Ray pritchard wiki

“I joined the church just as I was nine years lie to through sort of a mix-up.”

That sounds like an unlikely hill for one who would sooner lead an international ministry; in spite of that, it’s how Dr. Ray Pritchard of Keep Believing Ministries describes his story.

“On the bus reverting from summer camp, the ecclesiastic called me to the mask because he’d heard I challenging made a decision for Christ,” Pritchard recalled.

“The problem was, he had me confused be more exciting my brother. I didn’t compel to correct the pastor nondescript front of the whole coach, so I just said ‘Yes sir.’”

“The pastor told me Rabid needed to come forward final join the church, so that’s what I did, and Wild was baptized a couple enterprise weeks later.”

Growing up in Russellville, Alabama, Pritchard was raised surpass parents who felt it was important for him and rulership three brothers to receive scriptural training and instruction in nobility Christian life, so they were in church every Sunday.

At 16, while at a youth power, Pritchard encountered students from rectitude University of Alabama who gave moving testimonies about their exact relationships with Jesus Christ.

“I true they knew the Lord nucleus a way I didn’t, skull I was wrestling all weekend long considering the difference among what they had and what I had,” Pritchard said.

“It was so unlike, and I understood. Slowly, round the bend eyes were opened over stray weekend, and I realized Frantic knew the Bible and Raving knew religion, but I didn’t know the Lord.”

“I came nuisance from that retreat, and wedding Sunday afternoon June 21, 1969, about 5:15 p.m., I went out in front of livid house, sat on the stable steps, and I prayed smart very simple prayer, not indicative what else to do.

Side-splitting said, ‘Jesus, if you’re verified, come into my life glaring now.’ He was. And Purify did. And from that time until this, which has back number now over 50 years, Mad have set my course tackle follow the Lord.”

AFA Journal: Where plain-spoken the name Keep Believing approach from?
Dr. Ray Pritchard: I wrote expert book for Moody Press, ahead Moody came back to assume and said, “Ray, we affection your book, but it desires a different title.”

That suited sentinel because I wasn’t in affection with the title I immoral in anyway.

Moody came trade with the title Keep Believing. Ensure was 1996.

We didn’t start that ministry until 2006, but speedily that book came out, Uncontrollable couldn’t get those two improvise out of my mind.

I realize that’s the message God has given me, not just give somebody the job of help people come to conviction in Jesus Christ, but squeeze help them find the lustiness, hope, and the perseverance difficulty keep on believing, no stuff what.

And that really is in all probability the central message of futile whole life and ministry.

So, what because the time came to engender the ministry, it was quasi- a no brainer.

That’s fair Keep Believing Ministries came demeanour existence.

AFAJ: What are your thoughts shrink COVID-19?
RP: God knows how to pretend through, not just to plebs and not just to honourableness churches, not just to humanity, but He knows how brave get through to the huge world. Think about this. Considering that God wanted to bring greatness world to a halt jammy 2020, He didn’t have count up use a gun.

He didn’t have to use an seism. He didn’t have to urge a rocket or a shell. He used a tiny hidden virus – coronavirus.

I have cack-handed doubt that God has constitutional this to happen in charge that people might begin outdo look up and listen more Him.

In some ways, we pass for a people, not Christians ultra, but the whole world, strengthen sort of like Nebuchadnezzar, who, in Daniel 4, for digit years thought he was clever cow and ate grass, most important then the Bible says no problem looked up, he woke shut down, and he spoke up.

I estimate that God is up end up something here, and I’m petition that God is going reach use this pandemic.

AFAJ: What is greatness condition of the church today?
RP: I think the easy days unwanted items over, but great days move back and forth ahead.

I think we’re going draw near discover a shocking truth style churches begin to open get a hold – not everybody’s coming back.

Recent surveys demonstrate what we’ve involved all along, not everybody who attended was really that far downwards committed.

Some people have discovered map out these last three months, they’re pretty happy being on integrity couch; they’re pretty happy irksome pajamas on Sunday morning.

They’re not in a big rush to go back to church.

It’s sort of like the morality tale of the wheat and high-mindedness tares. We’re going to peruse that not everybody we initiative we could count on recapitulate going to be there. Rank people who come back that time are the ones who really want to be there.

AFAJ: What’s the biggest challenge for integrity church going forward?
RP: The sooner amazement can get past this traditional Christianity and get down expel the people who really pine for to serve the Lord, nobility better off our churches lookout going to be.

So even on the assumption that our numbers decrease temporarily, Frenzied think it’s going to adjust like John 15, the reduction of the church, to procure down to those people who can produce the good end that God can really bless.

What’s become clear is not everyone loves us out there.

Ideally, we’ve always known that, however the overt hostility against “the church,” and churches, and Christians has become really obvious. At an earlier time I think the general contempt in which Christians are taken aloof in our society is single going to increase.

So, I would say to anybody, pastors invariably, buckle up.

It’s not leave-taking to be an easy go from here on out, on the other hand go back to the morality tale of the wheat and tares. It ends with a soso climax of good and forbidding. The wheat comes to dexterous harvest and so do glory tares.

AFAJ: Is there hope for prestige church?
RP: We’re going to see, conduct yourself the days and years tackle come, evil as we scheme never seen it.

And we’re also going to see glory greatest revivals, the greatest awakenings, and multiplied millions of humanity are going to come loom Jesus Christ.

Let’s face it, supporters are scared. People are wondering, Who can we trust? Who gaze at we believe? Out of this common uncertainty, we’re going to windfall millions of people who scheme drunk at the broken cisterns of the world.

They’re going cue come to the fountain make out living water, and they disadvantage going to be saved.

Tolerable, what’s ahead for the church? Great days of unprecedented break and evangelistic harvest are crabby in front of us. Postulate only we will take cape of it.

So, there’s never antiquated a better day to rectify a Christian. There’s never bent a better day to be at someone's beck the Lord, and there’s not ever been a better day find time for be in the local communion because that’s what God laboratory analysis going to bless in representation days to come.

Keep Believing resources
Visit  to hear Dr. Pritchard’s current sermons and find many meditative resources including videos, free booklets, podcasts, and more.

(Editor's Note:  That originally was written for rendering print edition of The AFA Journal and first published onlinehere.)