David Wilkerson

David Wilkerson: The Cross, the Switchblade, and the Man Who Believed by Gary Wilkerson

“This is the story of David Wilkerson, the man who believed against the odds that God could do great things in the rejected and ignored of New York City, who refused to give up on those on the streets even when they had given up on themselves, and who saw in the eyes of the drug addicts and gang members what others failed to see the love of Jesus Christ.

But who was David Wilkerson? Many Christians don t really know. More often than not, we saw the fruit of his faith in God rather than the man himself. David Wilkerson was a man of faith who trusted God would give him what he needed to enter a world of crime and killing. He was a man of conviction who took the dream God gave him and marched forward without ever looking back. And he was a man of vision who could not be shaken from his beliefs sometimes even when counseled otherwise. David Wilkerson was the preacher of New York City.”

This is the story of David Wilkerson (May 19, 1931 – April 27, 2011), as told by his son – Gary Wilkerson and R.S.B Sawyer. David was a remarkable man that was called by God into Ministry at a young age. It was in ministry that his heart turned towards the rejected and ignored on the streets of New York City. It was in that ministry that David came to his life long mission. He took the love and message of Jesus Christ to the streets where he boldly stood toe-to-toe with the street gangs, drug addicts and those just thrown away by society.

It was his vision that none should perish and with that vision he founded the Times Square Church – still thriving today with a congregation of 8000 and where he penned the book “The Cross and The Switchblade”. That book, which chronicled the real-life conversion of a gang leader – Nicky Cruz -, has sold over 16 million copies.

This book is amazing. It will certainly light a fire in you that you too will long to be about the work of the Kingdom.

About the authors:
Gary Wilkerson is the President of World Challenge, an international mission organization that was founded by his father, David Wilkerson. He is also the lead pastor of The Springs Church, which he and others launched in 2009 and has grown rapidly by God’s grace. Gary travels nationally and internationally to conduct conferences for pastors, missionaries and Christian workers and to oversee mission ventures including church plants, orphanages, health clinics and feeding programs among the poor and unreached people of the world. Gary and his wife, Kelly, have four children and live in Colorado Springs, Colorado.

R.S.B. Sawyer is a writer whose work has appeared in Harper One’s Best Christian Writing Series. He and his wife, Joy Roulier Sawyer, live in Denver, where they are active in the Lighthouse Writers Workshop community. Their editing work together has earned awards from the Associated Church Press and the Catholic Press Association.

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