John Ankerberg (born December 10, 1945) is an American

Christian Christians () are people who follow or adhere to Christianity, a monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. The words ''Christ'' and ''Christian'' derive from the Koine Greek title ''Christós'' (Χρι ...

television host, author, and speaker. He is an ordained Baptist minister and has authored or coauthored more than 150 books and study guides. He is the producer and host of the internationally televised weekly program ''The John Ankerberg Show''.

Early life and education

Ankerberg earned an undergraduate degree from the University of Illinois at Chicago, an M.A. in Church History and Philosophy of Christian Thought, and a

Master of Divinity For graduate-level theological institutions, the Master of Divinity (MDiv, ''magister divinitatis'' in Latin) is the first professional degree of the pastoral profession in North America. It is the most common academic degree in seminaries and divi ...

from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School. He earned a Doctor of Ministry from

Luther Rice Seminary Luther Rice College & Seminary is a private Baptist college and seminary in Lithonia, Georgia. Through the college and seminary the institution offers bachelor, masters, and doctoral degrees in leadership, counseling, apologetics, Christian worl ...

in Lithonia, Georgia. He is an ordained Baptist minister.

Ministry

His ministry, the John Ankerberg Show, launched in 1980 on one network in Kansas City, Missouri. His organization notes: "While speaking at a Youth for Christ summer camp, he was first asked to host a Kansas City Christian television program. Structuring the program with a debate-format, the show quickly caught the attention of other networks. After moving to Chattanooga, Tennessee to serve another media ministry, The John Ankerberg Show was picked up on CBN, a new network that soon expanded nationwide. Within a short time, Dr. Ankerberg’s side project quickly became a full-time ministry in 1980, renting office space and studio time to produce additional programs." The television program airs on Daystar, God TV, and internationally in 10 languages with 4.5 billion potential viewers in virtually every nation. Influential among conservative evangelicals, John Ankerberg was a noted influence in the life of Arkansas governor and Republican presidential candidate Mike Huckabee. In 2018, Ankerberg met with a delegation of leaders regarding international Christian persecution with Vice President Mike Pence.

National Religious Broadcasters

Ankerberg is a member of the Board of Directors of the National Religious Broadcasters, a position he has held on multiple occasions. He was most recently noted as a member of the Board Class of 2020.

Bakker and PTL scandal

In 1987, Ankerberg presented evidence that exposed the moral failings of televangelist Jim Bakker, which included solicitation for sex and homosexual relations.

Evangelicals and Catholics Together

In 1995 Ankerberg and other evangelical leaders expressed opposition to the proposed Evangelicals and Catholics Together ecumenical document designed to foster a sense of unity and cooperation between Protestant evangelicals and Catholics. This opposition resulted in a meeting that drafted an amendment clarifying the beliefs of the evangelical signers, which stated that "cooperation with evangelically committed Roman Catholics, does not imply acceptance of Roman Catholic doctrinal distinctives or endorsement of the Roman Catholic Church system." Ankerberg stated that the meeting "heals the breach", but "failed to mollify the concerns of many evangelicals."

Politics

Ankerberg has stated that he is non-partisan when it comes to voting for president.

Personal life

Ankerberg is married to his wife Darlene; they have one adult daughter. The Ankerbergs have lived in Chattanooga, Tennessee, since 1980.

Awards

* Recipient of the William Ward Ayer Award for Distinguished Service – National Religious Broadcasters, 2015 * “The Television Program Producer of the Year Award”, National Religious Broadcasters, 1992Barry Courter
Technological Gospel: Ankerberg spreads the Word through TV, smartphones and apps
timesfreepress.com, USA, April 11, 2015

References

External links

* http://www.jashow.com Ankerberg Theological Research Institute and ''John Ankerberg Show'' official website * http://www.timesfreepress.com/news/life/entertainment/story/2015/apr/11/technological-gospelankerberg-spreads-word-th/297882/ Technological Gospel: Ankerberg spreads the Word through TV, smartphones and apps {{DEFAULTSORT:Ankerberg, John 1945 births Living people Christian writers American television evangelists Trinity Evangelical Divinity School alumni Writers from Chicago 20th-century Baptist ministers from the United States 21st-century Baptist ministers from the United States Luther Rice University alumni