A few years ago Time Magazine did a list of the most influential evangelicals. Most of the people who made the list I had heard of but many I had not. I started thinking about who are the most influential evangelicals for people 30 and under. Here is my top 5:
- Rob Bell- Pastor, author, speaker, actor (does Nooma count as acting?). Some might be worried that he isn’t evangelical enough, and I have my issues with him…but the fact remains: Christians my age totally dig this guy.
- Shane Claiborne- Author and speaker. He has written one of the best books in the past few years (Irresistible Revolution). He dresses like Brennan Manning, and he has no issues challenging the status quo.
- Rick Warren- Pastor, author, speaker. Nothing about his ministry specifically tries to reach an age group, but anyone who has the most popular book within the past 10 years should make a list on any age group. Who would have thought a Southern Baptist pastor could have so much influence?
- Don Miller- Author and speaker. From the great city of Portland, Oregon. I could be biased on this one, but he also has one of the most popular books from the past few years (Blue Like Jazz). I think he understands this generation and knows how to lead them.
- Louie Giglio- Speaker and soon-to-be pastor. He is the leader and founder of the Passion organization. If you have heard of Matt Redman, Charlie Hall, David Crowder, or Chris Tomlin, then you should know the mastermind behind these guys. I think a large part of the credit to the modern worship movement should be given to him. Plus, he is an incredible speaker.
Notables to not make the top 5:
- Mark Driscoll- Author, pastor. A great speaker, though I think he has turned many away from his teachings because of his somewhat abrasive style.
- Emergent Village– Some would say they aren’t evangelical enough, but that is neither here nor there. The combination of Tony Jones, Doug Pagitt, along with others who help such as Brian McLaren makes this a very influential organization.
- Dan Kimball- He is starting a group similar to Emergent Village with Erwin McManus and Scot McKnight. He also gets this generation, example being the book The Emerging Church.
Now its your turn to add or subtract to this list.
Oh, and you don’t have to be under 30 to have an opinion 🙂
