In a year that saw ongoing wars in the Middle East and Eastern Europe, a historic presidential election, and ongoing advances in artificial intelligence, 2024 also saw several notable Christian leaders and public personalities die. The people who died this year sometimes made history, sometimes made headlines, sometimes garnered controversy, and sometimes influenced many within the Church and society at large.
Junior Hill – Jan. 3, 2024
Junior Hill, an evangelist and popular Southern Baptist who reportedly led approximately 1,800 revival events over the course of his decades-long preaching career, died at 87. Born William Junior Hill and the youngest of five children, Hill became a full-time Evangelical preacher in 1967, speaking at revival events, conferences, state conventions and seminaries. At the Alabama Baptist Pastors Conference in 2021, Hill was honored for his decades of preaching by being awarded the inaugural Fred Wolfe Lifetime Pastoral Ministry Award.
Beverly LaHaye – April 14, 2024
Beverly LaHaye, the prominent conservative Christian activist who founded Concerned Women for America and was a pioneering figure for Evangelical political engagement, died at age 94. Born Beverly Jean Ratcliffe in Detroit, Michigan, she married Tim LaHaye, co-author of the best-selling Left Behind series, while a college student in 1947. “Beverly LaHaye was not born into privilege nor blessed with extraordinary skills and abilities. Her life is a beautiful demonstration of what God can do with a person who is fully devoted to Him,” stated CWA in the announcement of her death.
Mandisa – April 18, 2024
Mandisa, a Grammy Award-winning artist who appeared on season five of the reality TV singing competition “American Idol” in 2006, died at her home in Nashville, Tennessee, from complications stemming from class III obesity at age 47. Mandisa was known for her inspirational Christian music, including such hits as “Overcomer,” “Bleed the Same,” “Unfinished,” and “Stronger.” She also collaborated with contemporary Christian musicians including TobyMac, Michael W. Smith, Kirk Franklin and Matthew West. The singer had also been open about her struggles with depression and overeating, having spoken about these and other matters in her book Out of the Dark: My Journey Through The Shadows To Find God’s Joy.
Thelma Adair – Aug. 21, 2024
Thelma Adair, an educator and activist who became the first black woman to be elected moderator of the General Assembly of the United Presbyterian Church in the United States, died eight days before her 104th birthday. A native of Iron Station, North Carolina, Adair served as a professor for decades, was president of the advocacy group Church Women United in the 1980s, and served with the Peace Corps.
In 1976, Adair was elected moderator of the UPCUSA General Assembly, a predecessor denomination for the modern Presbyterian Church (USA), for their gathering in Baltimore, Maryland.
Jack Leo Iker – Oct. 5, 2024
Jack Leo Iker, a former bishop who led a Texas-based diocese in leaving The Episcopal Church over its support for same-sex marriage and helped launch the Anglican Church in North America, died at 75. A native of Cincinnati, Ohio, Iker served as a church rector in Florida before he was consecrated as bishop coadjutor for the Episcopal Diocese of Fort Worth in April 1993 and later became bishop of the Fort Worth Diocese on Jan. 1, 1995. Iker is credited with helping to found ACNA, a theologically conservative denomination that became the home for many congregations that left The Episcopal Church over its theologically liberal direction.
Tony Campolo – Nov. 19, 2024
Tony Campolo, the bestselling author, teacher and evangelist preacher known for championing a movement known as “Red Letter Christianity,” died at the age of 89. A native of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Campolo was known for his charismatic preaching, years of work as a professor, and social activism, especially among the needy. For almost 40 years, he led a group known as the Evangelical Association for the Promotion of Education. In 2007, Campolo helped launch a group called Red Letter Christians, which drew its name from the fact that in some published versions of the Bible Jesus’ words are in red rather than black ink.
Hal Lindsey- Nov.25, 2024
Hal Lindsey, a best-selling author and host of “The Hal Lindsey Report,” went home to be with the Lord on November 25th at the age of 95, leaving behind a long list of individuals and ministries whose lives were changed through his labor for the Lord. Lindsey was born in 1929 and graduated from Dallas Theological Seminary at the age of 38. Lindsey’s bold stand and love for Biblical Prophecy led him three years later to write what the New York Times described as the number one best-selling nonfiction book of the 1970s, “The Late Great Planet Earth.” Hal’s book appealed to an audience that consisted of both the saved and the lost, drawing on the search for insight into the earth’s future. He detailed how God had provided an understanding of the future of planet Earth with 100% accuracy. By 1990, the book had sold twenty-eight million copies and was translated into over fifty languages.
Former President Jimmy Carter- Dec. 29, 2024
Jimmy Carter, a former president, who was well-known for his charity work, books, and being a long-serving Sunday School teacher, died on December 29 at the age of 100. Carter served as the 39th president of the United States. He served in the U.S. Navy after graduating with distinction from the Naval Academy in 1946. He was the first U.S. president to be a member of the Southern Baptist Convention. Carter was very active in charity works. For over 35 years, the Carters volunteered for the notable charity Habitat for Humanity, having helped to build houses even after he hit the milestone age of 90. For about 40 years, Carter served as a Sunday School teacher at Maranatha Baptist Church of Plains, Georgia, garnering hundreds of attendees for his lessons. Carter also authored more than 30 books, including ones on spiritual and moral matters. He was awarded the Nobel Prize for Peace in 2002.