Jerry Falwell

American pastor

• Born: August 11, 1933
• Birthplace: Lynchburg, Virginia
• Died: May 15, 2007
• Place of death: Lynchburg, Virginia

Falwell, who founded Thomas Road Baptist Church in 1956, was among the first evangelists to successfully use television to spread religious messages. He founded Liberty University in 1971, and he gained national attention in 1979 after founding the Moral Majority, a conservative political lobbying group. Critics maintain that the Moral Majority’s political work violates constitutional mandates of separation of church and state.

Early Life

Jerry Falwell (FAHL-wehl) was born twenty minutes ahead of his twin brother, Gene, at Guggenheimer Memorial Hospital in Lynchburg, Virginia. His parents, Carey Falwell and Helen Falwell, had three other children: Virginia, Rosha, and Lewis. Carey Falwell owned restaurants, bus lines, and gas stations, and he also made illegal moonshine and promoted dogfights and cockfights in a family barn.

The Falwell family had money, but that did not always lead to happiness for them. Carey became an alcoholic after killing his younger brother, Garland, in self-defense in 1931. This tragic event was followed that same year by the unexpected death of ten-year-old Rosha from peritonitis (inflammation of the abdominal lining). Carey’s drinking contributed to his death in 1948, when the young Falwell was just fifteen years old.

Falwell was an excellent student and graduated as valedictorian of Brookville High School in 1950. Unfortunately, he was forbidden from giving his graduation speech as punishment for being part of a prank that involved the theft of cafeteria lunch tickets. He went on to attend Lynchburg College, where he excelled at mathematics and was a talented athlete, catching the attention of the St. Louis Cardinals baseball team. It seemed that Falwell was destined for one of two things: Virginia Tech University as an engineering major or becoming a professional athlete.

Everything would change on January 20, 1952, when Falwell was “saved” at Park Avenue Baptist Church at the age of eighteen. He became active in the church, transferring from Lynchburg College to Baptist Bible College in Springfield, Missouri. There he was captain of the basketball team and graduated with a theology degree in 1956.

While at church, Falwell met his future wife, Macel. They married on April 12, 1958, and had three children: Jerry, Jr., Jean Ann, and Jonathan. Falwell’s family began with the church, and the church would become the centerpiece of his life’s work.

Life’s Work

Upon graduating from college in 1956, Falwell started his own church with thirty-five members. The church, without a name or permanent home, first met on June 17 at a local elementary school. Later that week, Falwell acquired the old Donald Duck Bottling Company plant on Thomas Road in Lynchburg, Virginia. On July 1, Thomas Road Baptist Church (TRBC) opened its doors.

Falwell made use of developing technology to spur the growth of his congregation. In 1956 he began daily broadcasts on local AM radio station WBRG. Later that same year, the reverend began weekly television broadcasts of what would become known as the Old Time Gospel Hour via local American Broadcasting Company affiliate WLVA (now WSET), Channel 13.

Thanks in large part to Falwell’s charismatic personality and familiarity through mass media, TRBC grew from thirty-five members in 1956 to a congregation of approximately twenty-two thousand in 2007. Over the years, other projects have been established through the church, such as the Elim Home for Alcoholics, Camp Hydaway, a pregnancy-crisis hotline, Liberty Godparent Home (a maternity home for single women), and The Center (serving youth from impoverished urban areas).

Falwell became discouraged after prayer was banned from public schools. He decided to open Lynchburg Christian Academy in 1967. In 1971, Falwell broadened his educational vision by establishing Lynchburg Baptist College (now Liberty University). Since 1971, Liberty has added a graduate school, a law school, and a seminary. It is possible for a child to enroll in preschool at the academy and eventually receive a graduate-level education, all within a religious environment.

Although Falwell had many successes, there were trials along the way. In 1973 the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) filed charges against TRBC. The SEC accused TRBC of fraud and deceit in the sale of bonds that were used to invest in national media infrastructure (until then, the Old Time Gospel Hour was regionally broadcast). Eventually, TRBC was cleared of the fraud and deceit charges; afterward, the church replaced its volunteer accounting staff with trained professionals.

In 1983, adult magazine Hustler published a parody advertisement that denigrated Falwell. A lawsuit was filed in retaliation against Hustler and its founder, the controversial Larry Flynt, alleging that the parody was an appropriation of Falwell’s likeness and was libelous and emotionally distressing. In a unanimous decision, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in favor of Flynt and his magazine. Falwell lost the case in part because he failed to provide substantive evidence to demonstrate that the parody inflicted intentional harm.

Falwell became a household name in 1979 after he founded a conservative lobbying group known as the Moral Majority . Despite popular belief, the Moral Majority was not a religious organization per se. It was a lobbying group actively engaged in politics that supported candidates if they were prolife (opposed abortion and favored adoption), favored traditional families (with married, heterosexual couples), and favored strong national defense. The Moral Majority often receives credit from supporters and critics alike for its role in helping Ronald Reagan become president.

Falwell’s role in the Moral Majority received a groundswell of criticism from those believing in separation of church and state . (It is worth noting here that the U.S. Constitution does not mention the term “separation between church and state.” The term originated from a letter written by Thomas Jefferson to representatives of the Danbury Baptist Association in 1802.) Ironically, Falwell himself was formerly opposed to religious leaders engaging in political action. He even preached a sermon in the mid-1960’s entitled “Ministers and Marches,” which was critical of mixing politics and religion. Falwell held steadfastly to that opinion until the 1973 Supreme Court decision of Roe v. Wade (which confirmed a woman’s right to privacy regarding matters of her own body, and therefore legalized abortion). At that point, Falwell and the Moral Majority became a political force, remaining so until Falwell’s resignation from the organization in 1987.

The dichotomy of religion, education, and politics would remain an integral part of Falwell’s life, and his death. On May 15, 2007, Falwell collapsed from a heart attack in his office at Liberty University. His body was discovered by staff members after he was late for a church meeting. Falwell died the week of Liberty University’s commencement, just days before former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich was scheduled to speak there.

Falwell’s sons carried on his work. Jerry, Jr., served as chancellor of Liberty University and Jonathan as pastor of TRBC.

Significance

Falwell, who overcame a difficult childhood, had a lasting impact on American society. His significance lies in the founding of Liberty University, which educates students from around the world, and of Thomas Road Baptist Church, which remains one of the largest churches in the United States. Perhaps more significant, however, was his founding of the Moral Majority. Although the organization is now defunct, it played a definitive role in getting Reagan elected president. During his tenure in office, Reagan supported all four Moral Majority platforms.

Falwell was instrumental in the church becoming a place for preachers to discuss politics from the pulpit, which blurred the line between church and state. His political work with the Moral Majority paved the way for other conservative organizations, such as the Christian Coalition and Focus on the Family, to lobby around the nation and, more critically, in Washington, D.C.

Bibliography

D’Souza, Dinesh. Falwell: Before the Millennium A Critical Biography. Chicago: Regnery Gateway, 1984. This biography combines in-depth research with personal observations of time spent with Falwell. D’Souza reaches his own conclusions, which support Falwell at times but are also critical.

Falwell, Jerry L. Falwell: An Autobiography, the Inside Story. Lynchburg, Va.: Liberty House, 1997. Falwell’s life story, in his own words.

‗‗‗‗‗‗‗. If I Should Die Before I Wake. Nashville, Tenn.: Thomas Nelson, 1986. This book is written to explain Falwell’s position on abortion and his efforts to provide viable alternatives.

‗‗‗‗‗‗‗. Listen, America! New York: Doubleday, 1980. Provides insight into Falwell’s mind-set, especially concerning the topics of abortion, homosexuality, pornography, humanism, and so-called broken homes.

Forbes, Bruce D. Religion and Popular Culture in America. Berkeley: University of California Press, 2000. Forbes spends time describing Falwell’s use of technology to reach larger audiences, and the consequences for religion and culture.

Smolla, Rodney A. Jerry Falwell v. Larry Flynt: The First Amendment on Trial. New York: St. Martin’s Press, 1988. Smolla, a professor of constitutional law, provides expert analysis on the case of Hustler magazine and Flynt versus Falwell. The appendix contains reproductions of the Hustler parody ad and the Supreme Court opinion.

Tamney, Joseph B. The Resilience of Christianity in the Modern World. Albany: State University of New York Press, 1992. This text analyzes Christianity in modern society. Thoughtfully critiques Falwell’s contributions, primarily through his work with the Moral Majority.

White, John K. The Values Divide: American Politics and Culture in Transition. New York: Chatham House, 2003. This book examines the differences in values among political and social entities. An example used is the debate that raged between Falwell and gay- and lesbian-rights organizations.