Jack wyrtzen biography
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Jack Wyrtzen
By Cheryl L. Fawcett & Melissa Kirscher
Protestant
“Jack Wyrtzen, founder and director of Word of Life International, never graduated from high school, yet he became a pioneer in Christian radio, innovating youth evangelism, camping and training. Under his leadership, Word of Life’s distinctive blend of enthusiastic evangelism and committed edification has flourished to influence the world, from South America to the Ukraine (Wyrtzen, 1992, 169).”
Jack Wyrtzen proved to be a moving force in the early stages of Youth for Christ ministry to young people and military men. “With lightening-like speed, Youth for Christ spread from its beginning in the United States, becoming world-wide almost overnight. Its speed rivaled the fastest and most modern inventions; its sparks touched all corners of the globe, startling Christian leaders around the world…thousands…yes, tens of thousands…of young people have been converted…Evangelical and non-evangelical, leaders alike have
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Jack Wyrtzen, Founder of Word of Life
We all know that people look harder at our lives than they listen to our words. The conversion of Jack Wyrtzen offers a real life example of that principle. If a buddy named George had not lived out his faith, Jack Wyrtzen probably would not have become a Christian who touched thousands of lives through his preaching and through the organization he founded, Word of Life.
Jack was born at Long Island, New York, on April 22, 1913. Raised in a Unitarian church, Jack at least learned the song, "Jesus Loves Me, This I Know." The years saw him switch churches--Methodist, Presbyterian, Baptist. In none of them did he komma to the knowledge of "Christ in you, the hope of glory."
He entered young manhood as an insurance salesman and played in his own dance band on weekends. Love of music led him to join a U.S. Army Mounted grupp, where he played trombone. George also played in that military band. One day he surprised Jack by handin
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Jack Wyrtzen, US, Evangelist
April 1. Jack Wyrtzen. Jack was not always Jack. He was originally dubbed Caspar, but high-school classmates showed him the wisdom of an immediate name change. So Jack—not Caspar—was less than respectful of Christianity. Early encounters included mocking a Bible teacher at the YMCA and a fist-fight at the Methodist Church. Young Jack was a member of the National Guard band, but there he joined in the physical persecution of a Christian member.
In 1932, Jack committed his life to Christ, and he took off. He never finished high school, and he was never ordained, but he preachedin Times Square and City Hall Park, establishedrescue missions, and foundednumerous prison ministries.
Eventually, Jack focusedon youth and young adults, and workedwith ungdom for Christ before he established Word of Life International.On this date in 1944, Jack spoke about Jesus at Madison Square Gardens.
For more than 50 years, Jack led Word of Life ministries. He pioneered evan