Dr. D. James Kennedy remains one of the most listened-to Christian ministers in America. His forthright and rational presentation of the Gospel is heard via television, radio, and the Internet throughout America and the world.
Dr. Kennedy, who entered the presence of his Savior, Jesus Christ, on September 5, 2007, began his Christian life in 1953 after he was startled awake one Sunday morning by a preacher's stern question coming out of his clock radio. "Suppose you were to die today and stand before God," the voice boomed, "and He were to ask you, 'What right do you have to enter into My heaven?' — what would you say?" Dr. Kennedy soon discovered the answer, was converted to Christ, and shortly thereafter was called into the Gospel ministry. Today, Dr. Kennedy's broadcast messages are televised to a nationwide audience.
Dr. Kennedy served for 47 years as Senior Minister of Coral Ridge Presbyterian Church in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. A modest mission church of 45 people when Dr. Kennedy arrived in 1959, the rocketing growth of the church made it, for 15 years, the fastest growing Presbyterian church in America. Decision magazine named the church one of the "Five Great Churches of North America." In 2005, Dr. Kennedy was inducted into the National Religious Broadcasters Hall of Fame.
Dr. Kennedy's energetic commitment to both evangelism and cultural renewal is demonstrated by four organizations he founded: D. James Kennedy Ministries (formerly Coral Ridge Ministries), Evangelism Explosion International, Knox Theological Seminary, and Westminster Academy.
D. James Kennedy Ministries — The media outreach of Dr. Kennedy, D. James Kennedy Ministries began in 1974 as Coral Ridge Ministries with the mission of bringing the Gospel to America and the world. Its media outreach includes the weekly television programs Truths That Transform and Kennedy Classics; Truth In Action, a weekly half-hour radio program; the website www.DJamesKennedy.org; the monthly Impact Newsletter, and other print and video resources produced by D. James Kennedy Ministries.
Evangelism Explosion International — A lay-witnessing training program first developed in 1962 by Dr. Kennedy, Evangelism Explosion ("EE") is now used in every nation and territory. EE has been used by God to spark explosive growth in congregations around the world.
Knox Theological Seminary — Dr. Kennedy launched Knox Theological Seminary in 1989 to prepare and equip Christians for ministry with education grounded in the historic Reformed faith and shaped by commitments to the sovereignty of God, the inerrancy of the Bible, and obedience to the Great Commission and the Cultural Mandate.
Westminster Academy — Dr. Kennedy founded Westminster Academy in 1971 to help meet Fort Lauderdale's need for quality Christian education. It is a fully-accredited nationally-recognized Pre-K to 12th grade academy with approximately 1,000 students.
Dr. Kennedy earned a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Tampa, a Master of Divinity from Columbia Theological Seminary (cum laude), a Master of Theology from Chicago Graduate School of Theology (summa cum laude), and a Ph.D. from New York University. He is the author of more than 65 books, including Evangelism Explosion (more than 1.5 million copies), What If Jesus Had Never Been Born?, The Da Vinci Myth versus The Gospel Truth, and Cross Purposes: Discovering the Great Love of God for You.
Born in Augusta, Georgia, Dr. Kennedy was raised in Chicago and moved to Florida while in high school. He and his wife, Anne Kennedy, were married 51 years. Anne entered the presence of her Savior on May 16, 2017. They are survived by their daughter, Mrs. Jennifer Kennedy Cassidy.
Dr. Robert J. Pacienza, D.Min., is President and CEO of D. James Kennedy Ministries (DJKM). The Board of DJKM named Dr. Pacienza, D.Min. to that role in June 2022. He also serves since 2016 as Senior Pastor of Coral Ridge Presbyterian Church (CRPC) in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
“As a Board, we are delighted that Pastor Rob, who has served on the Board since 2020, is now leading D. James Kennedy Ministries as President and CEO. Rob brings a passionate commitment to Gospel witness and to the application of God’s Word to the moral and social questions troubling our nation,” said William T. Allen, CPA, Chairman of the DJKM Board.
Pastor Pacienza, who became a believer in Jesus Christ while a teenager at Coral Ridge Presbyterian Church, was later mentored by the late Dr. D. James Kennedy, the founding pastor of CRPC.
“I am deeply honored and humbled at the opportunity to lead D. James Kennedy Ministries,” said Pacienza, who earned his Master of Divinity at Knox Theological Seminary and his Doctor of Ministry at Westminster Theological Seminary.
“It is a great privilege and awesome responsibility to be part of a ministry that touches lives across our nation with the power of the Gospel and speaks to American culture with the truth of God’s Word,” he said.
In an interview on DJKM’s weekly television program, Truths That Transform, Pacienza said his “philosophy of ministry as a pastor is best summed up in the vision statement at Coral Ridge Presbyterian Church: we exist to equip Gospel-centered, culture-shaping Christians.”
The author of the new book, The Hope Of The World: Christian Cultural Engagement in a Secular Age, Pacienza said the Gospel “moves you to shape culture according to the kingdom of God. We want people watching Truths That Transform to be motivated and informed by the Gospel, to go out and shape culture for the glory of God and for the sake of his kingdom.”
Pastor Pacienza and his wife, Jen, live in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, with their children, Preston and Lydia.