Ed Dobson

Edward G. Dobson (born December 30, 1949) is a Northern Irish-American who was an executive of the Moral Majority and the pastor of a megachurch in Grand Rapids, Michigan. He is an evangelical author and Vice President for Spiritual Formation at Cornerstone University. [ [http://www.cornerstone.edu/about/leadership Cornerstone University – Administration] ]

In 1964, Dobson moved to the United States from Northern Ireland. He earned a BA (1970) and an MA (1972) from fundamentalist Bob Jones University and later an EdD (1986) in higher education at the University of Virginia. [Marquis "Who's Who", 2008.] At 23, Dobson became Dean of Men at Liberty University, "but before long he was also teaching New Testament survey, coaching the soccer team, and taking on more administrative duties. In time, Dobson was named vice president for student life as well as associate pastor of Thomas Road Baptist Church." When the Moral Majority was organized in June 1979, Jerry Falwell named Dobson to the board. [ [http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/1997/august11/7t926a.html Dean Merrill, "The Education of Ed Dobson,"] "Christianity Today", August 11, 1997.] Three years later, the premiere issue of "Fundamentalist Journal" listed him as one of two senior editors; he became editor-in-chief two and a half years later and served as a voice of the Moral Majority. [ [http://www.zondervan.com/Cultures/en-US/Authors/Author.htm?ContributorID=DobsonE&QueryStringSite=Zondervan Zondervan bio.] Dobson and another Liberty faculty member, Ed Hinson, effectively ghost-wrote Fallwell's "The Fundamentalist Phenomenon" (1981). [Cal Thomas and Ed Dobson, "Blinded by Might: Can the Religious Right Save America?" (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1999). Dobson said that they produced "the material so he could edit it....we were putting Jerry's political agenda in writing."] With his mentor, Dobson also drifted away from fundamentalism toward more mainstream evangelicalism.

Nevertheless, by the late 1980s, Dobson had decided that the rationale behind the Moral Majority had been wrongheaded and that to a significant degree cultural problems could not remedied through the political process. ["Blinded by Might", 15.] In 1987, Dobson left Liberty (just as Falwell became responsible for the empire of failed televangelist Jimmy Bakker) and took the pastorate of Calvary Church in Grand Rapids, Michigan, where he remained for eighteen years (1987-2005). [ [http://www.liberty.edu/media/1612/alumni_page/Summer%2005%20Single%20Page%20newsletter.pdf Liberty University website] . During Dobson's pastorate, Calvary planted Mars Hill Bible Church, led by Rob Bell. [http://ctlibrary.com/le/2004/spring/1.24.html "Christianity Today" website] .] In 1993, Moody Bible Institute named him "Pastor of the Year."Dobson serves as an advisory editor for Christianity Today. [ [http://www.zondervan.com/Cultures/en-US/Authors/Author.htm?ContributorID=DobsonE&QueryStringSite=Zondervan Zondervan - Edward G. Dobson ] ] After Dobson was diagnosed with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (Lou Gehrig's Disease) in January 2001, [ [http://www.ctlibrary.com/le/2001/fall/1.28.html Leave Room For God - Leadership journal - ChristianityTodayLibrary.com ] ] he wrote "Prayers and Promises when Facing a Life-Threatening Illness". [Edward G. Dobson, "Prayers and Promises when Facing a Life-Threatening Illness" (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2007), 13.] In Spring 2008, Grand Rapids Theological Seminary dedicated a "Dobson Study Center" in its classroom building to honor Dobson's long pastorate and television ministry in Grand Rapids. [ [http://grts.cornerstone.edu/prospects/admission/campus Cornerstone University website] .]

Publications

*"Abraham: The Lord will Provide" (1993)
*"Blinded by Might" (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1999) with Cal Thomas
*"Daniel: Making the Right Choices" (1994)
*"El Amor debe ser firme" (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2006)
*"King James Bible Commentary" (1999)
*"The Knowing Jesus Study Bible", NIV (2000) with Ed Hindson [http://www.faithfulreader.com/FEATURES/gold_medallion_awards.asp]
*"Mastering Conflict and Controversy" (1992)
*"Prayers and Promises When Facing a Life-Threatening Illness" (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2007)
*"Starting a Seeker-Sensitive Service" (1993)
*"What the Bible Really Says about Marriage, Divorce, and Remarriage" (1986)

References

*cite news |first=Charles |last=Honey |authorlink= |coauthors= |title=The Rev. Ed Dobson returns to life in academia at Cornerstone University |url=http://blog.mlive.com/grpress/2008/05/the_rev_ed_dobson_returns_to_l.html |work=The Grand Rapids Press |publisher= |date=May 02, 2008 09:00AM |accessdate=2008-06-30
*cite news |first=Dean |last=Merrill |authorlink= |coauthors= |title=The Education of Ed Dobson, Part 1. How a lieutenant in the Moral Majority rediscovered the power of the local church
url=http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/1997/august11/7t926a.html |work=Christianity Today |publisher= |date= 8/11/1997 |accessdate=2008-06-30

External links

* [http://www.zondervan.com/Cultures/en-US/Authors/Author.htm?ContributorID=DobsonE&QueryStringSite=Zondervan Zondervan - Edward G. Dobson]