Raleigh 2007 ::: Who is Greg Laurie?

Greg Laurie, senior pastor of Harvest Christian Fellowship in Riverside, California, began his pastoral ministry at age 19 by leading a Bible study of 30 people. Since then, God has transformed that small group into a church of some 15,000 people. Today, Harvest is one of the 15 largest churches in America.

In 1990, Laurie began holding public evangelistic events called Harvest Crusades. Since that time, more than 3.3 million people have attended Harvest Crusades across the U.S., Canada, Australia, and New Zealand.

Laurie is the featured speaker of Harvest Ministry's nationally syndicated radio program, A New Beginning, with daily listeners coast-to-coast and overseas. The U.S. Armed Forces Radio and Television Service (AFRTS) also broadcasts A New Beginning, enabling Pastor Greg to reach more than 800,000 people in 73 countries and territories, as well as every U.S. Navy ship.

In order to further preach the gospel, Laurie is also featured on the television program, Knowing God with Greg Laurie, a weekly program that utilizes cutting-edge technology to share the message of the gospel. The program airs internationally on the Trinity Broadcasting Network, AFRTS, The Church Channel, and others. In addition to his work at Harvest Ministries, Laurie serves on the board of directors of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association and Samaritan's Purse. He holds two honorary doctorates from Biola University and Azusa Pacific University.

Laurie has authored a number of books, including Gold Medallion Award Winner, The Upside-Down Church (Tyndale, 1999), and his newest titles include: The Best is Yet to Come (Multnomah Publishers, 2005), Losers and Winners, Saints and Sinners (Warner Faith, 2005), and Are These the Last Days? (Regal Books, 2006). In addition, Laurie has authored study notes for two Bibles in the New Living Translation: The New Believer's Bible and The Seeker's Bible. His books have been translated into many languages, including Korean, Latvian, Portuguese, and Spanish.

Whether speaking or writing, God has gifted Laurie with the ability to apply biblical principles to current events in a way that is relevant and easily understood by people of all ages, from all walks of life.

For fun, Laurie enjoys riding his Harley Davidson, occasionally surfing (when the water is really warm), playing tennis, and working out. He's also somewhat of a techno-nut, always playing with the latest electronic gadget or gizmo. Greg and his wife Cathe have two children and reside in Southern California.