Pensees: D. James Kennedy in Glory

D. James Kennedy in Glory

D. James Kennedy went to Glory last night (HT: Justin Taylor). The word is that he died peacefully in his sleep. This man’s ministry had a great effect on me a number of years ago when I was trying to find my way theologically. He was living proof to me that one can be Calvinistic (a five-pointer) and simultaneously passionate about evangelism. Of course, I knew that had to be true. The Father of Modern Missions (William Carey) and the most evangelistic pastor to have ever lived (C.H. Spurgeon) and the most successful evangelist in the history of the Church (George Whitefield) were all five-point Calvinists. I knew that simply by reading.

What I needed to see was a contemporary example. In the nearly-impermeable isolation of hyper-separatistic fundamentalism it was hard to meet anyone face to face who would put to rest the lie that Carey and Spurgeon were proto-types of twentieth-century fundamentalism. But a few of D. James Kennedy’s books would trickle through. His radio program could be heard while driving from one bastion to the next. And little by little I began to realize that tulip was not an antidote for evangelism.

Thus was the small role that D. James Kennedy had in my life.

Thank God for his ministry.

Read this short post written by someone who knew him personally just a few days ago.