John C. Maxwell
Encyclopedia
John Calvin Maxwell is an evangelical Christian author, speaker, and pastor
who has written more than 60 books, primarily focusing on leadership
. Titles include The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership and The 21 Indispensable Qualities of a Leader: Becoming the Person Others Will Want to Follow. His books have sold more than nineteen million copies, with some on the New York Times Best Seller List
, and translations in over fifty languages.
in 1947. Maxwell followed his father into the ministry, completing a Bachelor's degree
at Ohio Christian University
in 1969, a Master of Divinity
degree at Azusa Pacific University
, and a Doctor of Ministry
degree at Fuller Theological Seminary
. He currently resides in South Florida with his wife, Margaret.
For over 30 years, Maxwell has led churches in Indiana
, Ohio
, California
, and Florida
. After serving as senior pastor for 14 years, in 1995 he left Skyline Church
, near San Diego, to devote himself full-time to speaking and writing. However, in 2004, he returned to congregational ministry at Christ Fellowship
in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida
, where he is currently a teaching pastor. On November 16, 2008, he began serving as a guest pastor at the famous Crystal Cathedral
in Orange County, California
. Maxwell's mentor
, Robert H. Schuller
, has had a variety of noted evangelical pastors preach at his megachurch
since his son, Robert A. Schuller
, resigned as senior pastor in 2008. Maxwell has returned to preach at the Crystal Cathedral several times and his messages are broadcast worldwide on the Hour of Power television program, seen by an estimated 20 million viewers.
Maxwell is an internationally recognized leadership expert, speaker, and author who has sold over 19 million books. His organizations have trained more than five million leaders worldwide. He is the founder of INJOY, Maximum Impact, ISS and EQUIP, an international leadership development organization working to help leaders. EQUIP is involved with leaders from more than 80 nations. Its mission is “to see effective Christian leaders fulfill the Great Commission
in every nation.”
Every year Maxwell speaks to Fortune 500
companies, international government leaders, and organizations as diverse as the United States Military Academy
at West Point and the National Football League
. A New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and Business Week best-selling author, Maxwell was one of 25 authors and artists named to Amazon.com
's 10th Anniversary Hall of Fame. Three of his books, The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership, Developing the Leader Within You, and The 21 Indispensable Qualities of a Leader have each sold over a million copies.
Maxwell serves on the Board of Trustees at Indiana Wesleyan University
and has a building named after him there, the Maxwell Center for Business and Leadership.
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"....
who has written more than 60 books, primarily focusing on leadership
Leadership
Leadership has been described as the “process of social influence in which one person can enlist the aid and support of others in the accomplishment of a common task". Other in-depth definitions of leadership have also emerged.-Theories:...
. Titles include The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership and The 21 Indispensable Qualities of a Leader: Becoming the Person Others Will Want to Follow. His books have sold more than nineteen million copies, with some on the New York Times Best Seller List
New York Times Best Seller list
The New York Times Best Seller list is widely considered the preeminent list of best-selling books in the United States. It is published weekly in The New York Times Book Review magazine, which is published in the Sunday edition of The New York Times and as a stand-alone publication...
, and translations in over fifty languages.
Personal life
John C. Maxwell was born in Garden City, MichiganGarden City, Michigan
Garden City is a city in Wayne County of the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 27,692. The city is part of the Metro Detroit region.- History :...
in 1947. Maxwell followed his father into the ministry, completing a Bachelor's degree
Bachelor's degree
A bachelor's degree is usually an academic degree awarded for an undergraduate course or major that generally lasts for three or four years, but can range anywhere from two to six years depending on the region of the world...
at Ohio Christian University
Ohio Christian University
Ohio Christian University is a private professions-based baccalaureate college in Circleville, Ohio. The school is denominationally affiliated with the Churches of Christ in Christian Union.-History:...
in 1969, 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 at Azusa Pacific University
Azusa Pacific University
Azusa Pacific University is a private, inter-denominational, evangelical Christian university located near Los Angeles in suburban Azusa, California. It was founded in 1899, with classes opening on March 3, 1900 in Whittier, California. It began offering degrees in 1939...
, and a Doctor of Ministry
Doctor of Ministry
The Doctor of Ministry degree is, according to The Association of Theological Schools in the United States and Canada , a doctoral level degree oriented toward ministerial leadership often in an area of applied theology, such as missions, evangelism, church leadership, pastoral psychology or the...
degree at Fuller Theological Seminary
Fuller Theological Seminary
Fuller Theological Seminary is an accredited Christian educational institute with its main campus in Pasadena, California and several satellite campuses in the western United States...
. He currently resides in South Florida with his wife, Margaret.
Career
Indiana
Indiana is a US state, admitted to the United States as the 19th on December 11, 1816. It is located in the Midwestern United States and Great Lakes Region. With 6,483,802 residents, the state is ranked 15th in population and 16th in population density. Indiana is ranked 38th in land area and is...
, Ohio
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, and Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
. After serving as senior pastor for 14 years, in 1995 he left Skyline Church
Skyline Church
Skyline Church is an evangelical Christian megachurch located in La Mesa, California, a suburb of San Diego, affiliated with the Wesleyan Church denomination. The church currently averages 2,500 in attendance per week.- History :...
, near San Diego, to devote himself full-time to speaking and writing. However, in 2004, he returned to congregational ministry at Christ Fellowship
Christ Fellowship
Christ Fellowship is a non-denominational Christian megachurch, located in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida. According to Outreach Magazine, Christ Fellowship is currently the 25th largest church in the United States....
in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida
Palm Beach Gardens, Florida
Palm Beach Gardens is a city in Palm Beach County in the U.S. state of Florida. The city is in the center of a rapidly-developing area north of West Palm Beach in the northern part of the county and the South Florida metropolitan area. , the population was 48,452...
, where he is currently a teaching pastor. On November 16, 2008, he began serving as a guest pastor at the famous Crystal Cathedral
Crystal Cathedral
The Crystal Cathedral is a Protestant Christian church building in the city of Garden Grove, in Orange County, California, United States. It is the headquarters and principal place of worship for Crystal Cathedral Ministries, a church founded in 1955 by Robert H. Schuller and affiliated with the...
in Orange County, California
Orange County, California
Orange County is a county in the U.S. state of California. Its county seat is Santa Ana. As of the 2010 census, its population was 3,010,232, up from 2,846,293 at the 2000 census, making it the third most populous county in California, behind Los Angeles County and San Diego County...
. Maxwell's mentor
Mentor
In Greek mythology, Mentor was the son of Alcimus or Anchialus. In his old age Mentor was a friend of Odysseus who placed Mentor and Odysseus' foster-brother Eumaeus in charge of his son Telemachus, and of Odysseus' palace, when Odysseus left for the Trojan War.When Athena visited Telemachus she...
, Robert H. Schuller
Robert H. Schuller
Robert Harold Schuller is an American televangelist, pastor, speaker, motivator and author. He is principally known for the weekly Hour of Power television program which he began in 1970. He is also the founder of the Crystal Cathedral in Garden Grove, California, where the Hour of Power program...
, has had a variety of noted evangelical pastors preach at his megachurch
Megachurch
A megachurch is a church having 2,000 or more in average weekend attendance. The Hartford Institute's database lists more than 1,300 such Protestant churches in the United States. According to that data, approximately 50 churches on the list have attendance ranging from 10,000 to 47,000...
since his son, Robert A. Schuller
Robert A. Schuller
Robert Anthony Schuller is an American televangelist, author, and television executive. He was formerly a minister on the Hour of Power weekly television program broadcast from the Crystal Cathedral in Orange County, California, where he was named senior pastor in 2006...
, resigned as senior pastor in 2008. Maxwell has returned to preach at the Crystal Cathedral several times and his messages are broadcast worldwide on the Hour of Power television program, seen by an estimated 20 million viewers.
Maxwell is an internationally recognized leadership expert, speaker, and author who has sold over 19 million books. His organizations have trained more than five million leaders worldwide. He is the founder of INJOY, Maximum Impact, ISS and EQUIP, an international leadership development organization working to help leaders. EQUIP is involved with leaders from more than 80 nations. Its mission is “to see effective Christian leaders fulfill the Great Commission
Great Commission
The Great Commission, in Christian tradition, is the instruction of the resurrected Jesus Christ to his disciples, that they spread his teachings to all the nations of the world. It has become a tenet in Christian theology emphasizing missionary work, evangelism, and baptism...
in every nation.”
Every year Maxwell speaks to Fortune 500
Fortune 500
The Fortune 500 is an annual list compiled and published by Fortune magazine that ranks the top 500 U.S. closely held and public corporations as ranked by their gross revenue after adjustments made by Fortune to exclude the impact of excise taxes companies collect. The list includes publicly and...
companies, international government leaders, and organizations as diverse as the United States Military Academy
United States Military Academy
The United States Military Academy at West Point is a four-year coeducational federal service academy located at West Point, New York. The academy sits on scenic high ground overlooking the Hudson River, north of New York City...
at West Point and the National Football League
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
. A New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and Business Week best-selling author, Maxwell was one of 25 authors and artists named to Amazon.com
Amazon.com
Amazon.com, Inc. is a multinational electronic commerce company headquartered in Seattle, Washington, United States. It is the world's largest online retailer. Amazon has separate websites for the following countries: United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Japan, and...
's 10th Anniversary Hall of Fame. Three of his books, The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership, Developing the Leader Within You, and The 21 Indispensable Qualities of a Leader have each sold over a million copies.
Maxwell serves on the Board of Trustees at Indiana Wesleyan University
Indiana Wesleyan University
Indiana Wesleyan University is a private, evangelical Christian, liberal arts university located in Marion, Indiana that is affiliated with the Wesleyan Church denomination...
and has a building named after him there, the Maxwell Center for Business and Leadership.