Dave Breese
Encyclopedia
David William Breese was an evangelical Christian pastor
and theologian from the mid-20th century to the early 21st century.
to David and Ruth (Gunton) Breese. He was the youngest of four children, having three older sisters including, Betty, and twin sisters, Mary and Margaret ("Marge"). He also had a foster
brother, Bob Guadio, whom Breese's parents took in as a child. Breese attended Lane Technical High School, an all-boys school with 8,000 students. As a youth, he had been fascinated by airplanes and flying. During World War II
, Breese entered Pre-Flight Training at Lane Tech, in the hope of serving his country.
When he was in high school, all of Breese's sisters were involved in a, "Hi-C Club," a Christian
youth organization. One week, when Breese was 16-years-old, the Hi-C meeting was held at his house. Though Breese had no interest in religious pursuits, he heard a woman clearly present a Gospel
message while teaching on the Holy Bible's, Book of Romans
. A couple weeks later, he decided to believe the message and was converted to belief in Jesus Christ.
, and then went on to Northern Baptist Seminary, in Lombard, Illinois
. Eventually, he earned his "multiengine rating." In the years that followed, he flew himself to speaking engagements all across the country.
.
In addition to his prolific writing, Breese was also a poet. His sister, Betty, has told of how in his early years his mother would have a young Dave Breese recite poetry. This contributed to his abilities as a public speaker and writer.
. They had two daughters, Lynn and Noelle. Just as his parents had a foster son named Bob, Breese and his wife provided a home for a young Laotian
boy, Lomae, who is considered part of the extended Breese family today.
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Breese was:
By the 1980s, Breese had gained national prominence via his radio broadcasts “Dave Breese Reports” and “Dave Breese Reporting!” His network of over a hundred stations covered much of the United States. In the mid-'80s, Breese accepted the call to become speaker on “The King is Coming” telecast and later assumed the presidency of the telecast’s parent organization, "World Prophetic Ministry." His outreach via television spanned the globe, reaching across all of America and into 57 nations of the world.
Breese died May 3, 2002.
Pastor
The word pastor usually refers to an ordained leader of a Christian congregation. When used as an ecclesiastical styling or title, this role may be abbreviated to "Pr." or often "Ps"....
and theologian from the mid-20th century to the early 21st century.
Early Family Life
Breese was born in ChicagoChicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
to David and Ruth (Gunton) Breese. He was the youngest of four children, having three older sisters including, Betty, and twin sisters, Mary and Margaret ("Marge"). He also had a foster
Foster Child
Foster Child is a 1987 documentary film by Gil Cardinal, exploring the filmmaker's search, at age thirty-five, for biological family. Cardinal often meets with frustration during his search, but eventually finds his natural family and discovers his Métis roots.This National Film Board of Canada...
brother, Bob Guadio, whom Breese's parents took in as a child. Breese attended Lane Technical High School, an all-boys school with 8,000 students. As a youth, he had been fascinated by airplanes and flying. During World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, Breese entered Pre-Flight Training at Lane Tech, in the hope of serving his country.
When he was in high school, all of Breese's sisters were involved in a, "Hi-C Club," a Christian
Christian
A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...
youth organization. One week, when Breese was 16-years-old, the Hi-C meeting was held at his house. Though Breese had no interest in religious pursuits, he heard a woman clearly present a Gospel
Gospel
A gospel is an account, often written, that describes the life of Jesus of Nazareth. In a more general sense the term "gospel" may refer to the good news message of the New Testament. It is primarily used in reference to the four canonical gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John...
message while teaching on the Holy Bible's, Book of Romans
Epistle to the Romans
The Epistle of Paul to the Romans, often shortened to Romans, is the sixth book in the New Testament. Biblical scholars agree that it was composed by the Apostle Paul to explain that Salvation is offered through the Gospel of Jesus Christ...
. A couple weeks later, he decided to believe the message and was converted to belief in Jesus Christ.
Further schooling
Breese completed his undergraduate studies at Judson College, in Elgin, IllinoisElgin, Illinois
Elgin is a city in northern Illinois located roughly northwest of Chicago on the Fox River. Most of Elgin lies within Kane County, Illinois, with a portion in Cook County, Illinois...
, and then went on to Northern Baptist Seminary, in Lombard, Illinois
Lombard, Illinois
Lombard, "The Lilac Village", is a suburb of Chicago in DuPage County, Illinois. The population was 42,322 at the 2000 census. The United States Census Bureau estimated the population in 2004 to be 42,975.-History:...
. Eventually, he earned his "multiengine rating." In the years that followed, he flew himself to speaking engagements all across the country.
Ministry
In addition to pulpit preaching, Breese also recorded many messages for broadcast. His family tells stories of him sitting up late at night, making radio programs on a simple recorder with a blanket over his head, because of the outside noises. At that time, he didn’t have a recording studioRecording studio
A recording studio is a facility for sound recording and mixing. Ideally both the recording and monitoring spaces are specially designed by an acoustician to achieve optimum acoustic properties...
.
In addition to his prolific writing, Breese was also a poet. His sister, Betty, has told of how in his early years his mother would have a young Dave Breese recite poetry. This contributed to his abilities as a public speaker and writer.
Family life
Breese married Carol Fleming, whom he met at a meeting in Winona Lake, IndianaWinona Lake, Indiana
Winona Lake is a town in Wayne Township, Kosciusko County, Indiana, United States. The population was 4,908 at the 2010 census.-Geography:Winona Lake is located at...
. They had two daughters, Lynn and Noelle. Just as his parents had a foster son named Bob, Breese and his wife provided a home for a young Laotian
Laos
Laos Lao: ສາທາລະນະລັດ ປະຊາທິປະໄຕ ປະຊາຊົນລາວ Sathalanalat Paxathipatai Paxaxon Lao, officially the Lao People's Democratic Republic, is a landlocked country in Southeast Asia, bordered by Burma and China to the northwest, Vietnam to the east, Cambodia to the south and Thailand to the west...
boy, Lomae, who is considered part of the extended Breese family today.
Accomplishments
- A formative force in the early years of Youth For ChristYouth for ChristYouth for Christ is the name of a number of previously unaffiliated evangelical Protestant religious campaigns which led to the creation of Youth for Christ International in 1946....
, serving 13 years. - Influential in the establishment of the AWANA Youth AssociationAwanaAWANA is an international evangelical nonprofit organization founded in 1950, headquartered in Streamwood, Illinois...
. - A speaker on Back to the BibleBack to the BibleBack to the Bible is an international Christian ministry based in Lincoln, Nebraska, United States, using radio, the internet, television, and other media...
Broadcast’s, “Pause For Good News,” for 13 years. - A member of the Board of the National Religious BroadcastersNational Religious BroadcastersNational Religious Broadcasters is an American organization that represents Christian religious broadcasters on American television and radio, including several high-profile televangelists and Christian radio show hosts. It claims a membership of more than 1700 organizations...
and the National Association of EvangelicalsNational Association of EvangelicalsThe National Association of Evangelicals is a fellowship of member denominations, churches, organizations, and individuals. Its goal is to honor God by connecting and representing evangelicals in the United States. Today it works in four main areas: Church & Faith Partners, Government Relations,...
. - Founder of the "Christian Destiny" ministry, in 1963.
- President and Bible teacher on, “The King Is Coming” telecast
- Radio Broadcaster on, “Dave Breese Reports,” and, “Dave Breese Reporting.”
- Consultant and friend to presidents, statesmen and religious leaders.
- Author of many books and booklets.
By the 1980s, Breese had gained national prominence via his radio broadcasts “Dave Breese Reports” and “Dave Breese Reporting!” His network of over a hundred stations covered much of the United States. In the mid-'80s, Breese accepted the call to become speaker on “The King is Coming” telecast and later assumed the presidency of the telecast’s parent organization, "World Prophetic Ministry." His outreach via television spanned the globe, reaching across all of America and into 57 nations of the world.
Major Publication
In 1990, Breese published Seven Men Who Rule the World from the Grave (ISBN 0-8024-8449-2). The seven men he highlighted are:- Charles DarwinCharles DarwinCharles Robert Darwin FRS was an English naturalist. He established that all species of life have descended over time from common ancestry, and proposed the scientific theory that this branching pattern of evolution resulted from a process that he called natural selection.He published his theory...
, who systematized and advanced the principle that evolutionEvolutionEvolution is any change across successive generations in the heritable characteristics of biological populations. Evolutionary processes give rise to diversity at every level of biological organisation, including species, individual organisms and molecules such as DNA and proteins.Life on Earth...
was behind the origin of the species. - Karl MarxKarl MarxKarl Heinrich Marx was a German philosopher, economist, sociologist, historian, journalist, and revolutionary socialist. His ideas played a significant role in the development of social science and the socialist political movement...
, who developed and advocated the notion of modern CommunismCommunismCommunism is a social, political and economic ideology that aims at the establishment of a classless, moneyless, revolutionary and stateless socialist society structured upon common ownership of the means of production...
. - Julius WellhausenJulius WellhausenJulius Wellhausen , was a German biblical scholar and orientalist, noted particularly for his contribution to scholarly understanding of the origin of the Pentateuch/Torah ....
, who initiated "higher criticism" and "modernismModernismModernism, in its broadest definition, is modern thought, character, or practice. More specifically, the term describes the modernist movement, its set of cultural tendencies and array of associated cultural movements, originally arising from wide-scale and far-reaching changes to Western society...
." - John DeweyJohn DeweyJohn Dewey was an American philosopher, psychologist and educational reformer whose ideas have been influential in education and social reform. Dewey was an important early developer of the philosophy of pragmatism and one of the founders of functional psychology...
, who argued for an educational system focused on problem solvingProblem solvingProblem solving is a mental process and is part of the larger problem process that includes problem finding and problem shaping. Consideredthe most complex of all intellectual functions, problem solving has been defined as higher-order cognitive process that requires the modulation and control of...
and the growth of the child in all aspects of his being. - Sigmund FreudSigmund FreudSigmund Freud , born Sigismund Schlomo Freud , was an Austrian neurologist who founded the discipline of psychoanalysis...
, who promoted the view that the sexual instinct is the driving force behind all human action. - John Maynard KeynesJohn Maynard KeynesJohn Maynard Keynes, Baron Keynes of Tilton, CB FBA , was a British economist whose ideas have profoundly affected the theory and practice of modern macroeconomics, as well as the economic policies of governments...
, who advocated the policies for reducing unemployment and expanding the economy that today find their expression in deficit spendingDeficit spendingDeficit spending is the amount by which a government, private company, or individual's spending exceeds income over a particular period of time, also called simply "deficit," or "budget deficit," the opposite of budget surplus....
and governmental activism. - Søren KierkegaardSøren KierkegaardSøren Aabye Kierkegaard was a Danish Christian philosopher, theologian and religious author. He was a critic of idealist intellectuals and philosophers of his time, such as Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel, Friedrich Wilhelm Joseph Schelling and Karl Wilhelm Friedrich Schlegel...
, who stressed the obligation each person has to make conscious, responsible choices among alternatives, a major tenet of existentialismExistentialismExistentialism is a term applied to a school of 19th- and 20th-century philosophers who, despite profound doctrinal differences, shared the belief that philosophical thinking begins with the human subject—not merely the thinking subject, but the acting, feeling, living human individual...
.
Breese's last days
Just after the year 2000 rang in, Breese suffered a stroke. He had rarely turned down an invitation to preach. In an average year, he would travel over 100,000 miles to speak at churches, Bible conferences, colleges, universities, evangelistic meetings and debates. The busy schedule had taken its toll. After his stroke, he continued to write.Breese died May 3, 2002.