Tim LaHaye
Former fundamentalist Christian preacher and best-selling novelist Tim LaHaye is the co-author (along with Jerry Jenkins) of the twelve "Left Behind" books. LaHaye reportedly earns a minimum of ten million dollars for each installment of the popular post-apocalyptic Christian fantasy series.
LaHaye is also the President of Family Life Seminars, variously described as a "Baptist Marriage Counseling company" [1] and 'a psychologically-oriented family "ministry" '.[2]
Both LaHaye and his wife, Beverly LaHaye, are 1950 graduates of ultraconservative Bob Jones University. Tim LaHaye later earned a "Doctor of Ministry" degree at the Western Conservative Baptist Seminary.
In 1958, the LaHayes moved to San Diego where Tim LaHaye became pastor of the Scott Memorial Church, a position he held for 23 years. During that time he also started both a Christian school and a college he named the Christian Heritage College. Throughout the 1960s and 1970s, he regularly lectured and ran training seminars for the John Birch Society. [3]
In the 1988 presidential campaign, LaHaye was named national co-chair of Jack Kemp's presidential campaign, only to be fired one week later after an article in the Baltimore Sun that LaHaye had written claiming Roman Catholicism was "a false religion." [4]
LaHaye was later employed by controversial Reverend Sun Myung Moon as chairman of Moon's Coalition for Religious Freedom (CRF). [5]
Contents
Organizations created by Tim LaHaye
- In 1970, LaHaye created the notorious anti-evolution Institute for Creation Research (along with creationist Henry Miller ) at the Christian Heritage College It was spun off as an independent think tank in 1981.
- In 1979, LaHaye co-founded the Moral Majority along with fellow conservative pastor Jerry Falwell.
- In 1980, Tim LaHaye organized the Council for National Policy, a organization for fundamentalist religious leaders and politicians.
- In 1984, LaHaye founded the American Coalition for Traditional Values, and began holding training seminars for rightwing religious leaders. This organization eventually was disbanded for lack of funding.
