ORLANDO, Fla., Dec. 14, 2017 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The board of directors and leadership of Ligonier Ministries announced today that its founder, Dr. R.C. Sproul, has died at the age of 78.
Chris Larson, president and CEO of Ligonier Ministries, said, "Known to millions of Christians as simply 'R.C.,' Dr. Sproul was used of the Lord to proclaim, teach, and defend the holiness of God in all its fullness. He loved the gospel of Jesus Christ. In this moment, we feel the loss of a pastor, a teacher, a leader, a brother-in-Christ, a friend. But we know that R.C. now sees the object of his faith, the risen Christ."
Dr. W. Robert Godfrey, chairman of the board and a Ligonier Ministries teaching fellow, said, "Of all the adjectives that can and should be used to describe Dr. R.C. Sproul's life and ministry, the one that most comes to my mind is faithful. Our loss is great, but so is our comfort. R.C. has entered into peace in the presence of his Savior."
Robert Charles Sproul was born February 13, 1939, in Pittsburgh. Dr. Sproul attended Westminster College, Pittsburgh Theological Seminary, and the Free University of Amsterdam and also received several honorary degrees. He founded Ligonier Ministries in 1971 as the Ligonier Valley Study Center in Ligonier, Pa. The study center was modeled in some ways after Francis Schaeffer's L'Abri Fellowship in Switzerland. Very quickly, demand grew for Dr. Sproul's teachings and the ministry's other educational resources, necessitating a move to new facilities in Orlando, Fla., in 1984.
After a private burial, a public memorial service will be held at Saint Andrew's Chapel in Sanford, Fla., on December 20, 2017, at 2 p.m. The service will also be streamed live online at RCSproul.com. In lieu of flowers, cards, and letters, donations may be sent to Ligonier Ministries or Saint Andrew's Chapel.
R.C. Sproul—beloved husband, father, grandfather, great-grandfather, friend, leader, faithful and kind man of God—is survived by his wife of 57 years, the former Vesta Voorhis; their two children, Sherrie Dorotiak and Robert Craig Sproul; eleven grandchildren; and seven great-grandchildren.
Visit RCSproul.com/press for additional details and all media materials, including high-resolution, downloadable photos; video; and graphics. Inquiries from the public should be directed to 407-333-4244 or RCSproul.com.
About Ligonier Ministries
Ligonier Ministries exists to proclaim, teach, and defend the holiness of God in all its fullness to as many people as possible. To that end, Ligonier's outreach today is manifold and worldwide. Prior to Dr. Sproul's passing, he and the board designated teaching fellows to continue and help lead Ligonier's work of discipleship that Dr. Sproul began more than forty years ago. These teaching fellows are Drs. Sinclair B. Ferguson, W. Robert Godfrey, Steven J. Lawson, R. Albert Mohler Jr., Stephen J. Nichols, Burk Parsons, and Derek W.H. Thomas. Ligonier publishes Renewing Your Mind broadcasts, the Reformation Study Bible, Tabletalk magazine, books through the Reformation Trust Publishing division, and hundreds of teaching series. The ministry also offers an undergraduate degree program through Reformation Bible College. In addition, Ligonier hosts national and regional conferences, provides an online learning community through Ligonier Connect, streams twenty-four-hour Christian Internet radio through RefNet, pursues numerous translation efforts in other countries, and makes available thousands of unique educational resources online at Ligonier.org.
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SOURCE Ligonier Ministries
