Evangelical Christianity lost one of its most eloquent and influential voices today with the death of Charles W. “Chuck” Colson. The Prison Fellowship and Colson Center for Christian Worldview founder died at 3:12 p.m. on Saturday from complications resulting from a brain hemorrhage. Colson was 80.
A Watergate figure who emerged from the country’s worst political scandal, a vocal Christian leader and a champion for prison ministry, Colson spent the last years of his life in the dual role of leading Prison Fellowship, the world’s largest outreach to prisoners, ex-prisoners and their families, and the Colson Center, a teaching and training center focused on Christian worldview thought and application.
Revered by his friends and supporters, Colson won the respect of those who disagreed with his religious and political views thanks to his tireless work on behalf of prisoners, ex-prisoners, and their families. Colson maintained that the greatest joy in life for him was to see those “living monuments” to God’s grace: Prisoners transformed by the love of Jesus Christ. And thanks to the work of Colson and Prison Fellowship volunteers across the country, there are thousands of those living monuments among us today.
For more about Chuck Colson:
Lessons from Chuck Colson – A Heaven Bent Transformer of Our Time
[…] Watch a video: Chuck Colson Remembered […]
[…] In recognition of his work among prisoners, Colson received the prestigious Templeton Prize for Progress in Religion in 1993, donating the $1 million prize to Prison Fellowship. In perhaps his most-eloquent and well-known speech, The Enduring Revolution, given at acceptance ceremonies at the University of Chicago, Colson encouraged the Church in the face of troubling times: “For history’s cadence is called with a confident voice. The God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob reigns. His plan and purpose rob the future of its fears. By the cross He offers hope, by the resurrection He assures His triumph. This cannot be resisted or delayed. Mankind’s only choice is to recognize Him now or in the moment of ultimate judgment. Our only decision is to welcome His rule or to fear it.” Colson’s other awards included the Presidential Citizens Medal (2008, the second-highest U.S. civilian honor), Humanitarian Award from Domino’s Pizza Corporation (1991), The Others Award from the Salvation Army (1990), several honorary doctorates from various colleges and universities (1982-1995), and Outstanding Young Man of Boston from the Chamber of Commerce (1960). Recognized as a champion for historic orthodoxy, Colson ignited a controversy in the Protestant world in the mid-1990s with his initiative to declare common ground with conservative Roman Catholics in two documents called Evangelicals and Catholics Together. Provided Intellectual Support to Modern Evangelicalism The evangelical-Catholic issue was just one in which Colson brought intellectual vitality to popular Evangelicalism in the last three decades. Many considered him a prophetic voice for the evangelical community, and, perhaps, an intellectual successor to theologian/sociologist Francis Schaeffer. Perhaps in open recognition of that legacy, his magnum opus was titled How Now Shall We Live?after Schaeffer’s How Then Shall We Live? In all, Colson wrote more than 30 books, which have sold more than five million copies. His autobiographical book, Born Again, was one of the nation’s best-selling books of all kinds in 1976 and was made into a feature-length film. His last book,The Faith, is a powerful appeal to the Church to re-embrace the foundational truths of Christianity. Colson was one of the Christian community’s most sought-after speakers, but he resolutely refused to establish a speaker’s fee. Colson donated all speaking honoraria and book royalties to the ministry and accepted the salary of a mid-range ministry executive. In 1991 Colson launched BreakPoint, a unique radio commentary that provides a Christian perspective on today’s news and trends. BreakPoint was aired weekdays on some 1,400 outlets nationwide with an audience of 8 million listeners. But his heart was ever with the prisoner. He clearly never forgot the promise he’d made to his fellow inmates during his brief stay in prison that he would never forget those behind bars. In his later years, Colson focused full time on developing other Christian leaders who could influence the culture and their communities through their faith. The capstone of this effort was The Chuck Colson Center for Christian Worldview, a research and training center launched in 2009 for the promotion of Christian worldview teaching. In addition to a vast library of worldview materials, the Colson Center provides online courses and serves as a catalyst for a growing movement of Christian organizations dedicated to impacting the culture. In 2009, Colson was a principal writer of the Manhattan Declaration, which calls on Christians to defend the sanctity of human life, traditional marriage and religious freedom. More than half a million people have signed the Manhattan Declaration. Collaborating with other Christian leaders, Colson aimed to launch other ecumenical grassroots movements around moral and ethical issues of great concern. Colson was born in Boston in 1931 and received a scholarship to Brown University and went on to earn his law degree at George Washington University in Washington. He served in the Marine Corps from 1953-1955, becoming what was at the time its youngest captain. He began his political career in 1956, when he was the youngest administrative assistant in the Senate, working for Massachusetts Senator Leverett Saltonstall. Although God worked through Colson to encourage Christians around the world and serve many whom society would often neglect, his greatest love and focus were his family. Colson is survived by his wife of 48 years, Patty; three children, Wendell, Christian and Emily; and five grandchildren. Read Ginny Dent Brant’s Wonderful Tribute: Lessons from Chuck Colson: A Heaven-Bent Transformer of this World Watch an inspirational and informative video: Chuck Colson Remembered […]