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Robb Thompson

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Rev. Dr. Robb Thompson

Robert "Robb" D. Thompson (also "Rob"; April 1953– ) is founder and president of Family Harvest International, a network of Christian congregations in several countries, and founder and senior pastor of Family Harvest Church in Tinley Park, Illinois, a racially diverse church with over 4,000 members. (Its facility can hold over 3,000 congregants in one service.) He received his Doctorate from Life Christian University.

Church leadership

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

An ordained minister, he founded Midwest Christian Center in 1983, which grew into a very large worship center. He also pastored the church under the name "House of Glory" in the 1980s, in Orland Park, Illinois, and held Bible study groups, which, in 1989, the name "Family Harvest" was first associated with.

Thompson pastored Midwest Christian Center through the late 1990s. He is now senior pastor of nondenominational Family Harvest Church in Tinley Park, Illinois, a member of the Family Harvest International network. One of his active church members is basketball player and "born again believer" Roger Powell, Jr., of Hapoel Jerusalem. Family Harvest has been called a megachurch, noted for theater chairs, projection screens, polished singing performances, stage lighting, amplified sound, and TV and web shows. At one time Family Harvest had nearly $10 million in assets.

On June 3, 2008, Family Harvest Church expanded its ministry into Minooka, Morris, Plainfield, and Shorewood, at some distance west of Chicago, with a Tuesday evening extension service under pastor Mike Kell and a praise team.

Victor Dickson is Thompson's chief ministry officer; Mike Kell is his associate pastor; another pastor is Patty Plante. At least eight ministers perform weddings, funerals, and other traditional services. Thompson's television producer, David McAloon, also ran for Illinois state representative as a Republican in the 75th district in 2006 and 2008.

Church activities

Promoting the view that the date of Halloween is historically evil and harmful to children, Thompson's church scheduled a "Hallelujah Party" in its place around October 31. The church also opposed Tinley Park's decision to zone an off-track betting facility, as destructive of local ideals.

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.

The church has 150 Life Groups, lay-led Bible study and outreach cell groups. Several of the Life Groups have arranged back-to-school delivery of free school supplies to thousands of needy families in Chicago and Indiana during the 2000s. Life Groups also focus on evangelism, performance arts, foreign missions, character development, and family life skills.

In 2005, Homewood-Flossmoor High School LGBT students organized a repeat of a 2004 T-shirt campaign against homophobia; they were surprised to find that dozens of students wearing their slogan ("Gay? Fine by me") were outnumbered by students wearing Family Harvest's slogan ("Crimes Committed Against God") and other pro-heterosexual T-shirts. LGBT student Alissa Norby said "hundreds of kids wearing anti-gay shirts" might provoke strong emotions. Family Harvest's youth minister stated that its shirt did not mention homosexuality specifically because of the topic's unfitness for high schools.

Family Harvest has a Christmas caroling group that sings at local events. Also, for Christmas 2005, Thompson personally arranged the donation of over 100,000 articles of clothing, toys, and other goods to Rubaga Miracle, a Ugandan cathedral (Pastor Robert Kayanja), for distribution to displaced persons' camps and orphanages in northern Uganda. 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 ministry to northwest suburban Chicago.

Speaking and networking

Thompson is also a televangelist, a speaker and lecturer around the United States, a meeting organizer since the 1980s, and a mentor to 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, an accredited Bible college (Accrediting Commission International), 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.

In 2007, Thompson authored Solitary Refinement: Finding and Making the Most of Time by Yourself, a guide to the productive creation and use of "quality 'alone-time'". The book describes being alone with God's words, setting right priorities, and eliminating emotional isolation.

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 2009-03-03. {{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. ^ 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)
  10. ^ 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)
  11. ^ 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.
  12. ^ 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.
  13. ^ Testerman, Jeff (2004-04-30). "Buyers shun Living Water property". St. Petersburg Times. Retrieved 2009-03-20.
  14. ^ "Church heading west". Herald News. Joliet, Illinois. 2008-02-17. Retrieved 2009-03-03.
  15. "Harvest Church opens west site". Herald News. Joliet, Illinois. 2008-09-07. Retrieved 2009-03-20.
  16. ^ Enigk, Erica (2005-06-23). "Tinley Park: OTB passes final hurdle". The Star. Tinley Park, Illinois: Star Newspapers. Retrieved 2009-03-20.
  17. Stelte, Mitzie (2007-06-15). "Politics: McAloon puts in bid for state Legislature". Times. Retrieved 2009-03-20.
  18. 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)
  19. "Church helps families with back-to-school season". The Star. Tinley Park, Illinois: Star Newspapers. 2004-09-02. Retrieved 2009-03-20.
  20. "Around Town". The Star. Tinley Park, Illinois: Star Newspapers. 2006-08-13. Retrieved 2009-03-20.
  21. Cucullu, Laura K. (2005-12-01). "Gay? Fine by me: Highschool program promoting tolerance". Curve Magazine. San Francisco, California: Outspoken Enterprises. Retrieved 2009-03-20.
  22. Smierciak, John (2005-04-19). "Battle of the T-shirts: Homewood-Flossmoor students to show off pro-gay, anti-gay views". Chicago Tribune. Chicago, Illinois. Retrieved 2009-03-20.
  23. "Oak Park Avenue: Christmas Carolers sponsored". The Star. Tinley Park, Illinois: Star Newspapers. 2006-11-26. Retrieved 2009-03-20.
  24. Nakagwa, Flavia (2005-12-24). "Kayanja aids northern children". New Vision. Uganda. Retrieved 2009-03-20.
  25. 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)
  26. 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.
  27. 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.
  28. Staff (2007-07-19). "News in Religion". The Star. Tinley Park, Illinois: Star Newspapers. Retrieved 2009-03-03.
  29. "Accreditation". International College of Excellence. Retrieved 2009-03-23.
  30. ^ Testerman, Jeff (2004-06-10). "New bidder steps in for troubled church". St. Petersburg Times. Retrieved 2009-03-20.

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