Ben Haden, retired pastor of First Presbyterian Church of Chattanooga, has selected Dr. Michael Youssef to take over his broadcast ministry Changed Lives.
Dr. Yousseff made the announcement during his internationally broadcast TV program "Leading the Way."
The name Changed Lives will no longer be used for radio and TV programs. Instead, the Chattanooga-based ministry's radio and TV time slots (Chattanooga,WRCB-TV, 3 Sun. 10 a.m.) have been given to Dr. Youseff's existing broadcast ministry, Leading the Way with Dr. Michael Youssef.
Dr. Youssef is the founding pastor of The Church of The Apostles in Atlanta. It is a non-denominational church in the evangelical Anglican tradition that has a membership of 1,600.
Approximately 2,000 people attend Apostles each Sunday. Dr. Youssef is president of Leading The Way With Dr. Michael Youssef, a national and international radio and television ministry.
Dr. Youssef shares the reformed theological tradition with Ben Haden and stated the following on his ministry website:
"I am humbled that God led Ben Haden, former pastor of First Presbyterian Church in Chattanooga, Tenn., and founder and president of “Changed Lives” radio and television programs, to ask me to succeed him in the television ministry. Ben is a man of God who has faithfully served Him for many years through his local church and broadcast ministry. We pray that Ben and his family will experience God’s abundant blessings in the years ahead."
On May 6, Mr. Haden announced that he had decided to retire from his radio and TV ministries after 40 years of service because, he explained, “After my wife’s brain surgery, I have decided to spend more time with her and my family.”
The Church of The Apostles is located at 3585 Northside Parkway, N.W. in Atlanta, GA. Leading The Way is located at 1781 Peachtree Street, N.E. in Atlanta.
The church lists the following "pertinent facts" about the Leading the Way ministry:
· It is an evangelical Christian non-profit organization recognized by the Internal Revenue Service with 501 (C) (3) status; all gifts to the organization are tax deductible.
· It was formed in 1988.
· It is the broadcast ministry of Dr. Michael Youssef and is affiliated with The Church of The Apostles in Atlanta.
· Until recently, it was a radio only broadcasting ministry whose programs could be heard on 760 outlets around the United States.
· Its English program is also aired in the United Kingdom, Australia, and New Zealand.
· It broadcasts a dual-language Arabic-English program throughout the Middle East and North Africa on Trans World Radio stations in Monte Carlo and Cyprus.
· In early May 2001, it will begin broadcasting a dual-language Mandarin-English program into the Peoples Republic of China."
Dr. Youseff's website also posts the following biographical information:
"Since before he was born, it is evident that God had a vision for Michael Amerhome Youssef. Even the name his parents gave him, Michael, means "messenger of God," and pointed to his destiny of ministry.
"His mother was in poor health at the time she became pregnant with Michael, and because her life would be jeopardized by the birth, the doctor recommended terminating the pregnancy. An abortion procedure was scheduled. But God intervened, and sent the family pastor to reassure them the night before the procedure was to take place that God was involved in this pregnancy, not to be afraid, and that this child would be 'born to serve the Lord.'
"Michael's parents accepted the pastor's message as a message from God and obeyed. His mother gave birth, and lived to see him surrender his life to the Lord in 1964 at age sixteen.
"Believing that God was calling him out of Egypt, Michael sought an exit visa at a time when no university student was permitted to hold a passport or leave the country. God intervened again, and miraculously provided approval of his application. He immigrated to Australia, where he studied at Moore Theological College in Sydney, was ordained as a minister, and met and married his wife, Elizabeth.
"The Youssefs came to America in 1977 where Michael received a master's degree in theology at Fuller Theological Seminary in California. He later earned a doctorate in social anthropology from Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia. Michael served for nearly ten years with the Haggai Institute, traveling around the world more than 32 times, teaching courses in evangelism and church leadership to church leaders. He rose to the position of Managing Director at the age of 31.
"The family settled in Atlanta, and in 1984, Michael became a United States citizen, fulfilling a dream he'd held for many years. He founded The Church of The Apostles in 1987 with fewer than 40 adults with the mission to 'Equip the Saints and Seek the Lost,' which has grown to a congregation of nearly 2000.
"This church on a hill was the launching pad for Leading the Way's international ministry. While heard by millions at home and abroad, behind every message preached over the airwaves is a pastor's heart, longing to feed and care for people.
"Clearly God has uniquely equipped Dr. Youssef to speak to a worldwide audience. The path he has walked has given him a thorough cross-cultural understanding and a firm grasp of Scripture. He preaches, teaches and exhorts with a straightforward and uncompromising delivery, based on the authority of the inspired, infallible Word of God. His unique, firsthand understanding of the Holy Land, its history and culture, brings the Bible to life for listeners.
"Dr. Youssef has authored 13 books to date, the most recent being The Prayer That God Answers, an examination of the power and fullness of The Lord's Prayer, published in 2000 by Thomas Nelson Publishers. He has also produced numerous teaching cassette series and booklets on a variety of important subjects to further assist believers in their spiritual growth and maturity on their journey of faith.
"Leading The Way claims Dr. Youssef as the ministry's number one volunteer. He receives no compensation for his time, nor does he receive royalties from the sale of any of the resource materials he produces and authors.
"God has positioned Dr. Youssef since before birth, and is using Leading the Way today to reach millions of lost souls, to equip the saints, and build up the Church of Jesus Christ worldwide."