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Kenneth Hagin
In the turbulent times of the
early 20th century, World War I hurled the planet into an uncertain future. And
in 1917, communism took Russia by storm. Prospects for planet earth appeared bleak
to say the least. Yet the same year that God was officially booted out of the
soon-to-be Soviet empire, he saw fit to send a voice of hope into the world to counter the
negative atmosphere of atheism and despair. Kenneth Erwin Hagin was born August 20, 1917,
in McKinney, Texas, son of Jess and Lillie Hagin. His entrance was not without
hardship, though. He suffered with a chronic blood disease and a deformed heart early in
life and wasn’t expected to live long. By the time he was 15, Kenneth was
bedridden. And by his own account, the following year he died three times in a
matter of minutes. During the experience, he claims to have witnessed hell before
resuscitating. It would be one of many clashes with the extraordinary in his
lifetime. At age 19, Rev. Hagin began pastoring a small congregation in nearby
Roland, Texas—his first church among several. Over the span of the dozen years
following, he served as pastor of four different churches within the state, shepherding
the flock in Farmersville on two different occasions. He claimed to have received a
supernatural hint in 1945 that the direction of his ministry would be geared toward radio
and literature.
To be sure, his pastorate function was
coming to a close as his calling card as a bible teacher and evangelist began to emerge in
1949. Hagin reportedly saw a vision in 1950, wherein he received revelation
regarding wars and assuring him of revival in the body of Christ that would prepare saints
for the return of the Lord. Reverend Hagin said that in 1952, God imparted the gift
of discerning spirits to him. In later writings, he detailed remarkable accounts of
encounters with demons and how the Lord used this special knowledge to identify the
presence of evil spirits in order to exorcise them. Brother Hagin said that God
advised him in 1959 that if he were to follow his inner witness, he would prosper
spiritually and financially. In late 1962, Hagin records receiving the
seventh of eight visitations from the Lord. This time the message was to apprise the
preacher of God’s intention to shortly commence moving in all denominations to
"bring them into a full salvation and into the baptism of the Holy Ghost." In
1963, the ministry was incorporated as the Kenneth E. Hagin Evangelistic Association.
Around the same time, he testified that he was bidden of the Spirit to hold meetings in
neutral locations, inviting people of all faiths to attend. Additionally, he was
instructed to put teachings on tape and begin teaching broadcasts on the radio, while
specifically, not preaching on the air.
In 1966, the offices of the ministry were moved to Tulsa,
Oklahoma and saw growth as he taught for the first time on a radio station
in Dallas. He began a regular radio broadcast in 1967 that became known as Faith Seminar
of the Air, also featuring teaching by his son, Rev. Kenneth Hagin Jr., on the program.
As successful as he was, the elder Hagin never received any formal theological
training of any kind. His doctorate was honorarily given by Oral Roberts University in the
1970s. That didn’t discourage him and Kenneth, Jr. from promoting education of
aspiring students in Biblical and spiritual understanding. Recognizing
the need for more printed teaching materials, the RHEMA Correspondence Bible School was
formed that provided home Bible study materials. Furthermore, RHEMA Bible Training
Center was founded in 1974 to prepare individuals for ministry. Two years later,
both school and ministry were relocated to facilities on the outskirts of Tulsa where they
could accommodate increasing numbers of students and various outreaches. Among those
outreaches was the brand new venture into television that continues today. Also included
under the organizational umbrella is Faith Library Publications, printing
tens of millions of books, and The Word of Faith magazine, with a circulation of a quarter
of a million monthly. In 1979, the Prayer and Healing
Center was founded as a sanctuary for the sick to come and build their faith.
RHEMA itself has since expanded to more than a dozen countries, with campuses on
nearly every continent. The next two decades saw a continuation of worldwide ministry,
with a gradual decline in activities by the elder Hagin.
Rev. Hagin collapsed at his home on September
14, 2003 and was rushed to a nearby hospital where he died 5 days later. He was
called to his eternal home on September 19, 2003 at the age of 86, survived by his wife of
more than half a century, Oretha, and two children, Kenneth and Pat, in addition to
grandchildren and great grandchildren. Hagin could be described with many
adjectives. But certainly, “dull” would be a misnomer. Many critics
of his stance on positive confession labeled the seasoned teacher a heretic, some have
accused him of plagiarism, while others just didn’t like his style. Without
question, the number of lives he touched are many. His famed word of faith doctrine
taught the Christian believer to make bold confessions, laying claim to the promises of
God to his people. It obviously didn’t die with him. It was carried on by
successors the likes of Kenneth Copeland, Fred Price, Jesse Duplantis, Charles Capps, and
of course, son, Kenneth Hagin, Jr. who assumed control of the ministry after Brother
Hagin’s passing.
Resources: churchbuilders.org, christianbookstore.us,
msbethesda.com, wikipedia.org, bopedia.org, rapidnet.com, mrwebauthor.com
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