It was an impassioned call to action, nestled inside an insightful evangelical address. On March 26, Reverend Kenneth W. Hagin – president of Kenneth Hagin Ministries and pastor of RHEMA Bible Church in Broken Arrow, OK – urged churchgoers assembled at Crenshaw Christian Center (CCC) to scale new heights as the congregation celebrates its 50th Anniversary.
“I believe it is time for Crenshaw, and each one of you, to go to the next level in operations, resources, numbers in everything,” the visiting pastor said in his distinctive Texas drawl. “God has more for you than you can even dream of. God wants each of you to experience the full measure of the promises of God.”
Pastor Hagin’s plea wasn’t mere lip service. In a gesture that underscored his church’s commitment to helping CCC elevate its game, the Oklahoma minister presented Pastor Dr. Frederick K. Price with a check for $50,000. The cash infusion will help the legendary South L.A. sanctuary ramp-up its already substantial efforts in Bible teaching, community outreach, and more.
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“I believe with all my heart that two men are looking over the banisters of heaven today at these two standing here,” Pastor Hagin said, referring both to himself and CCC Pastor Price.
“I know that my dad, Kenneth E. Hagin and your dad, Frederick K. C. Price, are looking at us and I am sure they are telling us ‘Go boys! Go!’,” he exhorted with tears streaming from his eyes.
“I loved my dad, I loved Fred Price,” he continued. “But our leaders are gone. It’s time for us to go to the next level spiritually, physically, financially, in every aspect of our lives.”
The two iconic churches have interconnected roots that run deep. Hagin’s father launched his ministry in 1963, eventually taking CCC founder Price and his esteemed first lady, Dr. Betty Price, under his wing. The Hagins and Prices eventually cultivated a bond so intimate, the elder Hagin considered the late Apostle Price to be his son.
Today, it seems like divine coincidence that both Kenneth Hagin Ministries and CCC are both celebrating landmark anniversaries. The Oklahoma church is marking a triumphant 60th year, while the South L.A. sanctuary is honoring its half-century of community service with a series of special services expressly designed for the church’s 8,000-member ministry.
Dr. Betty Price praised Pastor Hagin and his father for their mentoring, which ultimately helped she and her late husband establish a legacy of faith and good works at CCC. The former first lady and mother of the church stressed that CCC survives today as a result of the Hagin family’s nurturing counsel.
“The Hagin family has been a tremendous blessing to the body of Christ, and to all of us,” Dr. Price said. “None of us would be here without them teaching us to walk by faith, and not by sight. We are so blessed to have you here today.”
Pastor Hagin challenged CCC members to be bold in their faith. “God wants this church, and you individually, to make a difference in people’s life by taking up the mandate God gave my father in 1950 – ‘go teach my people faith.’”
Today, that doctrinal mandate is embodied in a global ministry commandeered by Pastor Hagin. Currently, RHEMA Bible Church and Kenneth Hagin Ministries operates 350 churches worldwide. Its 289 bible colleges are located in 59 nations, with over 116,000 graduates worldwide. The author of numerous books on faith, Pastor Hagin’s faith-fueled credo – “I cannot be defeated, and I will not quit” – is explored in numerous books, including “Soaring with the Eagles,” “The Table That Speaks,” and more.
“Many times, we are in situations and circumstances where our own thoughts defeat us,” Pastor Hagin said. “It takes courage to get out of your comfort zone and go to the next level. You have to have a conquering mindset. You have to believe there is nothing you cannot do or overcome with God and his Word.”
To underscore his message of faith and betterment, Pastor Hagin encouraged CCC members to focus their attention, time, and energy on the present.
“Looking forward gives you anticipation, looking behind you gives you nothing,” observed the pastor. “What happened yesterday is history. It can’t be changed. What happens today is up to you.”
The Oklahoma preacher evoked the founders of CCC and RHEMA, stating that the dearly departed Kenneth E. Hagin and Frederick K.C. Price are today guiding their respective churches from their celestial perches.
“I can hear my dad and Apostle Price cheering us on from heaven,” Pastor Hagin said. “They taught us faith. Let’s take that faith and go do something with it.”
