D. James Kennedy

Word is that Dr. D. James Kennedy passed away yesterday. Back in the day when I was a Presbyterian, Kennedy was a great example of a Presbyterian pastor who stood solid on the Scriptures. He left the larger denomination, but he remained Presbyterian and carried a great conservative tradition forward. Even long after the denominational splits were history, Kennedy stood strong for the values of the church in a corrupting world. He took on abortion, evolution, and a lot of issues big name, high church, preachers wouldn't touch.

My wife and I took and, later, taught Evangelism Explosion. Yes, it was a canned approach and certainly had its faults, but EE gave people something to say when the opportunity to share Christ became available. I am not a person who believes we are to beat unbelievers over the head every chance we get. Instead, I believe we should simply be available. The Spirit who arranges connections and open hearts will also give us words to say, but it seems good to have some general idea of where to go as we share.

I think Kennedy's heritage is a message to all of us that compromise is not necessary. He was able to continue a great ministry without avoiding the tough and politically incorrect issues. A lot of people will be able to say more about him over the next few days, but I certainly appreciated his long and effective ministry.