Charles Rozell Swindoll (born October 18, 1934) is an

evangelical Evangelicalism (), also called evangelical Christianity or evangelical Protestantism, is a worldwide Interdenominationalism, interdenominational movement within Protestantism, Protestant Christianity that affirms the centrality of being "bor ...

Christian pastor, author, educator, and radio preacher. He founded ''Insight for Living'', headquartered in Frisco,

Texas Texas (, ; Spanish language, Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2 ...

, which airs a radio program of the same name on more than 2,000 stations around the world in 15 languages. He is currently senior pastor at Stonebriar Community Church, in Frisco, Texas.

Early life

Charles Rozell Swindoll was born on October 18, 1934, in El Campo in

Wharton County, Texas Wharton County is a county located in the U.S. state of Texas. As of the 2020 census, its population was 41,570. Its county seat is Wharton. The county was named for brothers William Harris Wharton and John Austin Wharton. Wharton County ...

, the third of three children born to Earl and Lovell Swindoll. He attended Charles H. Milby High School in

Houston Houston (; ) is the most populous city in Texas, the most populous city in the Southern United States, the fourth-most populous city in the United States, and the sixth-most populous city in North America, with a population of 2,304,580 in ...

. He credits his drama teacher, Dick Nieme, for helping him manage his

stutter Stuttering, also known as stammering, is a speech disorder in which the flow of speech is disrupted by involuntary repetitions and prolongations of sounds, syllables, words, or phrases as well as involuntary silent pauses or blocks in which the ...

. As a member of the school

marching band A marching band is a group of instrumental musicians who perform while marching, often for entertainment or competition. Instrumentation typically includes brass, woodwind, and percussion instruments. Most marching bands wear a uniform, ofte ...

and orchestra, he learned to play all of the instruments in the woodwind section, although the clarinet remained his primary instrument. After graduating from high school, he studied

mechanical engineering Mechanical engineering is the study of physical machines that may involve force and movement. It is an engineering branch that combines engineering physics and mathematics principles with materials science, to design, analyze, manufacture, and ...

while working for Reed Roller Bit Company in

, Texas. Swindoll then fulfilled his military service obligation with the

United States Marine Corps The United States Marine Corps (USMC), also referred to as the United States Marines, is the maritime land force service branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for conducting expeditionary and amphibious operations through combi ...

, first in San Francisco, then on the Japanese island of

Okinawa is a prefecture of Japan. Okinawa Prefecture is the southernmost and westernmost prefecture of Japan, has a population of 1,457,162 (as of 2 February 2020) and a geographic area of 2,281 km2 (880 sq mi). Naha is the capital and largest city ...

. Part of his duty included playing in the Marine Corps Marching Band. After his

honorable discharge A military discharge is given when a member of the armed forces is released from their obligation to serve. Each country's military has different types of discharge. They are generally based on whether the persons completed their training and th ...

in 1959, he attended

Dallas Theological Seminary Dallas Theological Seminary (DTS) is an evangelical theology, theological seminary in Dallas, Texas. It is known for popularizing the theological system dispensationalism. DTS has campuses in Dallas, Houston, and Washington, D.C., as well as cont ...

, where he graduated

magna cum laude Latin honors are a system of Latin phrases used in some colleges and universities to indicate the level of distinction with which an academic degree has been earned. The system is primarily used in the United States. It is also used in some So ...

four years later.

Career

Swindoll was

ordained Ordination is the process by which individuals are consecrated, that is, set apart and elevated from the laity class to the clergy, who are thus then authorized (usually by the denominational hierarchy composed of other clergy) to perform va ...

into the ministry in 1963 and served in

Dallas Dallas () is the List of municipalities in Texas, third largest city in Texas and the largest city in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, the List of metropolitan statistical areas, fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States at 7.5 ...

, under J. Dwight Pentecost, for two years. He has since held senior pastorates in

Waltham, Massachusetts Waltham ( ) is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States, and was an early center for the labor movement as well as a major contributor to the American Industrial Revolution. The original home of the Boston Manufacturing Company, th ...

(1965–67),

Irving, Texas Irving is a city in the U.S. state of Texas. Located in Dallas County, it is also an inner ring suburb of Dallas. The city of Irving is part of the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. According to a 2019 estimate from the United States Census Bureau, ...

(1967–71), and

Fullerton, California Fullerton ( ) is a city located in northern Orange County, California, United States. As of the 2020 census, the city had a total population of 143,617. Fullerton was founded in 1887. It secured the land on behalf of the Atchison, Topeka and Sa ...

(1971–94). He started his current senior pastorate in

Frisco, Texas Frisco is a city in Collin and Denton counties in the U.S. state of Texas. It is part of the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex and about from both Dallas Love Field and Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport. Its population was 200,509 at the 2 ...

in 1998. Swindoll is the founder of ''Insight for Living'', which produces a radio program of the same name on Christian and non-Christian radio stations around the world. The program is heard on more than 2000 stations, as well as being

webcast A webcast is a media presentation distributed over the Internet using streaming media technology to distribute a single content source to many simultaneous listeners/viewers. A webcast may either be distributed live or on demand. Essentially, web ...

, and is translated into several languages. Its roots go back to the summer of 1977, when Swindoll's sermons from the First Evangelical Free Church in Fullerton were broadcast on radio. In 1979 the ''Insight for Living'' radio ministry began; its offices are now located in Frisco. In July 1994, Swindoll became the president of Dallas Theological Seminary and now serves as its

chancellor Chancellor ( la, cancellarius) is a title of various official positions in the governments of many nations. The original chancellors were the of Roman courts of justice—ushers, who sat at the or lattice work screens of a basilica or law cou ...

. He is the author of more than 70 books, most of which are based on his research and preparation for sermons preached each Sunday. In celebration of its 50th anniversary, ''

Christianity Today ''Christianity Today'' is an evangelical Christian media magazine founded in 1956 by Billy Graham. It is published by Christianity Today International based in Carol Stream, Illinois. ''The Washington Post'' calls ''Christianity Today'' "evange ...

'' produced an article naming Swindoll as one of the top 25 most influential preachers of the past 50 years (1956–2006). In 1998 Swindoll founded Stonebriar Community Church in Frisco. Many of the pastors at Stonebriar are graduates of

. The church first held services at Collin County Community College (now

Collin College Collin College is a public community college district in Texas. Founded in 1985, the district has grown as the county has grown from around 5,000 students in 1986 to more than 58,000 credit and noncredit students. Formerly known as the Coll ...

), then moved to its permanent home on Legendary Drive. The

congregation A congregation is a large gathering of people, often for the purpose of worship. Congregation may also refer to: *Church (congregation), a Christian organization meeting in a particular place for worship *Congregation (Roman Curia), an administra ...

grew rapidly from a few hundred members to several thousand in the first few years, and this growth has necessitated major expansion of the current facility. Construction for the additions began in 2005. The church is known for its

missionary A missionary is a member of a Religious denomination, religious group which is sent into an area in order to promote its faith or provide services to people, such as education, literacy, social justice, health care, and economic development.Tho ...

work in

India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...

and in other countries. Though Swindoll is still widely regarded as an

Evangelical Free Church of America The Evangelical Free Church of America (EFCA) is a denomination in the Evangelical Protestant tradition. The EFCA was formed in 1950 from the merger of the Swedish Evangelical Free Church and the Norwegian-Danish Evangelical Free Church Associa ...

preacher, the Stonebriar Community Church is not affiliated with any particular denomination.

Personal life

On June 18, 1955, Swindoll married Cynthia Ann Parker, who used to be the pianist at a

Baptist Baptists form a major branch of Protestantism distinguished by baptizing professing Christian believers only (believer's baptism), and doing so by complete immersion. Baptist churches also generally subscribe to the doctrines of soul compete ...

Church in

Galena Park, Texas Galena Park is a city in Harris County, Texas, United States, within the Houston–Sugar Land–Baytown metropolitan area. The population was 10,740 at the 2020 census. History Issac Batterson and his family settled in the area in 1833; it was a ...

. Together, the couple has four children, ten grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren.

Selected publications

* ''Hand Me Another Brick'', Thomas Nelson (1978) * ''You And Your Child'', Thomas Nelson (1977) * ''Three Steps Forward, Two Steps Back: Persevering Through Pressure'', Thomas Nelson (1980) * ''Strike The Original Match'', Multnomah (1980) * ''Improving Your Serve: The Art Of Unselfish Living'', Word (1981) * ''Strengthening Your Grip: Essentials In An Aimless World'', Word (1982) * ''Growing Strong in the Seasons of Life'', Multnomah (1983) * ''Dropping Your Guard: The Value Of Open Relationships'', Word (1983) * ''Come Before Winter – And Share My Hope'', Multnomah (1985) * ''Living on the Ragged Edge: Coming To Terms With Reality'', Word (1985) * ''Growing Deep In The Christian Life: Returning To Our Roots'', Multnomah (1986) * ''The Quest For Character'', Multnomah (1987) * ''Living Above The Level of Mediocrity : A Commitment To Excellence'', Word (1987) * ''Growing Wise in Family Life'', Multnomah (1988) * ''Living Beyond The Daily Grind: Reflections On The Songs And Sayings In Scripture'', Word (1988) * ''Rise & Shine: A Wake-Up Call'', Multnomah (1989) * ''The Grace Awakening'', Word (1990) * ''Sanctity Of Life: The Inescapable Issue'', Word (1990) * ''Stress Fractures'', Multnomah (1990) * ''Simple Faith'', Word (1991) * ''Laugh Again'', Word (1992) * ''Flying Closer to the Flame'', Word (1993) * ''The Finishing Touch'', Word (1994) * ''Paw Paw Chuck's Big Ideas in the Bible'', Word (1995) * ''Hope Again'', Word (1996) * ''The Road To Armageddon'' (with John F Walvoord; J Dwight Pentecost), Word (1999) * ''Start Where You Are: Catch A Fresh Vision For Your Life'', Word (1999) * ''The Mystery Of God's Will: What Does He Want For Me?'', Word (1999) * ''Intimacy With The Almighty'', Word Publishing (1996) * ''Perfect Trust: Ears To Hear, Hearts To Trust, And Minds To Rest In Him'', J. Countryman (2000) * ''The Darkness And The Dawn : Empowered By The Tragedy And Triumph Of The Cross'', Word (2001) * ''Why, God?: Calming Words For Chaotic Times'', Word (2001) * ''Wisdom For The Way: Wise Words For Busy People'', J. Countryman (2001) * ''Understanding Christian Theology'' (with Roy B. Zuck), Thomas Nelson (2003) * ''Behold—The Man!: The Pathway Of His Passion'', Word (2004) * ''So, You Want To Be Like Christ?: Eight Essentials To Get You There'', Word (2005) * ''When God Is Silent (Choosing To Trust In Life's Trials)'', J. Countryman (2005) * ''Great Attitudes For Graduates!: 10 Choices For Success In Life'' (with Terri A. Gibbs), J. Countryman (2006) * ''Encouragement For Life: Words Of Hope And Inspiration'', J. Countryman (2006) * ''The Strength Of Character: 7 Essential Traits Of A Remarkable Life'' (with Terri A. Gibbs), J. Countryman (2007) * ''A Bethlehem Christmas: Celebrating The Joyful Season'', Thomas Nelson (2007) * ''The Owner's Manual for Christians: The Essential Guide for a God-Honoring Life'', Thomas Nelson (2009) * ''The Church Awakening: An Urgent Call for Renewal'', FaithWords (2010) * ''Living the Psalms'',

Worthy Publishing Hachette Book Group (HBG) is a publishing company owned by Hachette (publisher), Hachette Livre, the largest publishing company in France, and the third largest trade and educational publisher in the world. Hachette Livre is a wholly owned subsidi ...

(2012) * ''Living the Proverbs'',

(2012) * ''Hear Me When I Call: Learning to Connect with a God Who Cares'',

(2013) * ''Embraced By The Spirit: The Untold Blessings of Intimacy With God'',

(2013) * ''The Swindoll Study Bible'', Tyndale House Publishers, Inc. (2017)

Swindoll's New Testament Insights Commentary Series

* ''Insights on Romans'', Zondervan (2010) * ''Insights on John'', Zondervan (2010) * ''Insights on James and 1 & 2 Peter'', Zondervan (2010) * ''Insights on 1 & 2 Timothy and Titus'', Zondervan (2011) * ''Insights on Revelation'', Zondervan (2012) * ''Insights on Luke'', Zondervan (2012)

Profiles in Character series

* ''David: A Man Of Passion & Destiny'', Word (1997) * ''Esther: A Woman Of Strength & Dignity'', Word (1997) * ''Joseph: A Man Of Integrity And Forgiveness'', Word (1998) * ''Moses: A Man Of Selfless Dedication'', Word (1999) * ''Elijah: A Man Of Heroism And Humility'', Word (2000) * ''Paul: A Man Of Grace And Grit'', Word (2002) * ''Job: A Man Of Heroic Endurance'', Word (2004)2005 Gold Medallion Book Award Winners – Bible Study category
/ref> * ''Fascinating Stories of Forgotten Lives : Rediscovering Some Old Testament Characters'', Word (2005) * ''Jesus: The Greatest Life Of All'', Thomas Nelson (2008) * ''Abraham: One Nomad's Amazing Journey of Faith'',

Tyndale House Tyndale House is a Christian publisher in Carol Stream, Illinois. History Tyndale was founded in 1962 by Kenneth N. Taylor in order to publish his paraphrase of the Epistles, which he had composed while commuting to work at Moody Press in C ...

(2014)

Honors and awards

* Harry A. Ironside Award for Expository Preaching –

, 1963 * Christian Education Award – Dallas Theological Seminary, 1963 * Faculty Award – Dallas Theological Seminary, 1963 * Doctor of Divinity –

Talbot School of Theology Talbot School of Theology is an evangelical Christian theological seminary located near Los Angeles. Talbot is one of the nine schools that comprise Biola University, located in La Mirada, California. Talbot is nondenominational and known for its ...

, 1977 * Doctor of Human Letters –

Taylor University Taylor University is a private, interdenominational, evangelical Christian university in Upland, Indiana. Founded in 1846, it is one of the oldest evangelical Christian universities in the country. The university is named after Bishop William ...

, 1986 * Clergyman of the Year –

Religious Heritage of America The Religious Heritage of America (RHA) Foundation, originally named the Washington Pilgrimage, was founded by W. Clement Stone and Harold Dudley as a national interfaith organization in the U.S. The United States of America (U.S.A. or ...

, 1988 * Doctor of Laws –

Pepperdine University Pepperdine University () is a private research university affiliated with the Churches of Christ with its main campus in Los Angeles County, California. Pepperdine's main campus consists of 830 acres (340 ha) overlooking the Pacific Ocean and t ...

, 1990 * Doctor of Literature –

Dallas Baptist University Dallas Baptist University (DBU) is a Christian liberal arts university in Dallas, Texas. Founded in 1898 as Decatur Baptist College, Dallas Baptist University currently operates campuses in Dallas, Plano, and Hurst. History Dallas Baptist Uni ...

, 1998 * Lifetime Achievement Award –

Catalyst Conference The Catalyst Conference (or simply Catalyst) is a series of leadership conferences focused on a new generation of church leaders. About Catalyst Catalyst was conceived as a next-generation leaders conference in 1999 by Andy Stanley, Reggie Joine ...

, 2009

References

External links

Insight for Living
– Official Web Site
Stonebriar Community Church
– Official Web Site {{DEFAULTSORT:Swindoll, Chuck 1934 births Living people Christian writers American Christian religious leaders American sermon writers American evangelicals American radio personalities People from El Campo, Texas People from Irving, Texas People from Plano, Texas Dallas Theological Seminary alumni Members of the Evangelical Free Church of America 20th-century American non-fiction writers 21st-century American non-fiction writers Nondenominational Christianity Christians from Texas United States Marines