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Robb Thompson

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Rev. "Dr." Robb Thompson

Robert "Robb" D. Thompson (also "Rob"; born in April 1953) is the founder and president of Family Harvest International, a network of Christian congregations with locations around the world (North America, Africa, Europe and Asia), speaking and advising government authorities, and founder and senior pastor of Family Harvest Church in Tinley Park, Illinois, a racially diverse church with over 4,000 members.

Early life

Thompson grew up in Oak Lawn, Illinois where he was raised a Roman Catholic and worked for United Parcel Service for the majority of his early adulthood. He moved to Homer Township, Illinois, where he sought "practical answers to life's problems and a real personal relationship with Jesus Christ", and began considering other denominations. He stated that he had a transformative experience on October 28, 1975 where he was "unplugged and reengineered and then plugged in again to Christ" and became a Baptist for several years.

Thompson earned his doctoral degree from Life Christian University, an unaccredited institution bsed in Tampa, Florida that has graduated other world-renowned preachers and teachers including Dr. Kenneth Copeland and his wife Gloria, Joyce Meyer, Benny Hinn and Rodney Howard-Browne among many others.

Church leadership

As an ordained minister, Thompson founded Midwest Christian Center in 1983, which later grew into a large worship center. He remained the pastor of Midwest Christian Center through the late 1990s. He also pastored the House of Glory church in the 1980s, in Orland Park, Illinois, and held regular Bible study groups. It was during these study groups in 1989 where the name "Family Harvest" was conceived.

Thompson is currently the senior pastor of the nondenominational Family Harvest Church in Tinley Park, Illinois, a member of the Family Harvest International network. Family Harvest Church, which can hold over 3,000 congregants in one service, has been called a megachurch, noted for its theater chairs, projection screens, polished singing performances, stage lighting, amplified sound, and TV and web shows. In 2004, the church had nearly $10 million in assets.

Church activities

In 1986, in an effort to promote that Halloween is "historically evil" and harmful to children, Thompson's church scheduled a "Hallelujah Party" in its place on October 31. The church has made it an annual tradition ever since.

Thompson preached regularly about the risk of a "Y2K apocalypse" during 1998, relating it to his published interpretation of the Bible. In 1999, ministers continued to recommend stocking up for potential crisis. On January 2, 2000, with Y2K essentially a nonevent, the pastor's message was about not letting go of one's preparations; but many locals had already returned generators and space heaters the day before.

In 2005, Family Harvest Church opposed Tinley Park's decision to zone an off-track betting facility, as destructive of local ideals.

For Christmas 2005, Thompson arranged the donation of over 100,000 articles of clothing, toys, and other goods to Miracle Centre Cathedral, a Ugandan cathedral run by senior pastor Robert Kayanja that is claimed to be the biggest auditorium in East Africa. The items were distributed to displaced persons' camps and orphanages in northern Uganda. Pastor Kayanja considers that blessing children with gifts is a start toward breaking a perceived "generational curse" in Uganda.

In 2009, Thompson founded "City Harvest", a Family Harvest Church ministry in northwest suburban Chicago.

Speaking and networking

In addition to his pastoral duties at Family Harvest Church, Thompson is also a renowned televangelist, a speaker and lecturer around the Northern America and other continents (Africa, Asia and Europe), a meeting organizer and a mentor to many business and government leaders.

Thompson was a featured speaker at International Gathering of Champions in 2006 and 2007 in London, along with Matthew Ashimolowo, Jamal-Harrison Bryant, Marcus Lamb, Eddie L. Long, and Mike Murdock. He also invites speakers from around the world, such as John Avanzini and Jesse Duplantis, to appear at free events at Family Harvest on an annual basis. Televangelist Murdock calls Thompson one of his closest friends; gifts between the two have been investigated by the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.

Thompson founded Excellence in Ministry International (or Excellence Ministries International), a global association of ministers that shares resources with smaller affiliated churches. He now runs the International College of Excellence, a Bible college accredited by the Accrediting Commission International (an organization not recognized by either Council for Higher Education Accreditation or United States Department of Education, the two institutions responsible for recognizing educational accreditating institutions in the United States), and a network including Bible institutions and congregations worldwide, such as the Central India Theological Seminary.

One church to which Thompson served as benefactor was Living Water Church in Tampa, Florida, along with its pastor Ronald Clark. When the church was troubled by impending bankruptcy in 2003, Family Harvest donated pastoral services, finances, and the use of its name (sustaining the congregation for a year until its property was resold); hired Clark temporarily, until the two mutually agreed to part due to publicity; and even considered buying the Living Water property.

Bibliography

References

  1. ^ Blaine, Rick (1992-07-19). "Spirituality: Seeking new meaning in life". Chicago Tribune. p. 3. Retrieved 2009-03-03. {{cite news}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  2. ^ Barbee, Darren (2004-12-15). "Televangelist Mike Murdock moves financial books behind closed doors". Fort Worth Star-Telegram. Knight-Ridder/Tribune News Service. Retrieved 2009-03-03.
  3. ^ Sherlock, Barbara (2004-06-24). "Rev. James E. Watson, 53: Love of gospel powered pastor's Harvey church". Chicago Tribune. p. 10. Retrieved 2011-04-15. {{cite news}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  4. ^ "Your Faith". Chicago Daily Herald. Arlington Heights, Illinois. 2009-01-03. p. 4. {{cite news}}: |access-date= requires |url= (help); Unknown parameter |http://nl.newsbank.com/nl-search/we/Archives?p_product= ignored (help)
  5. ^ Fulka, Rena (2006-08-06). "Choices, choices". The Star. Tinley Park, Illinois: Star Newspapers. Retrieved 2009-03-03.
  6. Lavoie, Dan (2005-01-30). "Stone Church eyes move to Orland". The Star. Tinley Park, Illinois: Star Newspapers. Retrieved 2009-03-20.
  7. ^ Williamson, Elizabeth (1993-05-16). "Make a Joyful Noise: Church music strikes a responsive chord: Congregations lift their voices in song that's in harmony with our ever-changing culture". Chicago Tribune. p. 3. Retrieved 2009-03-03. {{cite news}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  8. Thompson, Robb D. (2007). Solitary Refinement: Finding and Making the Most of Time by Yourself (The Hidden Power of Being Alone). Nashville, Tennessee: Thomas Nelson. p. 52. ISBN 9781599510293. OCLC 190760622. Retrieved 2009-03-03.
  9. "LCU Accreditation". Life Christian University. Retrieved 16 April 2011.
  10. ^ Herrmann, Andrew (1986-10-30). "Halloween stirs a devil of a fuss: Churches join parent protest of 'evil'". Chicago Sun-Times. p. 52. Retrieved 2009-03-03. {{cite news}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  11. ^ Mendell, David, and Harper, Pat (1998-12-14). "Hit by the Millennium Bug: Pessimists Brace for a Computer-Driven Cataclysm". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved 2009-03-03. {{cite news}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  12. ^ Newton, Stephanie (2008-03-10). "'Solitary Refinement': Chicago Pastor Shows Readers How to Utilize Their Time in New Book". PR Newswire Association, L.L.C. Nashville: Thomas Nelson. Retrieved 2009-03-03.
  13. Smith, Sheila (2007-05-19). "Former Illini basketball player encourages teens to have a purpose of faith in life". Herald & Review. Decatur, Illinois: McClatchy-Tribune Information Services. Retrieved 2009-03-03.
  14. Lavoie, Dan (2005-01-30). "Stone Church eyes move to Orland". The Star. Tinley Park, Illinois: Star Newspapers. Retrieved 2009-03-20.
  15. ^ Testerman, Jeff (2004-04-30). "Buyers shun Living Water property". St. Petersburg Times. Retrieved 2009-03-20.
  16. Gibson, Ray; Heinzmann, David (2000-01-03). "Stockpiles of Y2K Gear Head Back to the Stores". Chicago Tribune. Chicago, Illinois. Retrieved 2009-03-20.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  17. Enigk, Erica (2005-06-23). "Tinley Park: OTB passes final hurdle". The Star. Tinley Park, Illinois: Star Newspapers. Retrieved 2009-03-20.
  18. Lloyd, John (25). "The Riches of Heaven". Financial Times Weekend magazine. {{cite journal}}: Check date values in: |date= and |year= / |date= mismatch (help); Unknown parameter |month= ignored (help)
  19. ^ Nakagwa, Flavia (2005-12-24). "Kayanja aids northern children". New Vision. Uganda. Retrieved 2009-03-20.
  20. Religion News (2002-08-18). "Services, Guest Speakers". Charlotte Observer. Retrieved 2009-03-03. {{cite news}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  21. Lee, Courtney (2006-08-28). "Mega International Conference Concludes in London: The 15th annual International Gathering of Champions (ICOG) conference wrapped up yesterday with a Praise Celebration night at Kingsway International Christian Centre (KICC) in Hackney, London". Christian Today. Retrieved 2009-03-03.
  22. Donovan, Kevin (2007-08-23). "International Gathering of Champions Expects 160,000: Thousands of people will gather in East London this month to attend one of the biggest Christian events of the year". Christian Today. Retrieved 2009-03-03.
  23. Staff (2007-07-19). "News in Religion". The Star. Tinley Park, Illinois: Star Newspapers. Retrieved 2009-03-03.
  24. "Accreditation". International College of Excellence. Retrieved 2009-03-23.
  25. "Accrediting Agencies Not Recognized Under GAAP". Degree.net. 2008. Retrieved 2009-03-23.
  26. Great Moments in Accreditation: The Case of IAC, ACI, and The Three Stooges, by John Bear, Quackwatch
  27. ^ Testerman, Jeff (2004-06-10). "New bidder steps in for troubled church". St. Petersburg Times. Retrieved 2009-03-20.

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