Residence United States Parents R. C. Sproul Role Minister | Name R. Sproul, | |
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Born July 1, 1965 (age 59) ( 1965-07-01 ) Main interests Calvinism, the character of God, classical apologetics Spouse Denise Elizabeth Sproul (m. ?–2011) Children Maili Sproul, Donovan Sproul, Erin Claire Sproul Books Biblical Economics, When You Rise Up: A Covenant, Believing God: Twelve Bi, Almighty over All, Bound for Glory: A Practical Similar People R C Sproul, Doug Phillips, Chuck Swindoll, James Dobson, Robert Wolgemuth | ||
R. C. Sproul Jr.
Robert Craig Sproul, better known as R.C. Sproul Jr. (born July 1, 1965), is a Calvinist Christian minister and theologian and is the son of noted Reformed theologian and founder of Ligonier Ministries, Robert Charles Sproul.
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Career and family
Sproul holds degrees from Grove City College (Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy and Literature, 1986) and Reformed Theological Seminary (Master of Arts in Theological Studies, 1991) and received his D.Min. in theology from Whitefield Theological Seminary (2001).
After working with Ligonier Ministries for some years, Sproul founded Highlands Ministries (formerly Highlands Study Center) in Bristol, Virginia, in 1996, which he still heads. In the same year, he planted Saint Peter Presbyterian Church in Bristol and until 2001 served as its senior pastor and then until 2010 as its Associate Pastor of Education. He is also a teaching elder of Heritage Presbyterian Church (Centerville, TN). Sproul serves as executive editor of Every Thought Captive, a monthly magazine published by Highlands Ministries. 2009–10, he worked as a teacher for Veritas Press, which specializes in Christian educational texts.
In 2010, Sproul was appointed a Teaching Fellow and Associate Professor of theology, philosophy, and apologetics at Ligonier Academy in both the Bible college and D.Min. programs. In 2014 he was named Rector at Reformation Bible College as well as the Chair of the Department of Theology and Philosophy. He is a regular conference speaker and is a vocal supporter of homeschooling, traditional family roles, Biblical patriarchy, limited government, and the full legal protection of all persons.
Sproul was married to Denise Elizabeth Sproul (née Rocklein), who died December 18, 2011 at the age of 46 after a long battle with cancer. Sproul and his late wife have eight children aged from 18 to 2. Their disabled daughter Shannon died October 3, 2012.
In August 2015, Sproul wrote in his personal blog that his name was associated with the release of information in the Ashley Madison data breach earlier that month. He subsequently informed the board at Ligonier Ministries of his membership. He was suspended until July 2016. On November 29, 2016, RC Sproul Jr was arrested in Fort Wayne, Indiana for drunk driving with two of his minor children in the car. According to the police affidavit his blood-alcohol level was .175, more than twice the legal limit, and he was mumbling and unable to walk on his own when he was arrested. He posted a $5,000 bond and is free via a “monitored conditional release.” On Friday December 9, 2016, the board of directors of Ligonier Ministries and Reformation Bible College received and affirmed Sproul's resignation request. Ligonier Ministries posted a statement regarding his resignation on their website on December 12, 2016. His criminal trial is scheduled for June 6, 2017 in Allen County Indiana Superior Court, case # 02D04-1612-F6-001308, where he faces two misdemeanor and two felony charges.
Church allegiances
Sproul was first ordained in the Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church (ARP). After a failed attempt to transfer into the Presbyterian Church in America, he was ordained in the Reformed Presbyterian Church General Assembly (RPCGA) in 2000.
In January 2006, Sproul and the Session of Saint Peter Presbyterian Church, its governing body, were deposed from office by the RPCGA under charges including "abuse of authority in an inexcusable manner" against several families, alleged illegal use of the ARP's tax identification number, planting a church without authority, and practicing paedocommunion. The SPPC Session issued a letter of apology and asked to be released from general membership in the RPCGA, and the denomination granted their request. SPPC requested pastoral oversight from the CREC, which accepted the congregation as a full member in October 2007. The Confederation of Reformed Evangelical Churches (CREC) examined the case and accepted Sproul as an ordained minister in good standing in 2006. In 2010 Sproul transferred his ordination to the denomination Covenant Presbyterian Church (CPC).
Publishing
Sproul has written twelve books, including When You Rise Up: A Covenantal Approach to Homeschooling, Bound for Glory, Biblical Economics, Almighty Over All, Eternity in Our Hearts, and Tearing Down Strongholds. He has edited four books, including After Darkness Light: Distinctives of Reformed Theology, and contributed to several others. He was a regular columnist for World magazine, Homeschooling Today magazine and the Covenant Syndicate. For eleven years he was the editor of Tabletalk magazine, a publication of Ligonier Ministries, and is still a monthly contributor.