Larry Burkett 1939~2003, Biographical Information
Widely Known For His Economic Warnings
In The Coming Economic Earthquake (Moody Press, Chicago, I11. * 1991), Burkett delineated growing federal deficits and the ever increasing use of debt by business and households out of control. Burkett points out those severe economic times will appear sometime shortly after the millennium unless current polices are changed. Burkett believed that Keynesian economic policies, with ideals for continuing federal deficits and the implicit preference for higher levels of credit and consumption, reduced saving, and a larger role for government in the economy are a means to disaster. As Burkett states in the book that as interest on the debt consumes a larger and larger portion of the yearly federal budget, and more money is borrowed each year to pay the interest on what was borrowed in previous years, there will be a temptation to “monetize” the debt at an increasing rate leading to a calamity not seen since the Great Depression. Burkett questioned whether or not elected leaders would take action in time to prevent fiscal chaos, and believed they would not. Larry gave no time-line for this prediction, other than a forewarning, foreshadowing current events of the time, with a little common sense added for good measure.
Early Years
Larry Burkett (March 3rd, 1939~July 4th, 2003) was an American author and leading Christian radio personality whose work focused on financial counseling from a Christian point of view. Larry was born in Winter Park, Florida on March 3, 1939, the fifth of eight children. After completing high school in Winter Garden, Florida, he entered the U.S. Air Force where he served with the Strategic Air Command. Upon completion of his military duties, he and his wife Judy returned to central Florida, where he worked in the space program at Cape Canaveral, Florida. He spent the next several years at the space center (NASA) in charge of an experiments test facility that served the Mercury-, Gemini-, and Apollo-manned space programs. While working at the space center, Larry earned degrees in marketing and finance at Rollins College, Winter Park, Florida. Larry left the space center in 1970 to become Vice President of an electronics manufacturing firm.
A Turning Point
In 1972 Larry put his trust and faith in Jesus Christ to guide his life, through the influence of his wife Judy and persistence of Dr. Peter Lord, Titusville, Florida–an event that had a profound effect. In 1973 he left the electronics company to join the staff of a nonprofit ministry, Campus Crusade for Christ at the request of Dr. Bill Bright, as a financial counselor. It was during this time that he began an intense study of what the Bible says about handling money, and he started teaching small groups around the country.
Ministry Is Formed
In 1976 Larry Burkett left the campus ministry to form Christian Financial Concepts, a 501C(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to teaching the biblical principles of handling money. CFC was used as a vehicle to produce audio, video and written Work’s for helping individuals, the local Church and main-line Denominations World-wide disseminate God’s word with regard to Stewardship principles. In May of 1996, Southwest Baptist University conferred on Larry an Honorary Doctorate in Economics.
