NASHVILLE, Tenn. (ABP) — Protestant pastors ranked Billy Graham by far the most influential living preacher in survey results released Feb. 2 by LifeWay Research.
Protestant pastors polled by LifeWay Research named Billy Graham as the living preacher who has most influenced them.
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Asked to name three living Christian preachers that most influence them, 21 percent of pastors named Graham, 91, who has preached to more than 200 million people in 185 countries since bursting onto the public scene with a Los Angeles evangelistic crusade in 1949.
That is three times the number who named the second-place preacher, popular author, pastor and radio personality Charles Swindoll. The list was compiled from telephone interviews that the research arm of the Southern Baptist Convention's publishing house conducted with 1,002 pastors in November.
Ed Stetzer, director of LifeWay Research, said he was surprised that most of the preachers on the list are generally regarded as theological conservatives.
"Considering our sample includes liberal and conservative, all races and ethnicities, mainline and evangelical [Protestants], we were surprised that the list looked like mainstream Christian radio and publishing and was not more representative," Stetzer said. "Of course, the majority who answer drive the final numbers, but I was expecting more diversity in the responses."
Rounding out the 10 after Graham and Swindoll were:
- Charles Stanley, senior pastor of First Baptist Church, Atlanta, and founder of In Touch Ministries.
- Rick Warren, senior pastor of Saddleback Church in Lake Forest, Calif., and author of the best-selling book, The Purpose-Driven Life.
- John MacArthur, pastor-teacher of Grace Community Church in Sun Valley, Calif., and president and featured teacher of the Grace to You ministry.
- Barbara Brown Taylor, an Episcopal priest, religion professor at Piedmont College in northeast Georgia and author of 12 books including An Altar in the World.
- David Jeremiah, founder of Turning Point Radio and Television Ministries and senior pastor of Shadow Mountain Community Church in San Diego County, Calif.
- Max Lucado, minister of writing and preaching at Oak Hills Church in San Antonio and the recipient of three Christian Book of the Year awards.
- John Piper, pastor for preaching at Bethlehem Baptist Church in Minneapolis and author of more than 30 books, including Desiring God.
- Andy Stanley, senior pastor of North Point Community Church, Buckhead Church, and Browns Bridge Community Church — all in the Atlanta area — and founder of North Point Ministries. He is Charles Stanley's son.
Stetzer said because survey participants were not picking from a predetermined list, all of the people named must be widely known.
"Studies like these can help us see who is shaping the thinking of Protestant pastors today," Stetzer said. "Knowing who is shaping Protestant thinking shows us what type of direction to expect from the nation’s pastors."
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