Erwin Lutzer


Erwin W. Lutzer is an evangelical Christian pastor, teacher and author. He was the senior pastor of The Moody Church in Chicago, Illinois, from 1980 to 2016.

Career

Born in Saskatchewan, Canada, Lutzer became a born again Christian at age 14. He graduated from Winnipeg Bible Institute in 1962 with a Bachelor's Degree in Biblical Education. He served as senior pastor of Edgewater Baptist Church, Chicago, from 1971 to 1977. During that time he completed an M.A. in Philosophy from Loyola University Chicago. Previously he had earned the Master of Theology from Dallas Theological Seminary in 1967. He then entered the PhD program at Loyola to pursue a doctorate in Philosophy; however, he did not complete his dissertation. In subsequent years, Lutzer has received two honorary doctorates, an LL.D. from Simon Greenleaf School of Law and a Doctor of Divinity from Western Conservative Baptist Seminary.

The Moody Church

In January 1980, Lutzer became the senior pastor of the Moody Church in Chicago's Lincoln Park neighborhood. The church and its ministries have grown significantly under his leadership, leading to the construction of a new Christian Life Center to complement the existing 75-year-old building. On January 4, 2016, at a Sunday sermon, Lutzer announced that he would be retiring from his senior pastor position at the Moody Church. He said he would retain the position until a new senior pastor was decided, and afterward would consider himself to be the church's "Pastor Emeritus", hoping to "assume a wider role" by continuing his radio show "Running to Win" as well as "speaking at media rallies, conducting seminars, and writing books" in the future. On the Sunday morning of May 22, 2016, Lutzer preached his last sermon as Senior Pastor of the Moody Church and officially stepped down from the position.

Radio and television

Lutzer is the speaker on three radio broadcasts: "Songs in the Night," "Running to Win" and "The Moody Church Hour." These broadcasts are heard on radio stations across the United States and across the world through the Internet. Sunday morning services at the church are streamed live, worldwide, through the church's website. Lutzer speaks internationally at churches, conferences, and retreats.
On November 10, 2018, his television production of A Call for Freedom, tracing the Protestant Reformation from the time of Martin Luther and shot on location in Germany, won three regional Emmy Awards.

Author

Lutzer has authored more than 50 books, including Hitler’s Cross, which won a Gold Medallion award from the Evangelical Christian Publishers Association, and the bestselling One Minute After You Die: A Preview of Your Final Destination.
Lutzer’s book critiquing Dan Brown’s best-selling novel The Da Vinci Code, entitled The Da Vinci Deception, was featured on national broadcasts in both secular and Christian markets.

Works