Evangelical icon David Wilkerson dies in car crash
Apr 29, 2011 by Adelle M. Banks
(RNS) Evangelist David Wilkerson, who wrote the popular book "The Cross and the Switchblade" and founded New York's Times Square Church, died in a traffic accident Wednesday (April 27).
Wilkerson, 79, died after his car slammed into a tractor-trailer on a highway about 95 miles southeast of Dallas, according to The Associated Press. His wife, Gwen, was also injured but is expected to recover.
Wilkerson was known most for his outreach to street gangs, which he started after viewing a photo in Life magazine of New York City teens charged with murder.
He founded Teen Challenge, a ministry to young gang members and drug addicts, in New York in 1959. In 1963, he co-authored his best-selling story, which Christianity Today magazine listed in 2006 in the No. 32 spot on its "Top 50 Books That Have Shaped Evangelicals."
Wilkerson was an Assemblies of God pastor in rural Pennsylvania before starting his New York ministries, including the nondenominational Times Square Church that meets in a converted Broadway theater.
"The kingdom of God has lost a giant of the faith. His life touched millions," said Assemblies of God General Superintendent George O. Wood, in a statement. "He was godly, humble and represented everything that is best in a spiritual leader."
Wilkerson's last blog post, on Wednesday, addressed the inevitability of death.
"To those going through the valley and shadow of death, hear this word: Weeping will last through some dark, awful nights," he wrote, "and in that darkness you will soon hear the Father whisper, `I am with you. I cannot tell you why right now, but one day it will all make sense. You will see it was all part of my plan. It was no accident."'
YOU WILL BE DEEPLY MISSED YET NEVER FORGOTTEN. YOU HAVE BEEN A FORERUNNER OF GODS KINGDOM MANDATE IN THESE TIMES AND YOU HAVE LEFT A TRAIL OF GODS LOVE AND PASSION FOR MANY TO FOLLOW. IN MY EARLY DAYS OF FAITH YOU WERE A TRUE MENTOR EVEN THOUGH WE'VE NEVER MET IN PERSON YET I'LL MEET YOU SOMETIME IN THE FUTURE. THANK YOU FOR ALL YOU HAVE DONE AND FOR ALL YOU HAVE TOUCHED. GLORY TO GOD!
ReplyDeleteDAVE YEOMANS
MICHIGAN
Like Selwyn Hughes in Britain, you were at the very point of turning as one Pentecostal age fractured into the Age of the Ministry of the Body of Christ.
ReplyDeleteThe people you ministered to like Nicky Cruz were thrust out to places like our school in the 70s.
You laid hands on Graham Pulkingham who was immediately commissioned and jettisoned by the Spirit to raise up this "new thing", a Body building itself in love. He too came for a week to our school in 73. Of these things , and how they have directly "rearranged" our age group, you will not be aware. But you were so often Turnpin.