James Burton Coffman (May 24, 1905 – June 30, 2006) was "one of the most influential figures among Churches of Christ in the 20th century.""Burton Coffman dies at 101,"
accessed August 19, 2008 He was known throughout the Churches of Christ for his exhaustive writing and study of Old Testament and

New Testament The New Testament grc, Ἡ Καινὴ Διαθήκη, transl. ; la, Novum Testamentum. (NT) is the second division of the Christian biblical canon. It discusses the teachings and person of Jesus, as well as events in first-century Chri ...

scriptures. Throughout his life he served as a preacher, teacher, author, and community leader. Most of his career defined him as a teacher and administrator in school systems, congregational contexts, and as a military chaplain.

Ministry

Throughout thirty years of congregational ministry, Coffman served and preached at the Central Church of Christ in Houston,

Texas Texas (, ; Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2020, it is the second-largest U.S. state by ...

, where he helped build a facility on Montrose Boulevard. In New York City, New York, Coffman initiated "The Manhattan Project", in which he helped to raise more than $1 million to build the first facility for the Churches of Christ in New York County on what happened to be the most expensive real estate in the world."Coffman still 'normal, booming self' at 100,"
accessed August 19, 2008. Coffman noted that "For 100 years, Churches of Christ in (New York City) have worshipped in converted residences, lodge halls, mortuaries, theaters and other make-shift facilities. A hundred years is long enough to prove that success cannot be attained by such means." Manhattan Church of Christ still stands and serves on the Upper East Side today. He also served for a short time in the District of Columbia."Minister Burton Coffman dies at 101,"
accessed August 19, 2008. Later serving as a chaplain in the

United States Armed Forces The United States Armed Forces are the military forces of the United States. The armed forces consists of six service branches: the Army, Marine Corps, Navy, Air Force, Space Force, and Coast Guard. The president of the United States is ...

, Coffman held many gospels meetings internationally. He also formed an initiative to increase the number of personnel serving as

United States Air Force The United States Air Force (USAF) is the Aerial warfare, air military branch, service branch of the United States Armed Forces, and is one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. Originally created on 1 August 1907, as a part ...

chaplains from the Churches of Christ. He spent a year as vice-president of Harding University in Searcy, Arkansas. He received honorary degrees from Abilene Christian University,

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 th ...

, and Magic Valley Christian College.

Authorship

Coffman is the author of a 37-volume verse-by-verse commentary series, which includes every book in the Protestant Bible, which he finished in 1992. It is sold internationally, and serves as an amalgamation of many varying interpretations laid side-by-side for study, along with research into the historical backgrounds of the biblical text."Coffman's writings are lasting contribution,"
accessed August 19, 2008
accessed August 19, 2008

Education

B.A. Abilene Christian University (1927)

References

External links

Coffman's commentary series and biography can be found a
Coffman Commentaries
His five-part collection of memoirs is available through Abilene Christian University'
Center for Restoration Studies.
1905 births 2006 deaths Abilene Christian University alumni American centenarians Men centenarians American members of the Churches of Christ Arminian ministers Arminian theologians Bible_commentators Ministers of the Churches of Christ Restoration Movement {{US-reli-bio-stub