Jerry Falwell

Jerry Falwell - Activists, Family and Personal Life

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Jerry Falwell's Personal Details

Jerry Falwell was an American televangelist and political activist

InformationDetail
BirthdayAugust 11, 1933
Died onMay 15, 2007
NationalityAmerican
FamousActivists, Political Activists, Pastors, Televangelists, ESTJ
SpousesMacel Pate
SiblingsGene Falwell
Known asJerry Lamon Falwell Sr.
ChildrensJeannie Falwell, Jerry Falwell Jr., Jonathan Falwell
Universities
  • Baptist Bible College (Missouri)
  • Brookville High School
Founder / Co-Founder
  • Liberty University
  • Liberty Counsel
  • Liberty Christian Academy
  • Liberty University School of Law
  • Faith and Values Coalition
  • Moral Majority
Birth PlaceLynchburg
ReligionBaptists
GenderMale
FatherCarey Hezekiah Falwell
MotherHelen Falwell
Sun SignLeo
Born inLynchburg
Famous asPastor
Died at Age73

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Jerry Falwell's photo

Who is Jerry Falwell?

Jerry Falwell was an American televangelist and political activist. He grew up in a household that he described as a battleground between the forces of God and the powers of Satan. His grandfather was an atheist, his father was an agnostic and his mother was a devout Christian, who inspired Jerry to walk on the path to Jesus. He came to prominence first as a religious broadcaster through his 'Old-Time Gospel Hour' and then as the leader of the Moral Majority, a fundamentalist Christian political organization. He went from a Baptist preacher in Lynchburg to a powerful force in electoral politics. As much as anyone, he helped create the religious right as a political force, defined the issues that would energize it for decades and cemented its ties to the Republican Party. But his beliefs lead him to be impertinent to the LGBT community and the Muslim community. Also, he offended several Americans when he tried to segregate Christian children through his school and teaching

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Childhood & Early Life

Jerry Falwell was born on August 11, 1933 in the Fairview Heights region of Lynchburg, Virginia along with his twin brother, Gene, to Helen Virginia and Carey Hezekiah Falwell.

His father was an entrepreneur and an agnostic, his grandfather a staunch atheist and his mother was a devout Christian.

He was good in studies and also excelled at sports. After passing his high school, he joined the Lynchburg College in 1950 and underwent a religious conversion in 1952.

He later transferred to Baptist Bible College in Springfield, Mo., and graduated in 1956.

Career

Shortly after graduation, in 1956, Jerry founded the Thomas Road Baptist Church in Lynchburg, in an abandoned building, with an initial congregation of 35 adults and their families. Their first project was scrubbing cola off the brick walls.

In 1956, he also began a half-hour radio broadcast called 'The Old-Time Gospel Hour'. In 1971, the broadcast became a TV show and with a target audience in millions.

He opposed the US public education system owing to the view that it inculcated the views of secularism, atheism and humanism in the students, which were very much against the Christian moral teachings and called for a school voucher system.

In 1967, he expressed his desire to create a Christian educational system for the evangelical youth and soon established the Lynchburg Christian Academy. The academy was a segregation academy and a ministry of the Thomas Road Baptist Church.

He founded the Liberty University in Virginia in 1971. Gradually, it became the largest university in Virginia, the largest private, non-profit university in the nation and the largest Christian university in the world.

He was a thorough Bible-fanatic and believed that reading it was the only way of laying a strong family foundation and achieving spiritual learning and guidance. The church according to him was a place for the interaction of like-minded brethren.

The Supreme Court's ruling in 1971 in the Green v. Connally stated that any private school which practiced racial discrimination was not eligible for tax exemption as they practiced and proliferated religious segregation.

Jerry established the Moral Majority political action committee during 1979 to unite the protest against US President Jimmy Carter and his rule of revoking the tax-exempt status from Christian Schools.

The committee was promoted as being pro-life, pro-traditional family, pro-moral and pro-American and by the '190s it became the largest political lobby groups for evangelical Christians.

In the 1980 Presidential election Ronald Reagan won against incumbent Jimmy Carter by a big margin and this feat was credited to the committee and their 2/3rd white, evangelical Christians voting for him.

As the head of the committee, Jerry displayed an unwavering affection for Republican candidates and conservative politics. In a $10 million campaign with commercials for radio and TV he branded Carter as a traitor and non-Christian.

His views on America's participation in the Vietnam War were that the country wasn't fighting whole-heartedly against the North. He believed the President was 'a minister of God' and should use arms to 'bring wrath upon those who would do evil'.

Throughout his life, he remained a staunch supporter for the State of Israel and it was referred to as Christian Zionism. In his book 'Listen America' he quotes that the Jewish people are 'spiritually blind and desperately in need of their Messiah and saviour'.

In 1994 he distributed 'The Clinton Chronicles: An Investigation into the Alleged Criminal Activities of Bill Clinton' documentary, which claimed to establish a link between Clinton and a murder conspiracy involving Vincent Foster, James McDougall, Ron Brown and a cocaine-smuggling operation.

After several facts of the documentary were questioned and proved wrong, the theory of the documentary was soon discredited. Many years later, Jerry himself stated he couldn't guarantee the authenticity of the footage.

Major Works

Jerry founded the Thomas Road Baptist Church in Lynchburg in 1956 and now it is a mega church with 22000 members and also includes a day school, a live-in rehabilitation centre for alcoholics, a summer camp for children, a transportation service.

Jerry founded the Moral Majority—a political action committee—in 1979 to promote religious segregation and it grew to several million members in a short time. The committee was disbanded after having accomplished its mission.

Awards & Achievements

Jerry Falwell received three honorary doctorates in his life: Doctor of Divinity from Tennessee Temple Theological Seminary, Doctor of Letters from California Graduate School of Theology and Doctor of Laws from the Central University in Seoul, South Korea.

Personal Life & Legacy

Jerry married Macel Pate on April 12, 1958. The couple had three children, two sons (Jerry Jr and Jonathan) and a daughter (Jeannie).

He was strongly against homosexuality a and reprimanded the addition of LGBT-friendly Metropolitan Community Church into the World Council of Churches.

He believed that Islam was a satanic religion and that their prophet Muhammad was a terrorist. Although, he apologised to the Muslims community, he didn't remove these comments from his website.

Jerry Falwell passed away due to cardiac arrhythmia or sudden cardiac death on May 15, 2007 in the Lynchburg General Hospital.

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Jerry Falwell biography timelines

  • // 11th Aug 1933
    Jerry Falwell was born on August 11, 1933 in the Fairview Heights region of Lynchburg, Virginia along with his twin brother, Gene, to Helen Virginia and Carey Hezekiah Falwell.
  • // 1950 To 1952
    He was good in studies and also excelled at sports. After passing his high school, he joined the Lynchburg College in 1950 and underwent a religious conversion in 1952.
  • // 1956
    He later transferred to Baptist Bible College in Springfield, Mo., and graduated in 1956.
  • // 1956
    Shortly after graduation, in 1956, Jerry founded the Thomas Road Baptist Church in Lynchburg, in an abandoned building, with an initial congregation of 35 adults and their families. Their first project was scrubbing cola off the brick walls.
  • // 1956 To 1971
    In 1956, he also began a half-hour radio broadcast called 'The Old-Time Gospel Hour'. In 1971, the broadcast became a TV show and with a target audience in millions.
  • // 1956
    Jerry founded the Thomas Road Baptist Church in Lynchburg in 1956 and now it is a mega church with 22000 members and also includes a day school, a live-in rehabilitation centre for alcoholics, a summer camp for children, a transportation service.
  • // 12th Apr 1958
    Jerry married Macel Pate on April 12, 1958. The couple had three children, two sons (Jerry Jr and Jonathan) and a daughter (Jeannie).
  • // 1967
    In 1967, he expressed his desire to create a Christian educational system for the evangelical youth and soon established the Lynchburg Christian Academy. The academy was a segregation academy and a ministry of the Thomas Road Baptist Church.
  • // 1971
    He founded the Liberty University in Virginia in 1971. Gradually, it became the largest university in Virginia, the largest private, non-profit university in the nation and the largest Christian university in the world.
  • // 1971
    The Supreme Court's ruling in 1971 in the Green v. Connally stated that any private school which practiced racial discrimination was not eligible for tax exemption as they practiced and proliferated religious segregation.
  • // 1979
    Jerry established the Moral Majority political action committee during 1979 to unite the protest against US President Jimmy Carter and his rule of revoking the tax-exempt status from Christian Schools.
  • // 1979
    Jerry founded the Moral Majority—a political action committee—in 1979 to promote religious segregation and it grew to several million members in a short time. The committee was disbanded after having accomplished its mission.
  • // 1980
    In the 1980 Presidential election Ronald Reagan won against incumbent Jimmy Carter by a big margin and this feat was credited to the committee and their 2/3rd white, evangelical Christians voting for him.
  • // 1994
    In 1994 he distributed 'The Clinton Chronicles: An Investigation into the Alleged Criminal Activities of Bill Clinton' documentary, which claimed to establish a link between Clinton and a murder conspiracy involving Vincent Foster, James McDougall, Ron Brown and a cocaine-smuggling operation.
  • // 15th May 2007
    Jerry Falwell passed away due to cardiac arrhythmia or sudden cardiac death on May 15, 2007 in the Lynchburg General Hospital.

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Jerry Falwell's FAQ

  • What is Jerry Falwell birthday?

    Jerry Falwell was born at 1933-08-11

  • When was Jerry Falwell died?

    Jerry Falwell was died at 2007-05-15

  • Where was Jerry Falwell died?

    Jerry Falwell was died in Lynchburg

  • Which age was Jerry Falwell died?

    Jerry Falwell was died at age 73

  • Where is Jerry Falwell's birth place?

    Jerry Falwell was born in Lynchburg

  • What is Jerry Falwell nationalities?

    Jerry Falwell's nationalities is American

  • Who is Jerry Falwell spouses?

    Jerry Falwell's spouses is Macel Pate

  • Who is Jerry Falwell siblings?

    Jerry Falwell's siblings is Gene Falwell

  • Who is Jerry Falwell childrens?

    Jerry Falwell's childrens is Jeannie Falwell, Jerry Falwell Jr., Jonathan Falwell

  • What was Jerry Falwell universities?

    Jerry Falwell studied at Baptist Bible College (Missouri), Brookville High School

  • Which company or organization was founded by Jerry Falwell?

    Jerry Falwell was the founder/co-founder of Liberty University, Liberty Counsel, Liberty Christian Academy, Liberty University School of Law, Faith and Values Coalition, Moral Majority

  • What is Jerry Falwell's religion?

    Jerry Falwell's religion is Baptists

  • Who is Jerry Falwell's father?

    Jerry Falwell's father is Carey Hezekiah Falwell

  • Who is Jerry Falwell's mother?

    Jerry Falwell's mother is Helen Falwell

  • What is Jerry Falwell's sun sign?

    Jerry Falwell is Leo

  • How famous is Jerry Falwell?

    Jerry Falwell is famouse as Pastor