R. T. Kendall
Encyclopedia
Robert Tillman Kendall is a Christian writer, speaker, and teacher who pastored Westminster Chapel
for 25 years. He is author of more than 50 books, including Total Forgiveness. Kendall is currently listed as part of the Word, Spirit & Power team, a non-denominational Charismatic ministry.
who was a General Superintendent of the Church of the Nazarene
. He married Louise Wallis of Sterling, Illinois on June 28, 1958, and together they raised a son and a daughter, Robert Tillman II (TR) and Melissa Louise. According to his testimony, Kendall came to a conviction regarding Calvinist theology and his own eternal security in 1955. He received degrees at Trevecca Nazarene University
in Nashville, Tennessee (A.B., 1970), Southern Baptist Theological Seminary
in Louisville, Kentucky (M.Div., 1972) and the University of Louisville
(M.A., 1973) before earning a Doctor of Philosophy (DPhil) at Regent's Park College
, a hall of the University of Oxford
. He later received a Doctor of Divinity from Trevecca Nazarene University
(1988).
from 1974 to 1977 (now Brackley Baptist Church) which mainly served USAF families based at RAF Upper Heyford
and RAF Croughton
. From February 1, 1977 to February 1, 2002 he was the Minister at Westminster Chapel
in London. He succeeded Dr. Glyn Owen who himself followed Martyn Lloyd-Jones
and G. Campbell Morgan
.
Kendall’s 1983 publication of Once Saved, Always Saved on the nature of Christian perseverance prompted debate of antinomianism
among Chapel members and others. There were various disagreements over various issues. Indeed, so serious were these, that his predecessor, Lloyd-Jones, stated that Kendall should take no part in his funeral arrangements:
His charismatic beliefs and affirmation of prophecies and association with Paul Cain
and the Kansas City Prophets from the early 1990s led to some controversies with some Christian groups.
Kendall developed a prayer initiative, for which almost 350 signed up for the one year commitment to pray regularly for Westminster Chapel.
In addition, large numbers participated in the regular prayer and fasting events which brought unity to the Chapel.
A longtime member of Westminster Chapel had the following testimony regarding Kendall's preaching legacy:
He instigated a "Pilot Lights" scheme of church members distributing tracts on the streets of Westminster in different languages to the general public. These evangelism techniques were based on those of Arthur Blessitt
who preached at Westminster Chapel for a few weeks in the late 1980s. The scheme continued for about a decade. As a result, significant number of conversions were witnessed and some even joined the congregation and became active members.
His "School of Theology" evenings attracted hundreds of visitors and church leaders from all over London. He introduced Thursday lunchtime services, which were visited by workers from nearby Whitehall.
In 2002 he was introduced by the Archbishop of Canterbury's Envoy to the Middle East to meet the Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat.
Subsequently the men met five times and RT Kendall had an opportunity to present the gospel of Christ.
Kendall's ministry now claims millions of followers on both sides of the Atlantic.
Kendall is now in retirement in Hendersonville, Tennessee
, from where he continues his work as an author and guest speaker at Christian conferences. He appears on Christian TV programmes and is a regular contributor to Christian publications.
He is also the President of R.T. Kendall Ministries.
Westminster Chapel
Westminster Chapel is an evangelical church that has been based in central London since 1840. Situated in Buckingham Gate, just from Buckingham Palace and just off Victoria Street, the chapel has long been a popular place of worship for Evangelical Christians. The current building, seating around...
for 25 years. He is author of more than 50 books, including Total Forgiveness. Kendall is currently listed as part of the Word, Spirit & Power team, a non-denominational Charismatic ministry.
Early life and family
Kendall was born July 13, 1935 in Ashland, Kentucky and named after R. T. WilliamsRoy T. Williams
Roy Tilman Williams was a minister and general superintendent in the Church of the Nazarene.- Biography :Roy Williams was born in Milam, Texas on February 14, 1883. His family moved to Many, Louisiana when he was five years old. Williams was not exposed to religion during his childhood; however,...
who was a General Superintendent of the Church of the Nazarene
Church of the Nazarene
The Church of the Nazarene is an evangelical Christian denomination that emerged from the 19th century Holiness movement in North America with its members colloquially referred to as Nazarenes. It is the largest Wesleyan-holiness denomination in the world. At the end of 2010, the Church of the...
. He married Louise Wallis of Sterling, Illinois on June 28, 1958, and together they raised a son and a daughter, Robert Tillman II (TR) and Melissa Louise. According to his testimony, Kendall came to a conviction regarding Calvinist theology and his own eternal security in 1955. He received degrees at Trevecca Nazarene University
Trevecca Nazarene University
Trevecca Nazarene University is a private Christian liberal arts college located in Nashville, Tennessee.-History:TNU was founded in 1901 by Cumberland Presbyterian minister J. O. McClurkan as the "Pentecostal Literary and Bible Training School"...
in Nashville, Tennessee (A.B., 1970), Southern Baptist Theological Seminary
Southern Baptist Theological Seminary
The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary , located in Louisville, Kentucky, is the oldest of the six seminaries affiliated with the Southern Baptist Convention . The seminary was founded in 1859, at Greenville, South Carolina. After being closed during the Civil War, it moved in 1877 to Louisville...
in Louisville, Kentucky (M.Div., 1972) and the University of Louisville
University of Louisville
The University of Louisville is a public university in Louisville, Kentucky. When founded in 1798, it was the first city-owned public university in the United States and one of the first universities chartered west of the Allegheny Mountains. The university is mandated by the Kentucky General...
(M.A., 1973) before earning a Doctor of Philosophy (DPhil) at Regent's Park College
Regent's Park College, Oxford
Regent's Park College is a Permanent Private Hall in the University of Oxford, situated in central Oxford, just off St Giles.The College admits both undergraduate and graduate students to take Oxford degrees in a variety of Arts, Humanities and Social Science subjects...
, a hall of the University of Oxford
University of Oxford
The University of Oxford is a university located in Oxford, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest surviving university in the world and the oldest in the English-speaking world. Although its exact date of foundation is unclear, there is evidence of teaching as far back as 1096...
. He later received a Doctor of Divinity from Trevecca Nazarene University
Trevecca Nazarene University
Trevecca Nazarene University is a private Christian liberal arts college located in Nashville, Tennessee.-History:TNU was founded in 1901 by Cumberland Presbyterian minister J. O. McClurkan as the "Pentecostal Literary and Bible Training School"...
(1988).
Ministry
While at Oxford, Kendall was pastor of Calvary Baptist Church in Lower HeyfordLower Heyford
Lower Heyford is a village and civil parish in Oxfordshire, beside the River Cherwell about west of Bicester.-Prehistory:Aves ditch is pre-Anglo-Saxon and may have been dug as a boundary ditch...
from 1974 to 1977 (now Brackley Baptist Church) which mainly served USAF families based at RAF Upper Heyford
RAF Upper Heyford
RAF Upper Heyford was a Royal Air Force station located north-west of Bicester near the village of Upper Heyford, Oxfordshire, England. The base was brought into use for flying in July 1918 by the Royal Flying Corps. During World War II it was used by many units of the RAF, mainly as a training...
and RAF Croughton
RAF Croughton
RAF Croughton is a United States Air Force communications base in Northamptonshire, England, to the southeast of the village of Croughton. The station is home to the 422nd Air Base Group and operates one of Europe's largest military switchboards and processes approximately a third of all U.S...
. From February 1, 1977 to February 1, 2002 he was the Minister at Westminster Chapel
Westminster Chapel
Westminster Chapel is an evangelical church that has been based in central London since 1840. Situated in Buckingham Gate, just from Buckingham Palace and just off Victoria Street, the chapel has long been a popular place of worship for Evangelical Christians. The current building, seating around...
in London. He succeeded Dr. Glyn Owen who himself followed Martyn Lloyd-Jones
Martyn Lloyd-Jones
David Martyn Lloyd-Jones was a Welsh Protestant minister, preacher and medical doctor who was influential in the Reformed wing of the British evangelical movement in the 20th century. For almost 30 years, he was the minister of Westminster Chapel in London...
and G. Campbell Morgan
G. Campbell Morgan
Reverend Doctor George Campbell Morgan D.D. was a British evangelist, preacher and a leading Bible scholar...
.
Kendall’s 1983 publication of Once Saved, Always Saved on the nature of Christian perseverance prompted debate of antinomianism
Antinomianism
Antinomianism is defined as holding that, under the gospel dispensation of grace, moral law is of no use or obligation because faith alone is necessary to salvation....
among Chapel members and others. There were various disagreements over various issues. Indeed, so serious were these, that his predecessor, Lloyd-Jones, stated that Kendall should take no part in his funeral arrangements:
His charismatic beliefs and affirmation of prophecies and association with Paul Cain
Paul Cain (minister)
Paul Cain is a Pentecostal Christian minister involved with both neo-charismatic churches and the Charismatic Movement. As a young man he was one of the Voice of Healing revivalists of the 50s. Cain currently resides in California and ministers monthly at a local church in Santa...
and the Kansas City Prophets from the early 1990s led to some controversies with some Christian groups.
Kendall developed a prayer initiative, for which almost 350 signed up for the one year commitment to pray regularly for Westminster Chapel.
In addition, large numbers participated in the regular prayer and fasting events which brought unity to the Chapel.
A longtime member of Westminster Chapel had the following testimony regarding Kendall's preaching legacy:
He instigated a "Pilot Lights" scheme of church members distributing tracts on the streets of Westminster in different languages to the general public. These evangelism techniques were based on those of Arthur Blessitt
Arthur Blessitt
Arthur Owen Blessitt is a traveling Christian preacher, most known for carrying a cross through every nation of the world.-Early life and career:...
who preached at Westminster Chapel for a few weeks in the late 1980s. The scheme continued for about a decade. As a result, significant number of conversions were witnessed and some even joined the congregation and became active members.
His "School of Theology" evenings attracted hundreds of visitors and church leaders from all over London. He introduced Thursday lunchtime services, which were visited by workers from nearby Whitehall.
In 2002 he was introduced by the Archbishop of Canterbury's Envoy to the Middle East to meet the Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat.
Subsequently the men met five times and RT Kendall had an opportunity to present the gospel of Christ.
Kendall's ministry now claims millions of followers on both sides of the Atlantic.
Kendall is now in retirement in Hendersonville, Tennessee
Hendersonville, Tennessee
Hendersonville is a city in Sumner County, Tennessee, United States, on Old Hickory Lake. The population was 51,372 at the 2010 census. Hendersonville is part of the Nashville Metropolitan Statistical Area and is located 18 miles northeast of downtown Nashville. The city was settled around 1784 by...
, from where he continues his work as an author and guest speaker at Christian conferences. He appears on Christian TV programmes and is a regular contributor to Christian publications.
He is also the President of R.T. Kendall Ministries.
Publications
Kendall is the author of over forty books including:- All's Well That Ends Well
- The Anointing: Yesterday, Today, Tomorrow
- Are You Stone Deaf to the Spirit or Re-discovering God?
- Before the Throne: A Comprehensive Guide to the Importance and Practice of Worship
- Believing God
- Between the Times: Malachi: God's Last Prophet of the Old Testament
- Calvin and English Calvinism to 1649
- The Complete Guide to the Parables: Understanding and Applying the Stories of Jesus
- Does Jesus Care?
- The Gift of Giving
- Grace and Glory
- Is God for the Homosexual?
- God Meant It for Good
- Great Christian Prayers: From the Rich History of Christian Faith - A Prayer for Every Day of the Year
- He Saves: How to Become - and Stay - a Christian
- Higher Ground
- In Pursuit of His Glory: My 25 Years at Westminster Chapel
- The Judgment Seat of Christ: What Will God Say to You When You Die?
- The God of the Bible
- Just Grace
- Just Say Thanks!
- Justification By Works: How Works Vindicate True Faith. Sermons on James 1-3
- The Lord's Prayer
- A Man After God's Own Heart: God's Relationship with David - and with You
- Meekness and Majesty
- Once Saved Always Saved
- Out of the Comfort Zone: Your God Is Too Nice
- The Parables of Jesus
- Pure Joy
- The Sensitivity of the Spirit: The Forgotten Anointing
- The Sermon on the Mount
- Stand Up and Be Counted
- Tales of Total Forgiveness
- Thanking God
- Thorn in the Flesh
- Tithing: A Call to Serious, Biblical Giving
- Unashamed to Bear His Name
- Understanding Theology (in 3 Volumes)
- A Vision of Jesus
- The Way Of Wisdom: Patience In Waiting On God Sermons On James 4-5
- When God Shows Up: Expecting the Unexpected
- Who by Faith
- The Word and the Spirit: Reclaiming Your Covenant with the Holy Spirit and the Word of God
- Worshipping God
- Why Jesus Died (February 2012)
External links
- Out of the Comfort Zone by RT Kendall Book review
- Ministry Homepage
- Second Chance review
- RT Kendall's thoughts Evangelism and Arthur Blessitt
- Kendall and Lloyd-Jones