Coral Ridge

Coral Ridge Presbyterian Church has a rich history of establishing strong institutions that engage culture with the Gospel in ways that lead to genuine results in our community and the world.

Founded in 1959, Coral Ridge Presbyterian Church launched a Gospel movement under the leadership of Dr. D. James Kennedy in the midst of dramatic social, cultural, and political upheaval. With the rise of postmodern epistemology and philosophy, the culture moved away from prior commitments to an objective moral and philosophical view of the word. For the first time, truth was up for interpretation and nothing could be taken for granted.

In response to this, Coral Ridge launched Evangelism Explosion, empowering the laity in local communities and throughout the world. Coral Ridge understood that the means to effective ministry begins with the normal believers faithfully living their lives in service to others within their own community. Evangelism Explosion fundamentally altered the Church’s overall understanding of the importance of lay missionary activity and modeled an effective evangelism ministry that led to the faith commitment of countless individuals.

In addition to the work of Evangelism Explosion, Coral Ridge recognized the broader aspects of cultural engagement, for which the Church is also responsible, and established Westminster Academy and Knox Theological Seminary. In each case, the goal was to equip and train competent individuals for life in a world that is composed of deep biblical knowledge, a strong commitment to personal engagement with faith in the larger community of faith, and a mindset that recognizes all work as an extension of the Church’s larger mission.

At Coral Ridge, we believe that cultural institutions are the primary drivers of cultural transformation. With its history of building Gospel-centered institutions that have achieved sustained success and longevity in their missions, we believe that the Institute for Faith and Culture is uniquely equipped to meet the challenges of the future.