Jentezen Franklin

Jentezen Franklin
Born (1962-07-21) July 21, 1962
Wilson, North Carolina, US
Residence permanent in Gainesville, Georgia and Irvine, California, U.S.
Occupation Pastor, speaker, writer and musician
Religion Congregational Holiness Church
Spouse(s) Cherise Franklin
Children Courteney, Caressa, Caroline, Conner, Drake.

Jentezen Franklin (born July 21, 1962) is the senior pastor of Free Chapel Worship Center, a multi-site church based in Gainesville, Georgia. Franklin is the author of New York Times best sellers, Right People, Right Place, Right Plan and Fasting. His ministry extends internationally through the televised broadcast, Kingdom Connection, which is seen on television networks such as TBN and The Church Channel.[1]

Personal life

Jentezen Franklin is one of five children born to Billy and Katie Franklin in Wilson, North Carolina. His father died in 1991, and his mother remains actively involved in Franklin's church, Free Chapel. His mother is one of twenty-seven children in the Stone family of Wilson, North Carolina. He has two older brothers, Doyle & Richie Franklin, and two younger sisters, Jennifer and Jill. Early in his career, Franklin traveled as an evangelistic team with his elder brother, Richie, who died December 1, 2012. Franklin and his wife, Cherise, married in September 1987, and they have five children: Courteney, Caressa, Caroline, Connar, and Drake.[2]

Jentezen Franklin studied tenor saxophone under Frank Mayes at Atlantic Christian College (now Barton College) in his hometown of Wilson, North Carolina. Jentezen, along with his brother, Richie, played in the college jazz band. Jentezen left college after his brother graduated and pursued the ministry under the guidance of his father. He eventually became an evangelist in the Church of God.

Ministry

On his way to a musical career as a saxophone player, Jentezen felt led by God to become an evangelist. When Roy Wellborn, senior pastor of Free Chapel, died in 1989, Franklin had been scheduled to preach there. He had often visited the church on his crusades. In 1989, Franklin was formally installed as pastor of Free Chapel, which at the time was a small congregation of 300 people. In 2004, the church moved to its current location, which has a 3,000 seat auditorium.[3] It is one of the largest churches in Georgia, and one of the largest (if not the largest) in the Congregational Holiness Church.

Congregations on two coasts

In 2007, Jentezen Franklin opened the second Free Chapel Church in Irvine, California. On August 5, 2007, the church held its first service with about 163 members in attendance. It has since grown almost as rapidly as the Gainesville location.[3]

After preaching two sermons in Gainesville beginning early Sunday morning and then shaking hands with his congregation, Franklin, his family and important staff members board a private jet. The team flies 2,300 miles west to Southern California, where by 6 pm, Franklin is in the pulpit for his one evening service there. He and his immediate family live in his private California home until Tuesday or Wednesday and then fly back to Gainesville.[3]

Franklin states that having individual staff, both in Georgia and California, allow him to be able to minister to his parishioners at opposite ends of the United States. He said that his congregations understand when he cannot visit them in the hospital and perform other pastoral work such as counseling those in need personally. These and other duties are assigned to other pastoral staff members.[3]

He has since opened additional satellite campuses in Suwanee, Georgia and Spartanburg, South Carolina.

Forward Conference

Forward is an annual student conference hosted by Franklin's church since 2004. It is held every year in both Atlanta, Georgia and Irvine, California.

Year Theme Featured Artists Featured Speakers Special Notes
2006
Year Theme Featured Artists Featured Speakers Special Notes
2007
Year Theme Featured Artists Featured Speakers Special Notes
2009
Year Theme Featured Artists Featured Speakers Special Notes
2010
Year Theme Featured Artists Featured Speakers Special Notes
2011

Move Forward
  • Jentezen Franklin
  • Judah Smith
  • Reggie Dabbs
  • Christine Caine
  • Carl Lentz
  • First live recording produced by Israel Houghton
Year Theme Featured Artists Featured Speakers Special Notes
2012
  • Break the Static

First year to feature dual sites for conference on East Coast (EC) and West Coast (WC)

Year Theme Featured Artists Featured Speakers Special Notes
2013

Published works

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Free Chapel Media". Free Chapel. 2009-01-17.
  2. ↑ About Jentezen Franklin
  3. 1 2 3 4 Blackwood, Harris (March 6, 2008). "Jentezen Franklin: 2 coasts, 1 message". Gainesville Times. Retrieved January 17, 2009.

External links

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