Fisher, 34, Succeeds D. James Kennedy

By Lillian Kwon, Christian Post Reporter Wednesday, October 10, 2007

The reigns of the global media ministry of the late Dr. D. James Kennedy will be taken up by its executive vice president, Brian E. Fisher, according to an announcement Tuesday.

Fisher, 34, was promoted to president and CEO of Coral Ridge Ministries just a little over a year after coming in to serve the media outreach under Kennedy, who died last month at 76 years of age.

"Brian has demonstrated exceptional ability to focus the ministry as it strives to become the world's leading provider of this biblical media," said Gladys Israels, secretary to the Board of Coral Ridge Ministries, in a statement. "Under Brian's leadership, Coral Ridge Ministries is now poised to see this goal achieved. He has gathered a knowledgeable and talented team. Together they are committed to reaching and impacting millions of lives for Jesus Christ in the coming years."

A native of Pennsylvania, Fisher is a certified financial planner who also brings media and business experience into his new position, which he assumed last Friday. He came into Coral Ridge Ministries as executive vice president in August of 2006 and says the media group is infusing ministry with some younger individuals and innovation.

Fisher succeeds Kennedy, who founded the multi-media ministry in 1974. Kennedy's teachings on biblical principles and how to influence culture currently reaches 3 million people worldwide through television, radio, print and the Internet. And within the next five years, Fisher plans to increase the audience impact to 30 million people.

"Coral Ridge Ministries is poised for exciting growth over the next five years," said Fisher in a statement. "Our goal is to follow the lead of Dr. Kennedy by using media – in new and innovative ways – to reach an audience of 30 million people in 2012 with the transforming truths of God's Word."

Recognizing the urgency to spread biblical truths into culture, Fisher is one of the young evangelical leaders taking on the mantle that older conservative evangelicals are passing on.

The recent passing of Kennedy – respected as one of the major evangelical giants of his time for his defending the Christian faith and resonating the Word of God as absolute – as well Dr. Jerry Falwell and Dr. Bill Bright have posed serious concerns about the future of the conservative Christian movement, according to Dr. James Dobson, head of Focus on the Family and another conservative giant. As Dobson prays that another generation of courageous leaders will rise and defend the unborn child, traditional marriage, and traditional morality, many have already expressed hope that God will raise up a new generation.

"It was always Dr. D. James Kennedy's dream to see both individuals and our culture transformed by biblical truth proclaimed through the media," said Israels of the Coral Ridge Ministries board. "Dr. Kennedy understood that media has a tremendous influence on America and the world. He started Coral Ridge Ministries to reach as many people as possible with the gospel and the Bible's life changing truths."

Fisher wishes to multiply Kennedy's impact in the coming decades.

"Media is both activism and influence," he said. "Our culture desperately needs to hear the truth about Christ. It also needs us to unmask the lies of evolution, abortion, hate crimes, militant atheism, and other moral and cultural issues that are plaguing our nation and hurting the hearts and minds of our people."

"My hope is that Coral Ridge Ministries becomes known as the source to get solid apologetic truth about the Scriptures," Fisher said in an earlier interview.

Kennedy died in his sleep at his home in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., on Sept. 5. His first sermon radiocast to Fort Lauderdale aired in 1974 and was followed by television outreach in 1978.

Naming Kennedy's successor to the pulpit of Coral Ridge Presbyterian Church may take one or two years.