Charles Capps

Charles Capps
Name	Charles Capps
Birth date	January 4, 1934
Death date	October 23, 2014
Birth place	Rule, Arkansas, United States
Death place	Little Rock, Arkansas, United States
Occupation	Pastor, author, speaker
Known for	Prosperity theology, Positive confession
Nationality	American

Charles Capps was an American pastor, author, and preacher known for promoting a form of prosperity theology and the doctrine commonly called "positive confession." He built a national audience through books, audio recordings, and television ministry, influencing figures in charismatic Christianity and evangelical media circles. His emphasis on spoken faith and biblical interpretation made him a prominent, polarizing figure among proponents of Word of Faith teachings.

Early life and education

Capps was born in Rule, Arkansas, and raised in a rural setting that connected him to communities in Little Rock, Arkansas and surrounding parts of Pulaski County, Arkansas. He attended local schools before serving in business and agricultural ventures in the American South. During his early adulthood he had interactions with ministries associated with Full Gospel Business Men's Fellowship International and regional charismatic gatherings that shaped his religious formation. He later moved to Tulsa, Oklahoma, a city known for connections to Oral Roberts University and leaders within the charismatic movement, which contextualized his later ministry.

Ministry and preaching career

Capps began full-time ministry after leaving a business career, establishing a pulpit and publishing operation that reached national audiences through conferences, radio, and television. He operated ministries in Arkansas and Oklahoma, participating in events alongside ministers linked to Kenneth Copeland Ministries, Rodney Howard-Browne, and networks associated with Trinity Broadcasting Network. His speaking circuit included appearances at conventions hosted by organizations such as Word of Faith Fellowship, regional assemblies of the Assemblies of God, and independent charismatic churches influenced by leaders like Fred Price and Benny Hinn. Capps produced taped sermons distributed to Christian bookstores and ministries across the United States and internationally.

Teachings and theology

Capps taught a theology centered on the power of words and the authority of believers to exercise faith verbally, a theme resonant with Word of Faith teachers such as Kenneth Hagin and E.W. Kenyon. He asserted that believers could activate divine promises through "positive confession" and verbal decrees, drawing on scriptural texts like passages from Hebrews, Romans, and the Gospels as interpretive support. His theological method emphasized literal readings favored by proponents in the charismatic movement and often intersected with themes from prosperity theology taught by figures such as Creflo Dollar and Joel Osteen. Critics compared his hermeneutics to teachings associated with New Thought and historical teachers like Phineas Quimby in terms of the mind-and-speech emphasis, while supporters aligned his views with pastoral applications promoted by Kenneth E. Hagin Ministries.

Publications and media ministry

Capps authored numerous books and produced audio and video materials that circulated widely among charismatic and evangelical audiences. His titles included works on faith, confession, and biblical interpretation sold through chains like Christian Book Distributors and discussed on networks such as Daystar Television Network and Eternal Word Television Network. He hosted recorded teaching series that were syndicated on Christian radio outlets including affiliates of Salem Media Group and appeared at conferences organized by publishers like Thomas Nelson and distributors linked to Charisma Magazine. Capps' printed and recorded output influenced contemporaries in publishing houses that worked with authors such as Joyce Meyer, T.D. Jakes, and Pat Robertson.

Controversies and criticism

Capps' teachings provoked debate within broader Protestant and evangelical circles. The emphasis on spoken faith and material blessing aligned him with controversies surrounding prosperity gospel advocates like Benny Hinn and Kenneth Copeland, drawing critique from theologians associated with Evangelical Theological Society and scholars such as Wayne Grudem and John MacArthur. Critics argued his approach risked proof-texting and selective hermeneutics similar to critiques lodged against Word of Faith movements, and several articles in evangelical periodicals compared his doctrines to earlier heterodox movements in American religious history. Supporters defended him by citing parallels to teachings in Pentecostalism and praising pastoral outcomes in congregations influenced by his ministry.

Personal life and death

Capps married and raised a family while maintaining his residence in Arkansas and Oklahoma, engaging in business ventures before and during his ministry years. He balanced pastoral duties with publishing operations and often involved family members in ministry administration, similar to organizational patterns seen in ministries like Hagins Ministries and other family-led churches. Capps died in 2014 in Little Rock, Arkansas; his passing was noted by regional religious networks and commentaries in outlets connected to charismatic Christianity and evangelical media.

Category:American Christian ministers Category:Prosperity theology