of Lillie Viola Drake Hagin and Jess Hagin. He was married to Oretha Rooker. They had two children, a son named Kenneth Wayne Hagin, who is presently the pastor of Rhema Bible Church and President of Kenneth Hagin Ministries, and a daughter named Patricia Harrison.

His most quoted scripture was Mark 11:22-24 Bible

And Jesus answering saith unto them, Have faith in God. For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, be thou removed and be thou cast into the sea, and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass, he shall have whatsoever he saith. Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them.

Beginning to preach

According to Hagin's testimony, he was sickly as a child, suffering from a deformed heart and what was believed to be an incurable blood disease. He said that he was not expected to live and became bedridden at age 15. In April 1933 during a dramatic conversion experience, he reported dying three times in 10 minutes, each time seeing the horrors of hell and then returning to life. He also says he was raised from his deathbed on August 8, 1934 by "the revelation of faith in God's Word" (Kenneth Hagin, I Went to Hell and What Faith Is).[2]

Two years later he preached his first sermon as the pastor of a small community church in Roland, Texas, 9 miles (14 km) from McKinney. During the next twelve years he pastored five Assemblies of God churches in Texas: in the cities of Tom Bean, Farmersville (twice), Talco, Greggton, Texas, and Van.[1]

Establishing a faith-based organization

Hagin began an itinerant ministry as a Bible teacher and evangelist in 1949. Hagin was at this time also given full admission to the Full Gospel Business Men's Fellowship International (also known as the FGBMFI) which had been established in 1951. He was also a part of the Voice of Healing Revival in the U.S. in the 40s and 50s together with Oral Roberts, Gordon Lindsay and T. L. Osborn. In 1963, Kenneth E. Hagin Evangelistic Association was incorporated, and the offices of the ministry moved to Tulsa, Oklahoma in 1966. That same year, he taught for the first time on radio — on KSKY in Dallas. In 1967, he began a regular radio broadcast that continues today as Faith Seminar of the Air. Teaching by his son, Rev. Kenneth Wayne Hagin, is also heard on the program.

Since its inception in 1963, his organization grew to include numerous media outreaches and ministries. These are:

In 1974, Hagin founded RHEMA Bible Training College USA, which now has training centers in fourteen different countries and has 30,000 alumni. In 1979, he founded the Prayer and Healing Center there to provide a place for the sick to come to "have the opportunity to build their faith." Its Healing School continues to be held free of charge twice daily on the RHEMA campus.

RHEMA Bible Training College

Hagin founded RHEMA Bible Training College (RBTC) in 1974. RBTC is an unaccredited[3] Bible institute located on 110 acres (0.45 km2) in Broken Arrow, a suburb of Tulsa, Oklahoma (USA). The curriculum is taught from a Charismatic/Pentecostal heritage. There are seven ministry concentrations specializing in Children's Ministry, Youth Ministry, Evangelism, Pastoral Care, Missions, Biblical Studies, and Supportive Ministry.[4] RBTC has also established training centers in Austria, Brazil, Colombia, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Mexico, Peru, Romania, Singapore, South Africa, the South Pacific, Thailand, Nigeria, Zambia, Egypt, and the Philippines.[5]

After Hagin's death in 2003, his son Kenneth W. Hagin continued to run the institution. RBTC has trained over 40,000 graduates who reside and minister in more than 100 countries.[6]

References

  1. 1 2 "Hagin", Tulsa World, September 23, 2003.
  2. ↑ Rhema History of Prayer and Healing
  3. ↑ http://www.rhema.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=577:additional-information&catid=73:international
  4. ↑ RBTC Curriculum
  5. ↑ RBTC International
  6. ↑ Introduction to RBTC

External links

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