Kenneth Hagin

Kenneth Hagin
Name	Kenneth Hagin
Birth date	20 Aug 1917
Birth place	McKinney, Texas, United States
Death date	19 Sep 2003
Occupation	Minister, author, evangelist
Known for	Word of Faith movement, Rhema Bible Training College

Kenneth Hagin was an influential American Pentecostal minister, author, and evangelist associated with the development and spread of the Word of Faith movement. He founded Rhema Bible Training College and produced a prolific corpus of books and recorded sermons that shaped charismatic and Pentecostal circles in the United States and internationally. Hagin's theology, ministry methods, and organizational initiatives generated both broad followings and significant controversy within Christian communities.

Early life and background

Born in McKinney, Texas, Hagin grew up during the late Progressive Era and the interwar period, experiencing the social milieu of Dallas and the surrounding Collin County, Texas. As a young man he reportedly experienced a severe illness and a subsequent dramatic recovery that he and followers described as a spiritual healing; this testimony intersected with wider currents in Pentecostalism, Holiness movement, and the emergent Charismatic movement of the 20th century. His early religious influences included exposure to Assemblies of God and independent Pentecostal congregations that traced roots to revivals in Azusa Street Revival-era networks.

Ministry beginnings and Rhema Bible Training College

Hagin began itinerant preaching and established services that blended healing evangelism with faith teaching, aligning with leaders such as William Branham, Oral Roberts, A. A. Allen, and contemporaries in the healing revival tradition. In 1974 he founded the Rhema Bible Training College in Tulsa, Oklahoma, an institution that later established extension campuses and international outreach, mirroring organizational models seen at Full Gospel Business Men's Fellowship International and other charismatic ministries. Rhema expanded into publishing, radio, and conference ministry and maintained relationships with ministries like Kenneth Copeland Ministries and networks associated with Revival events and televangelism circuits.

Teachings and theology

Hagin is best known for promulgating the Word of Faith theology, emphasizing confession, faith as a force, and divine healing, positions that relate to doctrinal streams represented by figures such as E. W. Kenyon, Robert Tilton, Benny Hinn, and Creflo Dollar. His framework advocated the believer's authority in Christ, positive confession, and prosperity implications that intersect with teachings from Prosperity theology proponents and critiques from classical theologians. Theologically, his emphases contrast with systematic positions defended by scholars from institutions like Princeton Theological Seminary, Yale Divinity School, Fuller Theological Seminary, and Dallas Theological Seminary. Hagin's soteriology and pneumatology drew both adherents among charismatic networks and critical response from cessationist and Reformed traditions exemplified by thinkers linked to Westminster Theological Seminary and Reformed Theological Seminary.

Writings and publications

Hagin authored numerous books, pamphlets, and recorded sermons published through Rhema Publications and distributed widely via Christian bookstores, radio, and televangelism platforms alongside contemporaneous authors such as Joyce Meyer, T. D. Jakes, John Wimber, and Leonard Ravenhill. Prominent titles influenced charismatic curricula and were used in training at Rhema and other Bible colleges, and his written work intersected with the publishing histories of firms connected to Zondervan and independent evangelical presses. Hagin also produced sermon recordings and conference materials that circulated through networks associated with Christian Broadcasting Network-era outlets and independent charismatic radio ministries.

Controversies and criticism

Hagin and the Word of Faith movement attracted significant controversy, drawing critique from evangelical leaders and scholars including figures associated with Jack Deere, John MacArthur, R. C. Sproul, and watchdog organizations like Christian Research Institute. Criticisms focused on theological claims about faith, healing, prosperity, scriptural interpretation, and reports of exaggerated or unverified healing testimonies; these concerns were debated in evangelical periodicals and at conferences alongside discussions involving Televangelism scandals of the late 20th century that implicated several high-profile ministries. Legal and financial scrutiny occasionally touched ministries in the movement, prompting comparisons with regulatory actions affecting ministries such as Jim Bakker and fundraising controversies examined by investigative journalism outlets.

Personal life and legacy

Hagin married and raised a family; his son succeeded him in leadership at Rhema, continuing institutional operations and international expansion into regions including Latin America, Africa, and Asia. His legacy persists in contemporary charismatic practice, theological curricula, and among ministries that trace lineage to Word of Faith teaching alongside successors like Kenneth Copeland and Fred Price. Hagin's influence is evident in the proliferation of Bible colleges, conference networks, and media ministries shaped by late 20th-century charismatic renewal and continues to provoke debate among academics and church leaders in institutions such as Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary and Moody Bible Institute.

Category:American Pentecostals Category:1917 births Category:2003 deaths