Lon Solomon
Encyclopedia
Lon Solomon is an American
non-denominational Christian
megachurch
evangelist
and the Senior Pastor
at the McLean Bible Church
in McLean, Virginia
.
.
Lon holds a B.S.
degree in Chemistry (1971) from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
; a Th.M.
degree in Hebrew
and Old Testament
(1975, summa cum laude) from Capital Bible Seminary
; an M.A.
degree (1978) in Near Eastern Studies from Johns Hopkins University
; and a Doctorate of Divinity
degree (2005) from Liberty Baptist Theological Seminary.
, Eastern religions, and even attempting a return to mainstream Judaism
. But all this failed to resolve his inner turmoil, and he decided that suicide was the only reasonable way out.
It was at this time that Lon met a Christian street evangelist, Bob Ekhardt, in Chapel Hill
who began to talk to him about Jesus
Christ
. Ekhardt challenged him to read the Bible
. As he read, Lon began to believe the Bible had the answers he was looking for in life. A particular verse he came across, Matthew 11:28, impacted him deeply. Upon reading "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest", Lon felt purpose for his life and made the decision to put his faith in Jesus Christ, believing Christ is the Jewish Messiah
, and thereby converting to Christianity in the spring of 1971.
Lon refers to his life as a an example of God’s transforming power because he believes the extreme changes in his life are only possible through supernatural intervention. Subsequent to his conversion Lon quit the drug and alcohol abuse that had plagued his life. He went on to graduate from Capital Bible Seminary before doing graduate work at Johns Hopkins University receiving a Master's Degree in Near Eastern Studies in 1979. He taught Hebrew and Old Testament at Capital Bible Seminary from 1975 to 1980.
in the Virginia suburbs of Washington, D.C.
, where he has served ever since. Today, Lon ministers to over 14,000 people every weekend at McLean Bible Church.
Lon’s 30-minute, Sunday radio broadcast called “So What?” can be heard weekly on SiriusXM 131, WAVA-FM (105.1), WASH-FM (97.1), WMZQ-FM (98.7),in the Washington, D.C.
area, as well as WGMD-FM (92.7) on the DelMarVa peninsula, and WRVL-FM (88.3) in Lynchburg, Virginia
.
The birth of Lon's disabled
daughter Jill led to his initiating and organizing the Access Ministry of McLean Bible Church, a vast ministry to serve the needs of disabled children and their families.
since 1987, where he now serves as chairman of the Board’s Executive Committee.
In September 2002, Lon was appointed by President
George W. Bush
to serve in his administration as a member of the President’s Committee on Intellectual Disabilities, a position which he held until 2006.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
non-denominational Christian
Christian
A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...
megachurch
Megachurch
A megachurch is a church having 2,000 or more in average weekend attendance. The Hartford Institute's database lists more than 1,300 such Protestant churches in the United States. According to that data, approximately 50 churches on the list have attendance ranging from 10,000 to 47,000...
evangelist
Evangelism
Evangelism refers to the practice of relaying information about a particular set of beliefs to others who do not hold those beliefs. The term is often used in reference to Christianity....
and the Senior Pastor
Pastor
The word pastor usually refers to an ordained leader of a Christian congregation. When used as an ecclesiastical styling or title, this role may be abbreviated to "Pr." or often "Ps"....
at the McLean Bible Church
McLean Bible Church
McLean Bible Church is a non-denominational, evangelical Christian megachurch with multiple locations in the Washington, DC metropolitan area. Lon Solomon, a Jewish convert to Christianity, has been MBC's senior pastor since 1980. Solomon also serves on the board of directors of Jews for Jesus and...
in McLean, Virginia
McLean, Virginia
McLean is an unincorporated community and census-designated place in Fairfax County in Northern Virginia. The community had a total population of 48,115 as of the 2010 census....
.
Personal biography
Lon Solomon was born and raised in a Jewish home in Portsmouth, VAPortsmouth, Virginia
Portsmouth is located in the Hampton Roads metropolitan area of the U.S. Commonwealth of Virginia. As of 2010, the city had a total population of 95,535.The Norfolk Naval Shipyard, often called the Norfolk Navy Yard, is a historic and active U.S...
.
Lon holds a B.S.
Bachelor of Science
A Bachelor of Science is an undergraduate academic degree awarded for completed courses that generally last three to five years .-Australia:In Australia, the BSc is a 3 year degree, offered from 1st year on...
degree in Chemistry (1971) from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is a public research university located in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States...
; a Th.M.
Master of Theology
A Master of Theology is an advanced theological research degree offered by universities, divinity schools, and seminaries.-North America:In North America, the Master of Theology is considered by the Association of Theological Schools to be the minimum educational credential for teaching...
degree in Hebrew
Hebrew language
Hebrew is a Semitic language of the Afroasiatic language family. Culturally, is it considered by Jews and other religious groups as the language of the Jewish people, though other Jewish languages had originated among diaspora Jews, and the Hebrew language is also used by non-Jewish groups, such...
and Old Testament
Old Testament
The Old Testament, of which Christians hold different views, is a Christian term for the religious writings of ancient Israel held sacred and inspired by Christians which overlaps with the 24-book canon of the Masoretic Text of Judaism...
(1975, summa cum laude) from Capital Bible Seminary
Capital Bible Seminary
Capital Bible Seminary, founded in 1958, is the seminary component of the Christian nondenominational Washington Bible College/Capital Bible Seminary/Equip Institute with its main campus in Lanham, Maryland. The seminary is accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education and the...
; an M.A.
Master of Arts (postgraduate)
A Master of Arts from the Latin Magister Artium, is a type of Master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The M.A. is usually contrasted with the M.S. or M.Sc. degrees...
degree (1978) in Near Eastern Studies from Johns Hopkins University
Johns Hopkins University
The Johns Hopkins University, commonly referred to as Johns Hopkins, JHU, or simply Hopkins, is a private research university based in Baltimore, Maryland, United States...
; and a Doctorate of Divinity
Doctor of Divinity
Doctor of Divinity is an advanced academic degree in divinity. Historically, it identified one who had been licensed by a university to teach Christian theology or related religious subjects....
degree (2005) from Liberty Baptist Theological Seminary.
Spiritual path
While in college, Lon searched for meaning and purpose. He sought to fill the inner void he felt with fraternity life, heavy drinking and drug use. When these failed to satisfy him, Lon turned to “spiritual” things at this point, diving into psychedelicsPsychedelic drug
A psychedelic substance is a psychoactive drug whose primary action is to alter cognition and perception. Psychedelics are part of a wider class of psychoactive drugs known as hallucinogens, a class that also includes related substances such as dissociatives and deliriants...
, Eastern religions, and even attempting a return to mainstream Judaism
Judaism
Judaism ) is the "religion, philosophy, and way of life" of the Jewish people...
. But all this failed to resolve his inner turmoil, and he decided that suicide was the only reasonable way out.
It was at this time that Lon met a Christian street evangelist, Bob Ekhardt, in Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, North Carolina
Chapel Hill is a town in Orange County, North Carolina, United States and the home of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and UNC Health Care...
who began to talk to him about Jesus
Jesus
Jesus of Nazareth , commonly referred to as Jesus Christ or simply as Jesus or Christ, is the central figure of Christianity...
Christ
Christ
Christ is the English term for the Greek meaning "the anointed one". It is a translation of the Hebrew , usually transliterated into English as Messiah or Mashiach...
. Ekhardt challenged him to read the Bible
Bible
The Bible refers to any one of the collections of the primary religious texts of Judaism and Christianity. There is no common version of the Bible, as the individual books , their contents and their order vary among denominations...
. As he read, Lon began to believe the Bible had the answers he was looking for in life. A particular verse he came across, Matthew 11:28, impacted him deeply. Upon reading "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest", Lon felt purpose for his life and made the decision to put his faith in Jesus Christ, believing Christ is the Jewish Messiah
Messiah
A messiah is a redeemer figure expected or foretold in one form or another by a religion. Slightly more widely, a messiah is any redeemer figure. Messianic beliefs or theories generally relate to eschatological improvement of the state of humanity or the world, in other words the World to...
, and thereby converting to Christianity in the spring of 1971.
Lon refers to his life as a an example of God’s transforming power because he believes the extreme changes in his life are only possible through supernatural intervention. Subsequent to his conversion Lon quit the drug and alcohol abuse that had plagued his life. He went on to graduate from Capital Bible Seminary before doing graduate work at Johns Hopkins University receiving a Master's Degree in Near Eastern Studies in 1979. He taught Hebrew and Old Testament at Capital Bible Seminary from 1975 to 1980.
Work at McLean Bible Church
In 1980, Lon became the Senior Pastor at McLean Bible ChurchMcLean Bible Church
McLean Bible Church is a non-denominational, evangelical Christian megachurch with multiple locations in the Washington, DC metropolitan area. Lon Solomon, a Jewish convert to Christianity, has been MBC's senior pastor since 1980. Solomon also serves on the board of directors of Jews for Jesus and...
in the Virginia suburbs of Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
, where he has served ever since. Today, Lon ministers to over 14,000 people every weekend at McLean Bible Church.
Lon’s 30-minute, Sunday radio broadcast called “So What?” can be heard weekly on SiriusXM 131, WAVA-FM (105.1), WASH-FM (97.1), WMZQ-FM (98.7),in the Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
area, as well as WGMD-FM (92.7) on the DelMarVa peninsula, and WRVL-FM (88.3) in Lynchburg, Virginia
Lynchburg, Virginia
Lynchburg is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia. The population was 75,568 as of 2010. Located in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains along the banks of the James River, Lynchburg is known as the "City of Seven Hills" or "The Hill City." Lynchburg was the only major city in...
.
The birth of Lon's disabled
Disability
A disability may be physical, cognitive, mental, sensory, emotional, developmental or some combination of these.Many people would rather be referred to as a person with a disability instead of handicapped...
daughter Jill led to his initiating and organizing the Access Ministry of McLean Bible Church, a vast ministry to serve the needs of disabled children and their families.
Activity outside McLean Bible Church
Lon has been on the Board of Jews for JesusJews for Jesus
Jews for Jesus is a conservative, Christian evangelical organization that focuses on the conversion of Jews to Christianity. Its members consider themselves to be Jews – either as defined by Jewish law, or as according to the view of Jews for Jesus. Jews for Jesus defines “Jewish” in terms of...
since 1987, where he now serves as chairman of the Board’s Executive Committee.
In September 2002, Lon was appointed by President
President
A president is a leader of an organization, company, trade union, university, or country.Etymologically, a president is one who presides, who sits in leadership...
George W. Bush
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
to serve in his administration as a member of the President’s Committee on Intellectual Disabilities, a position which he held until 2006.
Personal story
Sermons and books by Lon Solomon
- Sermons by Series – Some of Lon Solomon's sermonSermonA sermon is an oration by a prophet or member of the clergy. Sermons address a Biblical, theological, religious, or moral topic, usually expounding on a type of belief, law or behavior within both past and present contexts...
s online. - Brokenness: How God Redeems Pain and Suffering
- Future Hope: A Jewish Christian Look at the End of the World – by David Brickner, foreword by Lon Solomon.