List of evangelical Christians
This is a list of people who are notable due to their influence on the popularity or development of evangelical Christianity or for their professed evangelicalism.
Historical
- William Tyndale, first published use of the term in English
- John Bunyan, persecuted English Puritan Baptist preacher and author of Pilgrim's Progress
- Jonathan Edwards, American Puritan theologian and preacher in the First Great Awakening
- John Wesley, English clergyman; founder of Methodism
- Charles Wesley, English clergyman; brother of John Wesley, hymnwriter of Methodism
- George Whitefield, English clergyman; early Methodist preacher and associate of John Wesley
- Isaac Backus, advocate of the separation of church and state
- Henry Venn, founder of the small, but highly influential Clapham Sect in Britain
- John Newton, Scottish clergyman, author of Amazing Grace
- William Cowper, English poet/author of numerous hymns, including "There Is a Fountain Filled with Blood"
- Francis Asbury, founder of the Methodist Episcopal Church
- William Wilberforce, worked to abolish slavery in the British Empire
- Henry Thornton, banker, philanthropist, reformer and Member of Parliament
- Richard Allen, founder of the African Methodist Episcopal denomination
- William Carey, British missionary to India. Known as the "father of modern missions"
- Nathan Bangs, editor of the Christian Advocate, president of Wesleyan University
- Charles Grandison Finney, preacher in the Second Great Awakening, advocate of "New Measures"
- Henry Venn, grandson of Henry Venn, pioneered the basic principles of indigenous church mission theory
- Robert Murray M'Cheyne, Scottish preacher and minister of St Peter's, Dundee
- Joseph M. Scriven, Irish poet, moved to Canada and wrote What a Friend We Have in Jesus
- William Henry Green, chairman of the Old Testament committee for the American Standard Version
- Robert Pearsall Smith and Hannah Whitall Smith, leaders in the Holiness movement
- William Booth and Catherine Booth, founders of The Salvation Army.
- James Hudson Taylor, British missionary to China and founder of the China Inland Mission
- Charles Spurgeon, English Baptist preacher and advocate of Calvinism
- Dwight L. Moody, American evangelist, pastor and educator
Twentieth century
- Fanny Crosby, blind American writer of many famous hymns including "Blessed Assurance"
- Phineas F. Bresee,, founder of the Church of the Nazarene
- Albert Benjamin Simpson,, preacher, writer, founder of the Christian and Missionary Alliance
- Maria Woodworth-Etter, was an American healing evangelist. Her ministry style served as a model for Pentecostalism.
- William Mitchell Ramsay,, archaeologist known for his expertise in Asia Minor
- R. A. Torrey, American evangelist, pastor and educator and one of the founders of modern evangelical fundamentalism
- Oswald Thompson Allis, co-founder of Westminster Theological Seminary
- Robert Dick Wilson, linguist committed to defending the reliability of the Hebrew Bible
- Billy Sunday, American evangelist and proponent of Prohibition
- William Irvine, Scottish evangelist, founder of the Cooneyites and Two by Twos sects
- Edward Cooney, evangelist and early leader of the Cooneyites and Go-Preachers sects
- Harry Ironside, evangelist and pastor of the Moody Church in Chicago.
- Karl Barth, leader of dialectical theology and author of Church Dogmatics
- Aimee Semple McPherson, Pentecostal preacher and founder of Foursquare Church
- Clarence Bouma, first president of the Evangelical Theological Society
- William F. Albright, ceramics expert, founder of the biblical archaeology movement
- Donald Barnhouse, former pastor of Tenth Presbyterian Church, founder of Eternity magazine
- D.P. Thomson, Scottish evangelist, exponent of visitation and lay evangelism, Warden of the St Ninian's Training Centre, Crieff
- Aiden Wilson Tozer, preacher, author of The Pursuit of God and The Knowledge of the Holy
- Martyn Lloyd Jones, reformed preacher at Westminster Chapel
- Frank E. Gaebelein, founding headmaster of The Stony Brook School, general editor of the Expositor's Bible Commentary
- Frank Jenner, English Australian evangelist
- Harold Ockenga, first president of the National Association of Evangelicals
- James Gordon Lindsay, revivalist preacher, author, and founder of Christ for the Nations Institute
- Carl Fredrik Wisløff, theologian, professor in church history, preacher in Norwegian Lutheran Mission
- William M. Branham, preacher and prophet, pacesetter and initiator of the Tent Revival Era of the 1940s and 1950s
- Merrill Unger, Old Testament professor at Dallas Theological Seminary, defender of biblical inerrancy
- F. F. Bruce, apologist, one of the founders of the modern evangelical understanding of the Bible
- A. A. Allen, was a minister with a Pentecostal ministry, associated with the "Voice of Healing" movement.
- Francis Schaeffer, theologian, philosopher, founder of L'Abri, author of A Christian Manifesto
- Carl F. H. Henry, founding editor of Christianity Today
- Robert Pierce, founder of World Vision and Samaritan's Purse
- Bruce M. Metzger, biblical scholar and translator who served on the board of the American Bible Society
- Gleason Archer, theologian, educator, and author
- T. L. Osborn, American Pentecostal evangelist, singer, author, teacher and designer.
- D. James Kennedy, founder of Coral Ridge Presbyterian Church and Knox Theological Seminary
- Jerry Falwell, founder of Liberty University and the Moral Majority
- James Montgomery Boice, former pastor of Tenth Presbyterian Church.
- Greg Bahnsen, minister, educator, apologist, and a major figure in Christian Reconstructionism
Contemporary
Bible scholars, philosophers, and theologians
- Gregory Beale, former president of the Evangelical Theological Society
- Craig Blomberg, New Testament scholar at Denver Seminary, author of How Wide the Divide? An Evangelical and a Mormon in Conversation
- Greg Boyd, theologian, author and senior pastor of Woodland Hills Church in St. Paul, Minnesota.
- William Lane Craig, professor of philosophy at Talbot School of Theology, author of The Kalam Cosmological Argument
- Millard Erickson, former president of the Evangelical Theological Society
- Gordon D. Fee, theologian, succeeded F.F. Bruce as editor of the New International Commentary on the New Testament, author of How to Read the Bible for All its Worth.
- Sinclair Ferguson, former editor of Banner of Truth Trust
- John Frame, theologian noted for his work in epistemology and presuppositional apologetics, author of The Doctrine of the Knowledge of God
- Norman Geisler, co-founder of Southern Evangelical Seminary, co-author of General Introduction to the Bible
- Graeme Goldsworthy, Australian Anglican theologian
- Paula Gooder, British theologian and Canon Chancellor of St Paul's Cathedral.
- Wayne Grudem, co-founder of the Council on Biblical Manhood and Womanhood, author of Systematic Theology
- Gary Habermas, author, lecturer, and debater on the topic of the Resurrection of Jesus
- Kenneth Kitchen, Egyptologist, author of On the Reliability of the Old Testament
- Andreas Köstenberger, editor of the Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society
- Richard Longenecker, professor of New Testament at McMaster Divinity College
- John Warwick Montgomery, writer, lecturer and public debater in the field of Christian apologetics
- J. P. Moreland, professor of philosophy at Talbot School of Theology
- Nancey Murphy, professor of Christian philosophy, author, and ordained minister.
- Thomas C. Oden, father of Paleo-Orthodoxy; theologian associated with Drew University
- J. I. Packer, theological editor for the English Standard Version, author of Knowing God
- Alvin Plantinga, University of Notre Dame, philosopher, Warrant and Christian Belief
- Frederick K. C. Price, founder and head pastor of Crenshaw Christian Center.
- Andrew Purves, Pittsburgh Theological Seminary
- Moisés Silva, former president of the Evangelical Theological Society
- R. C. Sproul, Reformed theologian, founder and chairman of Ligonier Ministries
- Elaine Storkey, British philosopher and theologian, author of numerous books on Christianity, feminism, gender, and women.
- John Stott, former Rector of All Souls Church, Langham Place
- Miroslav Volf, professor at Yale Divinity School
- Stephen H. Webb, professor at Wabash College
- Ben Witherington III, Amos professor of New Testament for Doctoral Studies at Asbury Theological Seminary and doctoral faculty at St. Andrews University
- Nicholas Wolterstorff, professor emeritus of philosophical theology, and Fellow of Berkeley College ; author, Lament for a Son
- Edwin M. Yamauchi, former president of the Evangelical Theological Society
- Ravi Zacharias, apologist, author
Pastors, preachers and evangelists
- Leith Anderson, pastor of Wooddale Church, president of the National Association of Evangelicals
- Jim Bakker, former Assemblies of God minister, host of the PTL Club, convicted federal fraud felon, and current end-of-days evangelical preacher
- Alistair Begg, pastor of Parkside Church, radio preacher of Truth for Life
- Francis Chan, former teaching pastor of Cornerstone Community Church
- Douglas Coe, leader of the Fellowship Foundation
- Mark Dever, pastor of Capitol Hill Baptist Church, founder of 9Marks Ministries
- D. G. S. Dhinakaran, evangelical preacher, founder of Jesus Calls Ministries and the Karunya University
- Steven Furtick, founding pastor and evangelist at Elevation Church in Charlotte, NC.
- Bill Gothard, founder of the Institute in Basic Life Principles who was later removed from ministry due to sexual misconduct allegations
- Billy Graham, evangelist and spiritual counselor to multiple U.S. presidents
- Craig Groeschel, founder and pastor of Life.Church
- Nicky Gumbel, pioneer of the Alpha course and vicar of Holy Trinity Brompton in London
- John Hagee, founder and senior pastor of Cornerstone Church in San Antonio, Texas
- Ted Haggard, disgraced former pastor of New Life Church in Colorado Springs, Colorado; former leader of the National Association of Evangelicals
- Jack W. Hayford, past president of the International Church of the Foursquare Gospel
- Johnny Hunt, past president of the Southern Baptist Convention and pastor of the First Baptist Church Woodstock, Georgia
- Bill Hybels, founder and former pastor of Willow Creek Community Church
- Harry R. Jackson Jr., senior pastor at Hope Christian Church in Beltsville, Maryland and Presiding Bishop of the International Communion of Evangelical Churches
- Peter Jensen, Anglican Archbishop of Sydney, Australia
- Phillip Jensen, Sydney Anglican
- Timothy J. Keller, pastor of Redeemer Presbyterian Church ; author of The Reason for God
- Nicky Lee, creator of The Marriage Course, and associate vicar of Holy Trinity Brompton in London
- John MacArthur, pastor of Grace Community Church, editor of the MacArthur Study Bible, founder and president of The Master's Seminary
- James S. MacDonald, American pastor, non-denominational Bible teacher, and author
- C. J. Mahaney, leader of Sovereign Grace Ministries
- J. Vernon McGee, pastor, Bible teacher, theologian, and radio minister
- John Piper, pastor of Bethlehem Baptist Church; author of Desiring God
- David Platt, pastor and president of the Southern Baptist Convention's International Mission Board
- Philip Ryken, former pastor of Tenth Presbyterian Church, current president of Wheaton College
- Chuck Smith, founder of the Calvary Chapel fellowship of churches
- Andy Stanley, founder of North Point Community Church
- Charles Stanley, founder and president of In Touch Ministries
- Chuck Swindoll, pastor, founder and president of Insight for Living
- Gardner C. Taylor, known as "the dean of American preaching"
- Jack Van Impe, pastor and host of Jack Van Impe Presents
- Rick Warren, pastor of Saddleback Church, author of The Purpose Driven Life, The Purpose Driven Church
- Paul Washer, founder of HeartCry Missionary Society
- Justin Welby, Archbishop of Canterbury
- John Wimber, pastor and founder of the Association of Vineyard Churches
Authors and speakers
- Jerry Bridges, speaker with The Navigators, author of The Pursuit of Holiness
- Tony Campolo, pastor, sociologist, author, public speaker and leader of the Red-Letter Christian movement
- Shane Claiborne, writer, political activist and leader of the Red-Letter Christian movement
- Charles Colson, founder of Prison Fellowship, author of Born Again
- James Dobson, psychologist, founder of Focus on the Family, author of Dare to Discipline
- Tony Evans, widely syndicated radio broadcaster
- Alex McFarland, apologist
- Louie Giglio, speaker and founder of Passion Conferences
- Kent Hovind, dangers of evolution, scientific evidence for the Bible
- Sergei Kourdakov, former KGB agent who persecuted Christians in Russia, but converted and defected to Canada
- Tim Lahaye, dispensationalist novelist, author of Left Behind series
- Jeri Massi, author of the Christy Award-nominated Valkyries: Some Through the Fire
- Joyce Meyer, charismatic speaker, author of Battlefield of the Mind: Winning the Battle in Your Mind
- Chuck Missler, apologist, author, founder of Koinonia House Ministries
- Luis Palau, Argentinian evangelist
- Joni Eareckson Tada, author, radio host, and founder of Joni and Friends
- Jim Wallis, founder and editor of Sojourners Magazine, political activist and leader of the Red-Letter Christian movement
- David F. Wells, author of No Place for Truth or Whatever Happened to Evangelical Theology, motivator for The Cambridge Declaration
- Philip Yancey, Christianity Today editor, columnist, author of The Jesus I Never Knew and What's So Amazing About Grace
- Ed Young, writer, speaker, artist, and the founding and senior Pastor of Fellowship Church
Educators and professors
- Darrell Bock, former president of the Evangelical Theological Society
- Don Carson, professor at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School
- W. A. Criswell, former president of the Southern Baptist Convention
- Ligon Duncan, president of the Alliance of Confessing Evangelicals
- Robert Godfrey, president of Westminster Seminary California
- Kenneth E. Hagin, Charismatic preacher and founder of RHEMA Bible Training College
- John D. Hannah, author and professor at Dallas Theological Seminary
- Irving Hexham, Professor of Religious Studies, University of Calgary
- R. Albert Mohler, Jr., president of Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Kentucky
- Richard Mouw, president of Fuller Theological Seminary
- Mark Noll, history professor at the University of Notre Dame
- Haddon Robinson, president of Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary
- Klyne Snodgrass, professor at North Park Theological Seminary, author of Between Two Truths
- Chuck Swindoll, former president of Dallas Theological Seminary
Influencers and innovators
- Howard Ahmanson, Jr., philanthropist and financier of many evangelical organizations
- George Barna, directing leader of The Barna Group, a Christian research and training organization
- Bill Bright, founder of Campus Crusade for Christ
- Stuart Epperson, co-founder and chairman of Salem Communications
- Franklin Graham, son of Billy Graham and leader of Samaritan's Purse
- Chip Ingram, founder and teaching pastor of Living on the Edge
- T. D. Jakes, pastor, author, filmmaker, and bishop of The Potter's House
- Richard Land, president of the Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission
- Frank Laubach, missionary, writer, developer of the "Each One Teach One" literacy program
- John Osteen, founder and first pastor of Lakewood Church in Houston, Texas
- Tony Perkins, political activist and president of the Family Research Council
- Pat Robertson, founder of the Christian Coalition of America
- Jay Alan Sekulow, chief counsel for the American Center for Law and Justice
Political figures
- John Ashcroft, former U.S. Attorney General and U.S. Senator from Missouri
- George W. Bush, former President of the United States
- Jimmy Carter, former President of the United States
- Ted Cruz, U.S. Senator from Texas
- Jim DeMint, former U.S. Senator from South Carolina
- Mike Huckabee, former Governor of Arkansas
- James Lankford, U.S. Senator from Oklahoma
- Sarah Palin, 2008 Republican vice presidential nominee and former Governor of Alaska
- Tim Pawlenty, former Governor of Minnesota
- Mike Pence, Vice President of the United States
- Rick Perry, U.S. Secretary of Energy and former Governor of Texas
- Ronald Reagan, former President of the United States, who despite being a nominal mainline Protestant, became a hero of the Christian right
- Ben Sasse, U.S. Senator from Nebraska
- John Thune, U.S. Senator from South Dakota