Once again, the Christian community has lost a giant of the Faith. Dr. D. James Kennedy died at his home just after 2:00 a.m. this morning. His wife and daughter were beside him. He was 76.

More than anything, Dr. Kennedy must be remembered as a preacher of the Gospel and of Christ crucified. But he was also one of the men who left the most significant and lasting influences on the Church in America during the last quarter of the twentieth century. He was the thinking man’s preacher. His messages were well researched, timely, substantial, exegetically sound, and controversial. And though he was not a headline-maker, his preaching reached millions and helped to transform the culture. In fact, before there was a “Religious Right,” Dr. Kennedy was active espousing a solid historical, constitutional, and Christian view of law and liberty.

It has been a great privilege of the Phillips family to know Dr. Kennedy as a friend since the mid-1970s, and I am personally grateful for the opportunities he provided me to appear multiple times on his radio program, Truths that Transform, and to preach from his pulpit at Coral Ridge as a visiting adjunct professor of apologetics with the Institute for Creation Research’s Back to Genesis conference. But my deepest gratitude is for the kindness Dr. Kennedy demonstrated both privately and professionally to my father, Howard Phillips, who co-labored with him in the cause of Christ through many important battles of the 1970s, ’80s, and ’90s.

A Defender of Orthodoxy and a Cultural Warrior for Christ

Dr. Kennedy was unflappable, unflinching, and unwilling to back down from the most important fights of the day. Three examples come to mind:

First, more than any other widely-recognized pulpit preacher of the last twenty-five years, Dr. Kennedy championed the cause of Young Earth, Six-Day Creationism. He recognized the importance of Genesis to every facet of the Christian’s worldview, and he wrote books, preached sermons, and launched ministries, the purpose of which were to affirm the literal, grammatical, historical approach to the book of beginnings and to refute creation compromises.

Second, Dr. Kennedy was an ardent defender of the Christian origins of the United States and a providential interpretation of American history. On a personal note, our staff was deeply touched by the vigorous support we received from the staff of Dr. Kennedy for the Jamestown Quadricentennial: A Celebration of Our Providential History, sponsored by Vision Forum Ministries. While Dr. Kennedy was convalescing and unable to take part personally, the response of his well-trained team was this: “We knew that this is a project that Dr. Kennedy would have been a part of.” Consequently, Jerry Newcombe, co-author of George Washington’s Sacred Fire, and videographer for Coral Ridge Ministries, brought their film team to the event, and produced a special on Jamestown that aired on national television in July as part of the Coral Ridge Hour TV program.

Third, Dr. Kennedy was willing to stand with those who were persecuted for righteousness’ sake within the public square. Notably, the ministry of Dr. D. James Kennedy was among the first to defend and fight alongside former Chief Justice Roy Moore when he refused to remove the Ten Commandments Monument from the Alabama Supreme Court Building; and later, when he was ejected from office for upholding his judicial oath in opposition to an unlawful order, Dr. Kennedy continued to champion his cause. And Dr. Kennedy’s support for Alabama Supreme Court Chief Justice Moore was substantial. He understood both the scriptural and the legal issues involved and used his ministry to explain them to the nation in print, on the airwaves, and through film.

Dr. Kennedy also played a significant role promoting and popularizing Reformed theology, especially as it applies to the priority that Christians embrace the greatness of the Great Commission which includes a full-orbed vision of the Christian faith and the mandate to teach “all things whatsoever I have commanded” (Matthew 28:30). He certainly believed that the Word of God and the Lordship of Jesus Christ apply to every area of life, and he launched numerous important ministries and schools designed to advance this understanding.

The Impact of Dr. Kennedy’s Life on Families and Leaders

Today, I called my staff together to discuss the passing of Dr. Kennedy. It was thrilling to hear testimony after testimony of how this one man’s ministry affected each of them and their extended families. The stories were significant. Several of the young men on my staff noted that Dr. Kennedy’s preaching had been formulative in the thinking and spiritual growth of their parents, and that as young men, they remembered listening to his messages.

Many of today’s leaders were profoundly and personally influence by Dr. Kennedy. My good friend Alan Sears, president of the Alliance Defense Fund, is one. He made this comment:

Dr. Kennedy is one of my personal heroes... He is a man of unquestioned integrity, great moral courage and vision. As a co-founder of ADF, he has been a constant source of godly wisdom and service to me. His life and testimony have had an incredible impact upon so many people for the Kingdom of God, and he is an example to us all of a good and faithful servant.

I especially appreciate the words of his daughter: “There are all kinds of wonderful things I could say about my dad,” remarked Jennifer Kennedy Cassidy. “But one that stands out is his fine example. He ‘walked the walk’ and ‘practiced what he preached.’ His work for Christ is lasting — it will go on and on and make a difference for eternity.”

A Personal Account

I have two personal memories which really stand out: The first occurred during the Inauguration of President George Bush, Sr. On that occasion, I was serving as a driver for Dr. Billy Graham, whom I had just dropped off at the Capitol to give the Inaugural prayer. Washington was abuzz that day, and crowds were everywhere, but I saw a tall man sprinting across the parking lot behind the Capitol building. It was Dr. Kennedy. I called out to him. He stopped dead in his tracks and kindly took the time to visit with me, inquiring about my mother and father. It was a small thing, but I was impressed with the personalism and charity of this great man.

The second special memory occurred after I was given the honor of delivering a series of messages on Genesis from Dr. Kennedy’s pulpit. After the messages, he invited me to his office; and later we sat in the sanctuary and spent a happy, intense thirty minutes discussing apologetic methodology in the context of the creation debate. It was a great blessing, and it confirmed what my father has always said about Dr. Kennedy: namely, that his intensity for the truth is as personal as it is professional.

Another Great Leader Has Left Us

This year, two of the most influential conservative Christian religious figures of the twentieh century have gone on to Eternity. The first was Dr. Jerry Falwell, and the second, Dr. Kennedy. Others may soon follow. Only the Lord knows.

But we can be sure of one thing: We will either take inventory of the great work of the Lord through the lives of these men, and begin to chart a course of vision, hope, and leadership for the twenty-first century; or an important message will be lost, and the Church in America may be relegated to something even worse then persecution — mediocrity and irrelevance. Dr. D. James Kennedy understood the nature of the battle. He dedicated his life to fighting for the Lordship of Christ. We would be well-served to embrace the best examples of this from his illustrious legacy.