Blessings! I decided to write this sequel last week’s article because confirmations were sent to me that the revered minister I referred to last week actually mentioned Kenneth Hagin’s name. I pray my article gets to him and it is my hope that he will read it with an unbiased mind and kindly read Kenneth Hagin’s books personally for an impartial and objective assessment of their impact. My sequel is to testify of the great influence of Hagin’s books on me in summary. If I were to painstakingly mention how each of the over sixty titles I have read affected me, it would probably take months.

Kenneth Hagin’s faith message was born out of a personal experience with the Holy Spirit which birthed a message that has now helped millions encounter the power and love of God including myself. Born with a deformed heart and incurable blood disease, he was not supposed to live beyond the age of 17 according to medical experts. At 16, he became bedfast with these diseases and was partially paralyzed. It was in that condition that he began to read the Bible. A near death experience that revealed his lost spiritual state led to his salvation and thereafter the Bible began to make more meaning to him. His life was transformed when he discovered the words of Jesus Christ in Mark 11:23-24 which became the keynote scripture of his teaching ministry as through an understanding of those verses over time, Kenneth E Hagin received his healing from the Lord Jesus Christ supernaturally and would live for almost 70 more years till he died at the age of 86.

“For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith. Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them.”Mark 11:23-24 KJV

Out of the above two verses, Hagin came to understand that God honours whatever we say in faith and whatever we pray in faith. Having done that, he was surprised he was not visibly healed for a while until he also came to understand that faith is not only expressed through confession and prayer according to the above verses but also through corresponding action according to James 2:20. We also see this in the gospels as the Lord Jesus demanded actions that demonstrated faith from many who were sick in the days of His ministry on earth. True faith will act in line with what is believed in the heart (Acts 14:7-10). Hagin out of the conviction that he was healed of his diseases and paralysis attempted to walk and the power of God came upon him and healed him.

Kenneth Hagin began to serve the Lord immediately in ministry, initially working part time, till he became a full time minister. He would later be called by God to ‘…Go teach my people faith’. The results were scores of books written to teach the concept of faith and many new creation realities that expounded the parameters of our common salvation beyond the forgiveness of our sins and the impartation of eternal life to us. Hagin enlightened the body of Christ about our redemption, our authority as believers, the name of Jesus, the gift of righteousness, the reality of the indwelling Spirit and so on, culminating in a large volume titled Bible Faith Study Course in his Bible school.

Long hours of lying in bed awake at night made Hagin develop a habit of praying and studying several hours at night. He was very studious and ended up teaching a lot on prayer, leading to another compilation of books titled the Bible Prayer Study Course. The same would go for the subject of healing and the Holy Spirit. Outside of these themes, Hagin wrote many other books which are all spiritually illuminating. The latter part of his life was devoted to writing books that enlightened us about subjects concerning which there were common errors in the body of Christ. They included resources on financial prosperity, New Testament worship, the deliverance ministry and Church government.

I have read critiques of his books and found nothing but a misunderstanding of what he taught. He was not perfect like nobody ever is but is very safe to follow doctrinally. His prophetic ministry in particular helped him to gain peculiar insights into passages of scripture through supporting visions and revelations. The influence of the theologian PC Nelson was impactful on his spiritual and ministerial foundation. Of course, the impact of EW Kenyon who seemed to have lived before his time is also notable on Kenneth Hagin as well as the teachings of the great Apostle of faith, Smith Wigglesworth.

The impact of Hagins books on me have been nothing but positive. They are faith building, illuminating, spiritually inspiring and all together life changing. I consider his resources the best spiritual foundation for the Christian life and ministry. I highly recommend his books and particularly his Bible school to all and sundry. Rhema Bible Training Centre has correspondence courses and hundreds of campuses around the world. Going through the school is a life changing experience for all students. After his demise, his son Kenneth W Hagin who has also authored a number of books continues to sustain his father’s legacy alongside his grandson Craig Hagin and others. It’s a legacy of Faith and love founded on the integrity of the Word of God and doctrinal soundness.

Victor Adeyemi