Charles Rozell Swindoll (born October 18, 1934) is an

evangelical Evangelicalism (), also called evangelical Christianity or evangelical Protestantism, is a worldwide, interdenominational movement within Protestantism, Protestant Christianity that emphasizes evangelism, or the preaching and spreading of th ...

Christian pastor, author, educator, and radio preacher. He founded Insight for Living, headquartered in Frisco,

Texas Texas ( , ; or ) is the most populous U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. It borders Louisiana to the east, Arkansas to the northeast, Oklahoma to the north, New Mexico to the we ...

, which airs a radio program of the same name on more than 2,000 stations around the world in 15 languages. He is currently the Founding Pastor at Stonebriar Community Church, in Frisco, Texas, and also sits on their elder board.

Early life

Charles Rozell Swindoll was born on October 18, 1934, in El Campo in

Wharton County, Texas Wharton County is a county located in the U.S. state of Texas. As of the 2020 census, its population was 41,570. Its county seat is Wharton. The county was named for brothers William Harris Wharton and John Austin Wharton. Wharton Count ...

, the third of three children born to Earl and Lovell Swindoll. He attended

Charles H. Milby High School Charles H. Milby High School is a public secondary school at 1601 Broadway in the East End, Houston, Texas, United States.Map< ...

Houston Houston ( ) is the List of cities in Texas by population, most populous city in the U.S. state of Texas and in the Southern United States. Located in Southeast Texas near Galveston Bay and the Gulf of Mexico, it is the county seat, seat of ...

. He credits his drama teacher, Dick Nieme, for helping him manage his

stutter Stuttering, also known as stammering, is a speech disorder characterized externally by involuntary repetitions and prolongations of sounds, syllables, words, or phrases as well as involuntary silent pauses called blocks in which the person who ...

. As a member of the school

marching band A marching band is a group of instrumental musicians who play while marching. Historically they were used in armed forces and many marching bands remain military bands. Others are still associated with military units or emulate a military sty ...

and orchestra, he learned to play all of the instruments in the woodwind section, although the clarinet remained his primary instrument. After graduating from high school, he studied

mechanical engineering Mechanical engineering is the study of physical machines and mechanism (engineering), mechanisms that may involve force and movement. It is an engineering branch that combines engineering physics and engineering mathematics, mathematics principl ...

while working for Reed Roller Bit Company in

, Texas. Swindoll then fulfilled his military service obligation with the

United States Marine Corps The United States Marine Corps (USMC), also referred to as the United States Marines or simply the Marines, is the maritime land force service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is responsible for conducting expeditionar ...

, first in San Francisco, then on the Japanese island of

Okinawa most commonly refers to: * Okinawa Prefecture, Japan's southernmost prefecture * Okinawa Island, the largest island of Okinawa Prefecture * Okinawa Islands, an island group including Okinawa itself * Okinawa (city), the second largest city in th ...

. Part of his duty included playing in the Marine Corps Marching Band. After his

honorable discharge A military discharge is given when a member of the armed forces is released from their obligation to serve. Each country's military has different types of discharge. They are generally based on whether the persons completed their training and the ...

in 1959, he attended

Dallas Theological Seminary Dallas Theological Seminary (DTS) is an evangelical theological seminary in Dallas, Texas. It is known for popularizing the theological system of dispensationalism. DTS has campuses in Dallas, Houston, and Washington, D.C., as well as extension ...

, where he graduated

magna cum laude Latin honors are a system of Latin phrases used in some colleges and universities to indicate the level of distinction with which an academic degree has been earned. The system is primarily used in the United States. It is also used in some Sout ...

four years later.

Career

Swindoll was

ordained Ordination is the process by which individuals are Consecration in Christianity, consecrated, that is, set apart and elevated from the laity class to the clergy, who are thus then authorized (usually by the religious denomination, denominationa ...

into the ministry in 1963 and served in

Dallas Dallas () is a city in the U.S. state of Texas and the most populous city in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, the List of Texas metropolitan areas, most populous metropolitan area in Texas and the Metropolitan statistical area, fourth-most ...

at Grace Bible Church under J. Dwight Pentecost for two years. He has since held senior pastorates in

Waltham, Massachusetts Waltham ( ) is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States, and was an early center for the labor movement as well as a major contributor to the Technological and industrial history of the United States, American Industrial Revoluti ...

(1965–67),

Irving, Texas Irving is a city in Dallas County, Texas, United States. It is part of the Mid-Cities region of the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex and is an Inner suburb, inner city suburb of Dallas. Irving is noted for its #Demographics, racial and ethnic diver ...

(1967–71), and

Fullerton, California Fullerton ( ) is a city located in northern Orange County, California, United States. As of the 2020 census, the city had a total population of 143,617. Fullerton was founded in 1887. It secured the land on behalf of the Atchison, Topeka and S ...

(1971–94). He began his last senior pastorate in

Frisco, Texas Frisco is a city in the U.S. state of Texas, located in Collin County, Texas, Collin and Denton County, Texas, Denton counties. It is part of the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex (DFW) and about from both Dallas Love Field and Dallas/Fort Worth In ...

, in 1998. Swindoll is the founder of Insight for Living, which broadcasts a radio program of the same name on Christian and non-Christian radio stations around the world. The program is heard on more than 2,000 stations, as well as being

webcast A webcast is a media presentation distributed over the Internet using streaming media technology to distribute a single content source to many simultaneous listeners/viewers. A webcast may either be distributed live or on demand. Essentially, webca ...

, and is translated into several languages. Its roots go back to the summer of 1977, when Swindoll's sermons from the First Evangelical Free Church in Fullerton were broadcast on radio. In 1979, the Insight for Living radio ministry began; its offices are now located in Frisco. In July 1994, Swindoll became the president of Dallas Theological Seminary, and now serves as its

chancellor Chancellor () is a title of various official positions in the governments of many countries. The original chancellors were the of Roman courts of justice—ushers, who sat at the (lattice work screens) of a basilica (court hall), which separa ...

. He is the author of more than 70 books, most of which are based on his research and preparation for sermons preached each Sunday. In celebration of the magazine's 50th anniversary, ''

Christianity Today ''Christianity Today'' is an evangelical Christian media magazine founded in 1956 by Billy Graham. It is published by Christianity Today International based in Carol Stream, Illinois. ''The Washington Post'' calls ''Christianity Today'' "eva ...

'' produced an article naming Swindoll as one of the top 25 most influential preachers of the past 50 years (1956–2006). In 1998 Swindoll founded Stonebriar Community Church in Frisco. Many of the pastors at Stonebriar are graduates of

. The church first held services at Collin County Community College (now

Collin College Collin College is a Public college, public community college district in Texas. Established in 1985, the district has grown as the county has grown from around 5,000 students in 1986 to more than 60,000 credit and noncredit students. Formerl ...

), then moved to its permanent home on Legendary Drive. The

congregation Congregation may refer to: Religion *Church (congregation), a religious organization that meets in a particular location *Congregation (Roman Curia), an administrative body of the Catholic Church *Religious congregation, a type of religious instit ...

grew rapidly from a few hundred members to several thousand in the first few years, and this growth has necessitated major expansion of the current facility. Construction for the additions began in 2005. The church is known for its

missionary A missionary is a member of a Religious denomination, religious group who is sent into an area in order to promote its faith or provide services to people, such as education, literacy, social justice, health care, and economic development.Thoma ...

work in

India India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area; the List of countries by population (United Nations), most populous country since ...

and in other countries. Though Swindoll is still widely regarded as an

Evangelical Free Church of America The Evangelical Free Church of America (EFCA) is an evangelical Christian denomination in the Radical Pietistic tradition. The EFCA was formed in 1950 from the merger of the Swedish Evangelical Free Church and the Norwegian-Danish Evangelical F ...

preacher, the Stonebriar Community Church is not affiliated with any particular denomination. In April 2024, Swindoll announced that he would step down as senior pastor, effective May 1, but would continue preaching at Stonebriar.

Personal life

On June 18, 1955, Swindoll married Cynthia Ann Parker, who used to be the pianist at a

Baptist Baptists are a Christian denomination, denomination within Protestant Christianity distinguished by baptizing only professing Christian believers (believer's baptism) and doing so by complete Immersion baptism, immersion. Baptist churches ge ...

church in

Galena Park, Texas Galena Park is a city in Harris County, Texas, United States, within the Greater Houston, Houston–Sugar Land–Baytown metropolitan area. The population was 10,740 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. The population is predominantly Hi ...

. Together, the couple has four children, ten grandchildren, and seven great-grandchildren.

Selected publications

* ''Hand Me Another Brick'', Thomas Nelson (1978) * ''You And Your Child'', Thomas Nelson (1977) * ''Three Steps Forward, Two Steps Back: Persevering Through Pressure'', Thomas Nelson (1980) * ''Strike The Original Match'', Multnomah (1980) * ''Improving Your Serve: The Art Of Unselfish Living'',

Word A word is a basic element of language that carries semantics, meaning, can be used on its own, and is uninterruptible. Despite the fact that language speakers often have an intuitive grasp of what a word is, there is no consensus among linguist ...

(1981) * ''Strengthening Your Grip: Essentials In An Aimless World'', Word (1982) * ''Growing Strong in the Seasons of Life'', Multnomah (1983) * ''Dropping Your Guard: The Value Of Open Relationships'', Word (1983) * ''Come Before Winter – And Share My Hope'', Multnomah (1985) * ''Living on the Ragged Edge: Coming To Terms With Reality'', Word (1985) * ''Growing Deep In The Christian Life: Returning To Our Roots'', Multnomah (1986) * ''The Quest For Character'', Multnomah (1987) * ''Living Above The Level of Mediocrity: A Commitment To Excellence'', Word (1987) * ''Growing Wise in Family Life'', Multnomah (1988) * ''Living Beyond The Daily Grind: Reflections On The Songs And Sayings In Scripture'', Word (1988) * ''Rise & Shine: A Wake-Up Call'', Multnomah (1989) * ''The Grace Awakening'', Word (1990) * ''Sanctity Of Life: The Inescapable Issue'', Word (1990) * ''Stress Fractures'', Multnomah (1990) * ''Simple Faith'', Word (1991) * “Life is 10% what happens to you and 90% how you react to it.” * ''Laugh Again'', Word (1992) * ''Flying Closer to the Flame'', Word (1993) * ''The Finishing Touch'', Word (1994) * ''Paw Paw Chuck's Big Ideas in the Bible'', Word (1995) * ''Hope Again'', Word (1996) * ''The Road To Armageddon'' (with John F. Walvoord; J. Dwight Pentecost), Word (1999) * ''Start Where You Are: Catch A Fresh Vision For Your Life'', Word (1999) * ''The Mystery Of God's Will: What Does He Want For Me?'', Word (1999) * ''Intimacy With The Almighty'', Word (1996) * ''Perfect Trust: Ears To Hear, Hearts To Trust, And Minds To Rest In Him'', J. Countryman (2000) * ''The Darkness And The Dawn: Empowered By The Tragedy And Triumph Of The Cross'', Word (2001) * ''Why, God?: Calming Words For Chaotic Times'', Word (2001) * ''Wisdom For The Way: Wise Words For Busy People'', J. Countryman (2001) * ''Understanding Christian Theology'' (with Roy B. Zuck), Thomas Nelson (2003) * ''Behold—The Man!: The Pathway Of His Passion'', Word (2004) * ''So, You Want To Be Like Christ?: Eight Essentials To Get You There'', Word (2005) * ''When God Is Silent (Choosing To Trust In Life's Trials)'', J. Countryman (2005) * ''Great Attitudes For Graduates!: 10 Choices For Success In Life'' (with Terri A. Gibbs), J. Countryman (2006) * ''Encouragement For Life: Words Of Hope And Inspiration'', J. Countryman (2006) * ''The Strength Of Character: 7 Essential Traits Of A Remarkable Life'' (with Terri A. Gibbs), J. Countryman (2007) * ''A Bethlehem Christmas: Celebrating The Joyful Season'', Thomas Nelson (2007) * ''The Owner's Manual for Christians: The Essential Guide for a God-Honoring Life'', Thomas Nelson (2009) * ''The Church Awakening: An Urgent Call for Renewal'',

FaithWords Hachette Book Group, Inc. (HBG) is a publishing company owned by Hachette Livre, the largest publishing company in France, and the third largest trade and educational publisher in the world. Hachette Livre is a wholly owned subsidiary of Lagardè ...

(2010) * ''Living the Psalms'',

Worthy Publishing Hachette Book Group, Inc. (HBG) is a publishing company owned by Hachette Livre, the largest publishing company in France, and the third largest trade and educational publisher in the world. Hachette Livre is a wholly owned subsidiary of Lagardè ...

(2012) * ''Living the Proverbs'', Worthy Publishing (2012) * ''Hear Me When I Call: Learning to Connect with a God Who Cares'', Worthy Publishing (2013) * ''Embraced By The Spirit: The Untold Blessings of Intimacy With God'', Worthy Publishing (2013) * ''The Swindoll Study Bible'',

Tyndale House Tyndale House (also known by its sister organization Tyndale House Foundation) is a Christian publisher in Carol Stream, Illinois. History Tyndale was founded in 1962 by Kenneth N. Taylor in order to publish his paraphrase of the Epistles ...

(2017)

Swindoll's New Testament Insights Commentary Series

* ''Insights on Romans'',

Zondervan Zondervan is an international Christian media and publishing company located in Grand Rapids, Michigan, United States. Zondervan is a founding member of the Evangelical Christian Publishers Association (ECPA). It is a part of HarperCollins, Ha ...

(2010) * ''Insights on John'', Zondervan (2010) * ''Insights on James and 1 & 2 Peter'', Zondervan (2010) * ''Insights on 1 & 2 Timothy and Titus'', Zondervan (2011) * ''Insights on Revelation'', Zondervan (2012) * ''Insights on Luke'', Zondervan (2012) * ''Insights on Acts'', Tyndale House (2016)

Profiles in Character series

* ''David: A Man Of Passion & Destiny'', Word (1997) * ''Esther: A Woman Of Strength & Dignity'', Word (1997) * ''Joseph: A Man Of Integrity And Forgiveness'', Word (1998) * ''Moses: A Man Of Selfless Dedication'', Word (1999) * ''Elijah: A Man Of Heroism And Humility'', Word (2000) * ''Paul: A Man Of Grace And Grit'', Word (2002) * ''Job: A Man Of Heroic Endurance'', Word (2004)2005 Gold Medallion Book Award Winners – Bible Study category
/ref> * ''Fascinating Stories of Forgotten Lives: Rediscovering Some Old Testament Characters'', Word (2005) * ''Jesus: The Greatest Life Of All'', Thomas Nelson (2008) * ''Abraham: One Nomad's Amazing Journey of Faith'',

(2014)

Honors and awards

* Harry A. Ironside Award for Expository Preaching –

, 1963 * Christian Education Award – Dallas Theological Seminary, 1963 * Faculty Award – Dallas Theological Seminary, 1963 * Doctor of Divinity –

Talbot School of Theology Talbot School of Theology is an evangelical Christian theological seminary located near Los Angeles. Talbot is one of the nine schools of Biola University, located in La Mirada, California. Talbot is nondenominational and known for its conservati ...

, 1977 * Doctor of Human Letters –

Taylor University Taylor University is a Private university, private, Interdenominationalism, interdenominational, evangelical Christian university in Upland, Indiana. Founded in 1846, it is one of the oldest evangelical Christian universities in the United Stat ...

, 1986 * Clergyman of the Year –

Religious Heritage of America The Religious Heritage of America (RHA) Foundation, originally named the Washington Pilgrimage, was founded by W. Clement Stone and Harold Dudley as a national interfaith organization in the U.S. The United States of America (USA), also ...

, 1988 * Doctor of Laws –

Pepperdine University Pepperdine University () is a private university, private Christianity, Christian research university affiliated with the Churches of Christ, with its main campus in Los Angeles County, California, United States. Pepperdine's main campus consists ...

, 1990 * Doctor of Literature –

Dallas Baptist University Dallas Baptist University (DBU) is a private Baptist university in Dallas, Texas. Founded in 1898 as Decatur Baptist College, Dallas Baptist University currently operates campuses in Dallas, Plano, and Hurst. It is affiliated with the Baptist ...

, 1998 * Lifetime Achievement Award – Catalyst Conference, 2009

References

External links

Insight for Living
– Official website
Stonebriar Community Church
– Official website {{DEFAULTSORT:Swindoll, Chuck 1934 births Living people 20th-century American male writers 20th-century American non-fiction writers 20th-century evangelicals 21st-century American male writers 21st-century American non-fiction writers 21st-century evangelicals American Christian religious leaders American Evangelical writers American male non-fiction writers American radio personalities American sermon writers Christians from Texas Dallas Theological Seminary alumni Evangelical pastors Members of the Evangelical Free Church of America People from El Campo, Texas People from Irving, Texas People from Plano, Texas United States Marines Radio evangelists