Craig Groeschel
Encyclopedia
Craig Groeschel is the founder and senior pastor of LifeChurch.tv
, a church with fourteen locations in five states. He is married with six children and lives in Edmond, Oklahoma
, a suburb of Oklahoma City, where LifeChurch.tv is based.
Groeschel was born in Houston, Texas
and grew up in southern Oklahoma
, attending Ardmore High School. After high school, he attended Oklahoma City University
, where he was a member of the Lambda Chi Alpha
fraternity. Craig attended for four years on an athletic scholarship, and received a Bachelor's degree in Marketing
. Shortly thereafter, he met his wife Amy, and the two married in 1991. That same year, Groeschel entered the ministry as an associate pastor in the United Methodist Church
. He attended Phillips Theological Seminary
, which is affiliated with the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) and secured a Master of Divinity
degree. He was an associate pastor at First United Methodist Church in Oklahoma City
when it was damaged in the 1995 Oklahoma City Bombing
.
In 1996, Groeschel and a handful of people started Life Covenant Church in a two-car garage. Groeschel later told Business Week that he started by performing market research of non-churchgoers, and designed his church in response to what he learned. Groeschel’s non-traditional style was successful and attendance of Life Covenant grew rapidly, eventually evolving to become (as of December 2009) the second largest church in the United States with thirteen LifeChurch.tv campuses Groeschel began using video to deliver some of sermons when his fourth child was born in 2001 and he was unavailable for the Sunday service; he discovered that the videos were popular with his churchgoers, and his church has continued to use them. In 2006 he set up a website called mysecret.tv as a place for people to confess anonymously on the Internet. Groeschel also began delivering his services to the Second Life
virtual world
on Easter Sunday 2007.
Groeschel was named the 5th most influential pastor in 2006 and LifeChurch.tv was named America’s Most Innovative Church by Outreach Magazine
in 2007 and 2008.
LifeChurch.tv
LifeChurch.tv is an American evangelical multi-site church with multiple locations in five states. Craig Groeschel is the founder and senior pastor of LifeChurch.tv....
, a church with fourteen locations in five states. He is married with six children and lives in Edmond, Oklahoma
Edmond, Oklahoma
Edmond is a city in Oklahoma County, Oklahoma, United States, and a part of the Oklahoma City metropolitan area in the central part of the state. As of the 2010 census, the population was 81,405, making it the sixth largest city in the state of Oklahoma....
, a suburb of Oklahoma City, where LifeChurch.tv is based.
Groeschel was born in Houston, Texas
Houston, Texas
Houston is the fourth-largest city in the United States, and the largest city in the state of Texas. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the city had a population of 2.1 million people within an area of . Houston is the seat of Harris County and the economic center of , which is the ...
and grew up in southern Oklahoma
Oklahoma
Oklahoma is a state located in the South Central region of the United States of America. With an estimated 3,751,351 residents as of the 2010 census and a land area of 68,667 square miles , Oklahoma is the 28th most populous and 20th-largest state...
, attending Ardmore High School. After high school, he attended Oklahoma City University
Oklahoma City University
Oklahoma City University, often referred to as OCU, is a coeducational, urban, private university historically affiliated with the United Methodist Church...
, where he was a member of the Lambda Chi Alpha
Lambda Chi Alpha
Lambda Chi Alpha is one of the largest men's secret general fraternities in North America, having initiated more than 280,000 members and held chapters at more than 300 universities. It is a member of the North-American Interfraternity Conference and was founded by Warren A. Cole, while he was a...
fraternity. Craig attended for four years on an athletic scholarship, and received a Bachelor's degree in Marketing
Marketing
Marketing is the process used to determine what products or services may be of interest to customers, and the strategy to use in sales, communications and business development. It generates the strategy that underlies sales techniques, business communication, and business developments...
. Shortly thereafter, he met his wife Amy, and the two married in 1991. That same year, Groeschel entered the ministry as an associate pastor in the United Methodist Church
United Methodist Church
The United Methodist Church is a Methodist Christian denomination which is both mainline Protestant and evangelical. Founded in 1968 by the union of The Methodist Church and the Evangelical United Brethren Church, the UMC traces its roots back to the revival movement of John and Charles Wesley...
. He attended Phillips Theological Seminary
Phillips Theological Seminary
Phillips Theological Seminary, located in Tulsa, Oklahoma, is a theological seminary associated with the Christian Church , the United Methodist Church, and the Unitarian Universalist Association.- History :...
, which is affiliated with the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) and secured a Master of Divinity
Master of Divinity
In the academic study of theology, the Master of Divinity is the first professional degree of the pastoral profession in North America...
degree. He was an associate pastor at First United Methodist Church in Oklahoma City
Oklahoma city
Oklahoma City is the capital and largest city of the U.S. state of Oklahoma.Oklahoma City may also refer to:*Oklahoma City metropolitan area*Downtown Oklahoma City*Uptown Oklahoma City*Oklahoma City bombing*Oklahoma City National Memorial...
when it was damaged in the 1995 Oklahoma City Bombing
Oklahoma City bombing
The Oklahoma City bombing was a terrorist bomb attack on the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in downtown Oklahoma City on April 19, 1995. It was the most destructive act of terrorism on American soil until the September 11, 2001 attacks. The Oklahoma blast claimed 168 lives, including 19...
.
In 1996, Groeschel and a handful of people started Life Covenant Church in a two-car garage. Groeschel later told Business Week that he started by performing market research of non-churchgoers, and designed his church in response to what he learned. Groeschel’s non-traditional style was successful and attendance of Life Covenant grew rapidly, eventually evolving to become (as of December 2009) the second largest church in the United States with thirteen LifeChurch.tv campuses Groeschel began using video to deliver some of sermons when his fourth child was born in 2001 and he was unavailable for the Sunday service; he discovered that the videos were popular with his churchgoers, and his church has continued to use them. In 2006 he set up a website called mysecret.tv as a place for people to confess anonymously on the Internet. Groeschel also began delivering his services to the Second Life
Second Life
Second Life is an online virtual world developed by Linden Lab. It was launched on June 23, 2003. A number of free client programs, or Viewers, enable Second Life users, called Residents, to interact with each other through avatars...
virtual world
Virtual world
A virtual world is an online community that takes the form of a computer-based simulated environment through which users can interact with one another and use and create objects. The term has become largely synonymous with interactive 3D virtual environments, where the users take the form of...
on Easter Sunday 2007.
Groeschel was named the 5th most influential pastor in 2006 and LifeChurch.tv was named America’s Most Innovative Church by Outreach Magazine
Outreach Magazine
Outreach Magazine is an Evangelical Christian periodical based in Vista, California. It focuses on activities of growing churches and is non-denominational.It is a periodical from the organization Outreach, Inc...
in 2007 and 2008.