Rex Humbard: The Soul-Winning Century
Rex, like his father, did not teach initial evidence doctrine and emphasized evangelism rather than Pentecostal distinctives. This caused some confusion among some evangelicals and Pentecostals, who were uncertain which camp he was in.
He recounted the struggles faced by most media ministries in the 1980s after the Jim Bakker and Jimmy Swaggart scandals. Stations had increased the cost to purchase airtime by tenfold, and the integrity of television preachers was impugned. Rex noted, “the percentage of our audience comprised of sinners … kept decreasing. Television, once a novelty where a spiritually needy person might turn for help, had become branded in people’s minds as a place where Christian organizations hustled for dollars. In the meantime, our ministry would be guilty by association” (p. 237).
In The Soul-Winning Century, Rex offers glimpses into his relationships with some of the giants within the evangelical and Pentecostal worlds, including Billy Graham, Oral Roberts and Benny Hinn. He also provides sober insights about the fall of the PTL empire, gleaned from his relationship with Jim Bakker and from his position on the PTL board following the scandal.
The Humbard family not only witnessed a century of Pentecostal expansion, they contributed significantly to the growth of the worldwide movement. The Soul-Winning Century provides an overview of the lives and ministries of Alpha and Rex Humbard and their families. This memoir will be a welcome addition to the libraries of those whose lives have been touched by their ministry. Scholars and historians will lament the lack of detail concerning many of the significant activities with which the Humbards have been involved. A more comprehensive, scholarly account of the Humbards’ influence on the emerging global Christian movement remains to be written. Still, this volume is an important reflection back upon lives well-lived and will help future generations to better understand the entrepreneurial and evangelistic heritage of Pentecostalism.
Reviewed by Darrin J. Rodgers
Editor’s Note: The televangelism pioneer, Rex Humbard, died on September 21, 2007.
Category: Church History, Winter 2008
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