Nineteen eighty-eight saw our first national Reformed theology conference. In 1985, The Holiness of God was published, followed by Chosen By God in 1986. Sproul continued to pour his academic life into students through service at the seminary level. The distance learning aspect of Ligonier quickly eclipsed the regional campus, so in the early ‘80s, Ligonier relocated to Orlando to accommodate the growth. Adding to the growing national following was the birth of Tabletalk magazine in 1977. Students studied resources delivered by the mail, and the growth was explosive. While the ministry’s use of radio was still a few years away, the rise of “radical” new technologies such as audio cassettes and Beta/VHS presented the ministry with a whole new audience beyond the confines of the study center. As he taught, new forms of media and communication were rapidly developing. I would call that Ligonier 1.0, because it quickly became apparent that the Lord had more in mind for the teaching fellowship of R.C. It was there that the first talks on The Holiness of God were delivered. And hundreds of students came to live and learn among the Sprouls and other teachers. Thus, Ligonier Valley Study Center was born as a place to equip Christians to be articulate and effective in their defense of classical Christianity. Remember that the zeitgeist of the 1960s had introduced rampant relativism, in effect accelerating the secularization of culture and liberalism in the church.
After stints teaching in colleges and seminaries, he found the most joy in seeing the average churchgoer come alive when they grasped the things of God. This new outreach appealed to RC for a number of reasons, but largely because of his interest in communicating theology in practical terms to the layperson.
Schaeffer encouraged RC to do it and believed it would be helpful for the church. He consulted with Francis Schaeffer at the time about L’Abri, and Dr. Sproul was approached by a group of Christians in the Pittsburgh area about starting a study center for Christian learning and discipleship in the hills of western PA. Ligonier Ministries began in the fall of 1971 (so in 2011 we turn 40). To answer these two questions well requires a little history. How and when did Ligonier Ministries begin? Sponsor Show Your Support Become a Patron
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