David Wilkerson, author of The Cross and the Switchblade and founder of World Challenge Ministries, died in a car crash today, Charisma and CBN are reporting.
CBN reports that Wilkerson was 79. The church that he founded, Times Square Church in New York City, has more than 8,000 members. His wife Gwen, was also involved in the crash and was rushed to the hospital where she is said to be in critical condition.
Oddly enough, my English/History class at homeschool co-op is reading Wilkerson’s most famous book, The Cross and the Switchblade, this week. My son, who is in the class, told me yesterday that he thought the gang stuff in the book was exaggerated. I told him him he was mistaken. Gangs were and are very bad, but God is bigger.
I remember reading The Cross and the Switchblade over thirty years ago, and I re-read it last week. It holds up. The story of a country preacher who takes on the street gangs of New York City armed with nothing but the sword of the Spirit and the shield of Faith was just as compelling last week as it was when I read it as a teenager growing up in West Texas far from the evils of the big city, but not far at all from many of the same issues that Wilkerson faced in his work with street people and gang members. The poverty Wilkerson described in his book was foreign to me as a middle class teenager, but I had friends who had given themselves over to drugs and to illicit sexual relationships and who were just as much in need of a Saviour as anyone in New York City. And I saw in my own heart, too, the possibility for sin and evil just as horrific as that of any drug-addicted junkie in NYC. There but for the grace of God . . . Even though I never did agree with Rev. Wilkerson’s Pentecostalism, I certainly found his commitment to the Lord Jesus Christ and his dependence on the Holy Spirit to be inspiring and encouraging.
How did David Wilkerson’s life and minstry impact you? (on Facebook-CBN)
David WIlkerson’s last blog post, faithful to the end: “Beloved, God has never failed to act but in goodness and love. When all means fail—his love prevails. Hold fast to your faith. Stand fast in his Word. There is no other hope in this world.”
Now that’s a legacy.
I read this over 30 years ago as well, and it greatly impacted me. I was a very new Christian at the time, and the charismatic/Pentecostal part confused me — in the years since I came to disagree with that as well. But like you, I did appreciate his faith and willingness to obey God.
I have heard Nicki Cruz interviewed numerous times and he says the book is very truthful. To think that Nicki went on to also become an evangelist is amazing.
I just saw part of the movie recently on one of the Christian TV stations, it brought back old memories of the early 1970s when I worked through a coffeehouse ministry (although my Midwestern town was NOT New York!). 🙂
I read this as a young teen and have continued to follow DW’s ministry peripherally. I, too, heard Nicky Cruz speak many years ago. I find DW’s words on his last blog post comforting in the face of all the destruction we’ve had in the South the past day or two because of tornadoes. Thanks for sharing this.
This is nice!
Part of my school project is to read the book itself first. Then the 2nd part is to watch the movie as well. I’ve secured a book from the library but i thought i could watch the movie here. Anyway, found it from the other site : The Cross and the Switchblade (1970). Now i can make a comparison between how it was written in the book and how it was portrayed in the movie.
To all other students out there with the same project as mine, you can watch the movie from that link.
Cheers.