Dr R.C. Sproul, who influenced millions of Christians across the world with his ministry, has died aged 78.
Ligonier Ministries, the organisation he established, said: “We are all grieving our loss, but we are comforted by the promises of Christ’s gospel—promises that R.C. believed and taught with clarity and power.”
Sproul wrote more than one hundred books, served as General Editor of the Reformation Study Bible and led the Renewing Your Mind radio programme, which was broadcast around the globe.
Prayer for forgiveness
Born in Pittsburgh in 1939, Robert Charles (R.C.) Sproul was converted after a conversation at college with an American football player.
Discussing Ecclesiastes 11:3, “Whether a tree falls to the south or to the north, in the place where it falls, there will it lie”, Sproul realised he was, spiritually speaking, dead.
He returned to his room and prayed to God for forgiveness. Later he would remark that he was probably the only person in church history to be converted through that verse.
Helping Christians
In 1971 he established the Ligonier Valley Study Centre with the aim of helping Christians “know what they believe, why they believe it, how to live it, and how to share it”.
…as fearsome as death is, it is nothing compared with meeting a holy God.
It has since grown to be the largest Reformed educational and discipleship ministry in the world.
Among his other work, R.C. wrote several children’s books, recorded hundreds of audio and video series and was the executive editor of the Tabletalk magazine.
Word of God
During his ministry he said: “When there’s something in the Word of God that I don’t like, the problem is not with the Word of God. It’s with me.”
And on death he wrote: “Death reminds us that we are creatures. Yet as fearsome as death is, it is nothing compared with meeting a holy God.”
Colin Hart, Director of The Christian Institute, said that he had “personally benefited from R.C. Sproul’s teaching ministry along with millions of other Christians”.
Memorial streamed online
R.C. died yesterday and is survived by his wife Vesta, their two children, eleven grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren.
A memorial service will be held on Wednesday 20 December in Florida. It will be streamed on RCSproul.com.