Following a long and courageous battle with cancer and heart disease, Larry Burkett completed his journey of serving the Lord Jesus Christ on this earth. Having battled cancer and heart attacks for the past several years, God called Larry into His presence in July 2003.
To say that he will be missed is a huge understatement. Larry was truly loved by all those whose lives he touched; his family, his friends and his ministry partners. He lived a life of Christian kindness and genuine humility. He was always extraordinarily generous.
One of the central principles Larry taught is that we don't really own things; we are simply stewards and managers of what God has entrusted to us. In Larry's case, that included the ministry he founded.
In 1971, Larry gave his life to Jesus Christ and committed to follow wherever the Lord would lead and to boldly teach the life-changing truths of Scripture. And he did this with all his might.
In 1973, Dr. Bill Bright invited Larry and Judy to join the staff of Campus Crusade for Christ. Here he counseled the staff, many of whom were struggling financially, on how to handle money God's way.
In 1976, he founded Christian Financial Concepts. He poured his life into serving the Lord through this ministry. He loved the ministry, he loved his staff, and he genuinely loved the people who looked to the ministry for help.
Larry was a prolific writer, authoring more than 70 books including several best sellers. Larry's radio program was carried on more than 1,000 stations in the United States.
His greatest desire was to see Crown Financial Ministries fulfill its God-given vision of teaching 30 million people in America and 300 million around the world to handle money God's way.
As he told us, "This ministry is not my invention; it exists because of a calling from God. I'm not alarmed at the thought of Crown's future without me. I recognized that it was crucial to put in place leadership that can carry on and even expand this ministry. And God has been faithful to bring Crown a godly capable leadership team. God has used Crown wonderfully in past. May He use us in the future to help train millions of God's people-even after the Lord calls me home."
I believe the impact of Larry's life will continue as future generations apply the biblical truth taught by Crown. And, God will be glorified through the ministry Larry began, one that continues by His grace.
Larry is survived by his wife of 44 years Judy and their four children: Allen, Kim, Danny, and Todd.
