Ben Haden
Encyclopedia
Ben Haden is an ordained minister in the Presbyterian Church in America
. He became internationally known through the medium of one of the most successful of the twentieth century religious broadcasts, Changed Lives. Originating from the services of the First Presbyterian Church in Chattanooga, Tennessee, Haden drew the attention of television audiences all over America and the world through his unique communication style and evangelical Biblical claims. With his background as an attorney, his pulpit approach was sometimes described as arguing a case before a jury. With his background in the CIA and as CEO for a daily newspaper, Haden leveraged his highly secular background and his keen Biblical insights to speak to the hearts of men and women living in the modern world. Haden was also the speaker on the Radio Bible Study Hour, succeeding The Rev. Dr. Donald Grey Barnhouse of Tenth Presbyterian Church
in Philadelphia. Mr. Haden was an atheist until he heard the Gospel of Christ from a merchant and became a Christian in 1954.
Educated at Washington and Lee University
, University of Texas at Austin
, and Columbia Theological Seminary
, Ben Haden pastored Key Biscayne Presbyterian Church in Miami, Florida
before moving to become the 11th pastor of the First Presbyterian Church in Chattanooga, Tennessee in 1968. Haden followed The Reverend Dr. James L. Fowle, a legendary figure in the Chattanooga community and was succeeded in that pastorate by The Reverend Dr. Michael A. Milton in 2001. Haden served the church in Chattanooga for 31 years before resigning in 1998 to pursue Changed Lives.org, an internet streaming video and audio on-demand ministry. His ministry currently produces "conversations," talks lasting from five to fifteen minutes and done in a conversational tone. He emphasizes that these productions are not sermons, but are simple conversations. This supports one of aims of "Changed Lives," which is to reach the many Americans who claim to be Christians yet do not have a home church.
In 1963, while he was still attending Columbia Theological Seminary, Mr. Haden published a non-fictional account entitled I See Their Faces, describing the people he met during his travels as a newspaperman in the Soviet Union. The book is no longer in print but is available through many book sellers online. He has a wife, Charlyne, and one daughter, Dallas.
Presbyterian Church in America
The Presbyterian Church in America is an evangelical Protestant Christian denomination, the second largest Presbyterian church body in the United States after the Presbyterian Church . The PCA professes a strong commitment to evangelism, missionary work, and Christian education...
. He became internationally known through the medium of one of the most successful of the twentieth century religious broadcasts, Changed Lives. Originating from the services of the First Presbyterian Church in Chattanooga, Tennessee, Haden drew the attention of television audiences all over America and the world through his unique communication style and evangelical Biblical claims. With his background as an attorney, his pulpit approach was sometimes described as arguing a case before a jury. With his background in the CIA and as CEO for a daily newspaper, Haden leveraged his highly secular background and his keen Biblical insights to speak to the hearts of men and women living in the modern world. Haden was also the speaker on the Radio Bible Study Hour, succeeding The Rev. Dr. Donald Grey Barnhouse of Tenth Presbyterian Church
Tenth Presbyterian Church
Tenth Presbyterian Church is a congregation of approximately 1,500 members located in downtown Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Tenth is affiliated with the Presbyterian Church in America , a denomination in the Reformed or Calvinist tradition.-History:...
in Philadelphia. Mr. Haden was an atheist until he heard the Gospel of Christ from a merchant and became a Christian in 1954.
Educated at Washington and Lee University
Washington and Lee University
Washington and Lee University is a private liberal arts college in Lexington, Virginia, United States.The classical school from which Washington and Lee descended was established in 1749 as Augusta Academy, about north of its present location. In 1776 it was renamed Liberty Hall in a burst of...
, University of Texas at Austin
University of Texas at Austin
The University of Texas at Austin is a state research university located in Austin, Texas, USA, and is the flagship institution of the The University of Texas System. Founded in 1883, its campus is located approximately from the Texas State Capitol in Austin...
, and Columbia Theological Seminary
Columbia Theological Seminary
Columbia Theological Seminary is one of the ten theological institutions affiliated with the Presbyterian Church . It is located in Decatur, Georgia. Dr. Stephen A. Hayner is the seminary's president.-Description:...
, Ben Haden pastored Key Biscayne Presbyterian Church in Miami, Florida
Miami, Florida
Miami is a city located on the Atlantic coast in southeastern Florida and the county seat of Miami-Dade County, the most populous county in Florida and the eighth-most populous county in the United States with a population of 2,500,625...
before moving to become the 11th pastor of the First Presbyterian Church in Chattanooga, Tennessee in 1968. Haden followed The Reverend Dr. James L. Fowle, a legendary figure in the Chattanooga community and was succeeded in that pastorate by The Reverend Dr. Michael A. Milton in 2001. Haden served the church in Chattanooga for 31 years before resigning in 1998 to pursue Changed Lives.org, an internet streaming video and audio on-demand ministry. His ministry currently produces "conversations," talks lasting from five to fifteen minutes and done in a conversational tone. He emphasizes that these productions are not sermons, but are simple conversations. This supports one of aims of "Changed Lives," which is to reach the many Americans who claim to be Christians yet do not have a home church.
In 1963, while he was still attending Columbia Theological Seminary, Mr. Haden published a non-fictional account entitled I See Their Faces, describing the people he met during his travels as a newspaperman in the Soviet Union. The book is no longer in print but is available through many book sellers online. He has a wife, Charlyne, and one daughter, Dallas.