Cause of death Old age Name Kenneth Hagin Occupation preacher | Education Harvard University Nationality American Children Kenneth Hagin Jr. | |
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Religion Pentecostal Christianity Spouse Oretha Rooker (m. 1938–2003) Parents Jess Hagin, Lillie Viola Drake Hagin Books The Believer's Authority, Growing Up Spiritually, Bible Faith Study Course, I Believe in Visions, Understanding the Anointing Similar People Kenneth Copeland, Kenneth Hagin Jr, Oral Roberts | ||
Kenneth Erwin Hagin (August 2, 1917 – September 19, 2003) was an American Charismatic preacher. He is often referred to as the "father" (or "granddaddy") of the "Word of Faith" movement. A title he did not accept. Many of his followers often refer to him affectionately as "Dad Hagin", "Papa Hagin", or "Brother Hagin". The term "Pastor Hagin" typically refers to his son, Kenneth Hagin, Jr.
Contents
- Personal life
- Start of ministry
- Evangelistic Association
- Death
- RHEMA Bible Training College
- Publications
- References
Personal life
Kenneth E. Hagin was born in McKinney, Texas, the son of Lillie Viola Drake Hagin and Jess Hagin. According to Hagin's testimony, he was born with a deformed heart and what was believed to be an incurable blood disease. He was not expected to live and at age 15 became paralyzed and bedridden. In April 1933 he converted to Christianity. During a dramatic conversion experience, he reported dying, due to the deformed heart, three times in 10 minutes, each time seeing the horrors of hell and then returning to life. He remained paralzed after his conversion.
On August 8, 1934, he says he was raised from his deathbed by a revelation of "faith in God's Word" after reading Mark 11:22-23.
The Bible scripture in Mark 11:22-24 defined his ministry and was his most frequently quoted verse:
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.
Start of ministry
In 1936, he founded his first non-denominational church. He preached his first sermon as the pastor of a small, community Baptist church in Roland, Texas. In 1937, he became an Assemblies of God minister. During the next twelve years he pastored five Assemblies of God churches in Texas: in the cities of Tom Bean, Farmersville (twice), Talco, Greggton, and Van. Van, Texas was the last church he pastored before starting to travel.
On November 25, 1938 he married Oretha Rooker. They had two children. Their first child Kenneth Wayne Hagin, known as Kenneth Hagin, Jr was born on September 3, 1939. A daughter, Patricia (Hagin) Harrison, was born 19 months later on March 27, 1941. His son Kenneth Wayne Hagin is currently the pastor of Rhema Bible Church and President of Kenneth Hagin Ministries.
Hagin began an itinerant ministry as a Bible teacher and evangelist in 1949 after an appearance by Jesus. He joined the Voice of Healing Revival in the U.S. with Oral Roberts, Gordon Lindsay and T. L. Osborn between 1947 and 1958.
Hagin was given full admission to the Full Gospel Business Men's Fellowship International (also known as the FGBMFI) which had been established in 1951.
Evangelistic Association
On January 23, 1963, he formed the Kenneth E. Hagin Evangelistic Association (now Kenneth Hagin Ministries) in Garland, Texas. In September 1966, the ministry offices were moved to Tulsa, Oklahoma into a space previously used by T.L. Osborn. He started selling his sermons on reel-to-reel tape in 1966. In November of that year, he taught for the first time on radio on KSKY in Dallas.
The North Texas District Council of the Assemblies of God ordained him a minister in 1967.
In 1967, he began a regular radio broadcast that still continues as "Faith Seminar of the Air." Teaching by his son, Rev. Kenneth Hagin Jr, is heard on the program.
Since Hagin's incorporation 1963, his organization grew to include numerous media outreaches and ministries. These are:
At a camp meeting in 1973, Hagin announced the creation of a "bible training center." In 1974, Hagin opened RHEMA Bible Training College, which now has training centers in fourteen different countries and has 23,000 alumni.
In 1979, he founded the Prayer and Healing Center to provide a place for the sick to come and "have the opportunity to build their faith." Its Healing School continues to be held free of charge twice a day on the RHEMA campus.
On May 20, 1994 Hagin received an Honorary Doctor of Divinity Degree from Faith Theological Seminary in Tampa, Florida.
Death
According to a news release, he was feeling well when he collapsed at his home. He was then hospitalized in the cardiac intensive care unit. He died Sunday September 19, 2003, in Tulsa, OK.
RHEMA Bible Training College
Hagin founded RHEMA Bible Training College (RBTC) in 1974. RBTC is an unaccredited Bible institute located on 110 acres (0.45 km2) in Broken Arrow, a suburb of Tulsa, Oklahoma. The curriculum is 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. RBTC has established training centers in Austria, Brazil, Colombia, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Mexico, Peru, Romania, Greece, Singapore, South Africa, the South Pacific, Thailand, Nigeria, Zambia, Egypt, and the Philippines.
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 52 countries.