How a bedridden teenager became the architect of the global Word of Faith movement
In short: Kenneth E. Hagin claimed he was born with a deformed heart and incurable blood disease, leaving him paralyzed by age 15. After a dramatic conversion and a revelation from Mark 11:23–24, he reported being raised from his deathbed. He later founded a massive ministry that reshaped modern charismatic Christianity.
Born in 1917 in McKinney, Texas, Kenneth E. Hagin spent his youth in a state of physical decline. By his own account, he was bedridden and paralyzed until August 1934, when he experienced a spiritual breakthrough while reading specific verses from the Gospel of Mark. This passage, which emphasizes the power of spoken faith to move mountains, became the cornerstone of his ministry and the foundational text for the Word of Faith movement, which he pioneered following the influence of E. W. Kenyon.
Hagin’s transition from a local pastor in Texas to a global religious figure began in earnest in 1949. After an alleged appearance by Jesus, he entered itinerant ministry, eventually joining the Voice of Healing Revival alongside prominent figures like Oral Roberts and T. L. Osborn. In 1963, he established the Kenneth E. Hagin Evangelistic Association in Garland, Texas, before relocating his operations to Tulsa, Oklahoma, in 1966. His influence expanded rapidly through media, including reel-to-reel tapes, radio broadcasts, and a monthly magazine that reached hundreds of thousands of subscribers.
In 1974, Hagin founded the Rhema Bible Training College in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma. The institution became the engine of his legacy, training over 80,000 graduates who have since established congregations in 52 countries. Today, the organization remains a significant force in charismatic circles, operating under the leadership of his son, Kenneth W. Hagin. While Hagin passed away in 2003 at age 86, his teachings on prosperity, divine healing, and the power of the spoken word continue to circulate through millions of books and global training centers, cementing his status as a central figure in American religious history.
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