David Wilkerson

Last night I got news that David Wilkerson had been killed in an auto accident in Texas. When we speak of Marketplace Christianity, we need not look much further than this man of God. In many ways he influenced my life much the way Keith Green did in my early days of walking with the Lord. He was a prophetic voice that often ruffled feathers in religious circles and yet he was a man that walked the talk. He was far from perfect but he was a straight shooter.

In 1986 while we were attending Christ For The Nations, I was invited to lead a ministry to a place called Street Church. The pastors were Demi and Cookie Rodriguez. They were also two of the first people David led to the Lord. The Cross and the Switchblade is a well-known book and movie based on the early ministry of David. Demi & Cookie were two young people involved in gangs in New York City and they actually got married after getting counseling from David. In Dallas, this couple ministered to at-risk youth; youth that were all heading to prison or worse. I saw first hand how many came to know Jesus and turn their lives around. David Wilkerson had influenced the lives of this couple to where they too wanted to serve the Lord in the messy places.

I met David a few months after graduating because I needed to ask him about Demi & Cookie and their offer to me. They had wanted me to run their ACE school and help in the ministry to these youth. David's advice was not what I had expected. He said, "don't do it, because they can't afford you". We had a good discussion and realized I needed to pray a bit more about the job offer. As you know, we decided not to move to Dallas. Cookie & Demi's son, who ended up with the job I had been offered, was shot and killed a year later by gang members that didn't like the fact that their guys were leaving the streets. There is a cost to serving the Lord.

The last time I saw David in person was when he and his son ministered in Estonia while we lived there. I was actually just as impressed with his son as I was with David.

The fruit of his labour is unmistakable, in Texas and in New York and around the world. He was a prophetic voice that was as flawed as any of us and yet he allowed God to use him in places most of us would never venture.