Ron Luce

{{Short description|Co-founder of the now defunct Teen Mania Ministries}}

{{Infobox person

| name = Ron Luce

| image = Ronluce.jpg

| image_size =

| caption =

| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1961|7|11|mf=y}}

| birth_place = Contra Costa County, California, USA

| occupation = Former Evangelist, author

| spouse = Katie (Kathryn Anne) Luce
(May 19, 1984 – present)

| children = Hannah
(September 21, 1989 – present)
Charity
(October 17, 1990 – present)
Cameron
(January 18, 1992 – present)

}}

Ronald Allan Luce (born July 11, 1961) is an American Evangelical cofounded and served as president of Teen Mania Ministries, which was located in Garden Valley, Texas. Together with his wife Katie, Ron founded Teen Mania in 1986 and led the organization until its bankruptcy in 2015. Luce is now CEO of a new ministry called Generation Next.{{Cite news|url=https://www.tbn.org/people/ron-luce|title=Ron Luce|date=2015-01-26|work=TBN|access-date=2018-04-13|language=en}}

Career

One of Ron's early involvements was with Willie George Ministries, where he was involved in the Fire By Nite Christian variety show that was distributed to subscribers, and syndicated on television. {{citation needed|date=April 2016}}

Luce also hosted weekend Acquire the Fire youth rallies and ministry clinics in large venues nationwide, many attracting tens of thousands of teens and youth workers. He also hosted a weekly TV show, Acquire the Fire, telecast on the Trinity Broadcasting Network and other Christian television stations.{{citation needed|date=April 2016}} Training and ministry experience was provided for young adults wishing to enter into youth (and other) ministries, as interns in the Honor Academy. Luce expanded his operations in 2005 by starting the Battle Cry Campaign.

Teen Mania filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy in December 2015, following financial difficulties, a lawsuit filed by Compassion International, and criticism from former interns and employees. {{cite news |url=http://www.tulsaworld.com/news/religion/financial-woes-force-teen-mania-to-shut-down/article_85041890-c141-5687-a5a7-d86412c5db7e.html?mode=jqm |publisher=Tulsa World |author=Bill Sherman |title=Financial woes force Teen Mania to shut down |accessdate=2016-04-22 }}{{cite news | first = J. C. | last = Derrick | title = Ron Luce admits Teen Mania is finished | url = http://www.worldmag.com/2015/12/ron_luce_admits_teen_mania_is_finished | publisher = World | date = December 18, 2015 | accessdate = 2016-04-22 }} Prior to filing bankruptcy, individuals who purchased tickets to canceled Teen Mania events were not refunded.{{Cite web|url=https://world.wng.org/2015/10/warrant_issued_for_teen_mania_founder|title=Warrant issued for Teen Mania founder|last=Derrick|first=J. C.|website=world.wng.org|language=en|access-date=2019-06-25}} Teen Mania was among the country's fifth-most insolvent charity with a net worth of -$5.2 million.{{Cite web|url=https://www.christianpost.com/news/arrest-warrant-issued-for-teen-mania-founderron-luce-incompassion-internationals-lawsuit.html|title=Arrest Warrant Issued for Teen Mania Founder Ron Luce in Compassion International's Lawsuit|website=www.christianpost.com|date=October 5, 2015|language=en|access-date=2019-06-25}}

Criticism

=Militant Statements=

Ron Luce speaks of a battle that is waged against the "powers of darkness" and also implemented through the "Love of Jesus Christ" to the individual.{{citation needed|date=January 2013}} Some of his statements: "This is war. And Jesus invites us to get into the action, telling us that the violent—the ‘forceful' ones—will lay hold of the kingdom."{{cite book|last=Luce|first=Ron|authorlink=Ron Luce|title=Battle Cry for a Generation: The Fight To Save America's Youth|publisher=Cook Communications Ministries|year=2005|isbn=978-0-7814-4267-1|page=[https://archive.org/details/battlecryforgene00luce_0/page/57 57]|url-access=registration|url=https://archive.org/details/battlecryforgene00luce_0}} At a Cleveland "Acquire the Fire" event, he said, "The devil hates us, and we gotta be ready to fight and not be these passive little lukewarm, namby-pamby, kum-ba-yah, thumb-sucking babies that call themselves Christians. Jesus? He got mad! ... I want an attacking church!"

{{cite news

| last = Sharlet

| first = Jeff

| title = Teenage Holy War

| publisher = Rolling Stone

| date = April 2007

| url = https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/story/14021621/teenage_holy_war

| accessdate = February 8, 2008| archiveurl= https://web.archive.org/web/20080229051559/http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/story/14021621/teenage_holy_war| archivedate= February 29, 2008 | url-status= dead}}

Luce further exhorts his young followers to proclaim in unison: "I will keep my eyes on the battle, submitting to Your code, even when I don't understand."{{cite news|last=Taylor|first=Sunsara|title=Battle Cry for Theocracy|publisher=truthdig.com|date=June 11, 2006|url=http://www.truthdig.com/report/item/20060511_battle_cry_theocracy/|accessdate=August 4, 2007}}

In a profile in Ministry Today magazine in 2014, Luce confirmed, "We're doing everything we can to raise up a young army who will change the world for Christ."{{Cite web|url=http://issuu.com/charismamediaproduction/docs/mtmj14?e=6700021/7767907|title = Ministry Today May/June 2014| work=Issuu }}

=Popular culture the enemy=

Luce has also publicly condemned "purveyors of popular culture" as "the enemy," who according to Luce are "terrorists, virtue terrorists, that are destroying our kids... they're raping virgin teenage America on the sidewalk, and everybody's walking by and acting like everything's OK. And it's just not OK."{{cite news

| first = Christiane

| last = Amanpour

| authorlink = Christiane Amanpour

|author2=Julie O'Neill |author3=Taylor Gandossy

| title = Teen Christians campaign against pop culture

| url = http://edition.cnn.com/2007/US/08/22/gw.teen.christians/

| work =

| publisher = CNN

| id =

| pages =

| page =

| date = August 23, 2007

| accessdate = August 27, 2007

| language =

| quote =

}}

=Proposition 8=

Ron Luce was one of the leaders of a youth rally, "The Fine Line," held in support of California Proposition 8 on October 1, 2008 at Rock Church in San Diego.{{cite news|last=Chan |first=Kenneth |title=Thousands of California Christian Youth Empowered to Defend Marriage |publisher=The Christian Post |date=October 2, 2008 |url=https://www.christianpost.com/news/thousands-of-california-christian-youth-empowered-to-defend-marriage-34624/ |accessdate=June 3, 2018 |url-status=unfit |archiveurl=https://archive.today/20081005165216/http://www.christianpost.com/article/20081002/thousands-of-california-christian-youth-empowered-to-defend-marriage_pageall.htm |archivedate=October 5, 2008 }} Proposition 8 was an initiative that would constitutionally prohibit same-sex marriage in California. Luce presented the "8 for 8" action plan at the conclusion of the event.{{cite video

| people = Miles McPherson, Lou Engle, Sean McDowell, Yvette Schneider, Greg Koukl, Ron Luce

| title = The Fine Line

| medium = Live television

| publisher = Christian Communication Network

| location = San Diego, California

| date = October 1, 2008 }}

=MSNBC Documentary=

In 2011, Ron Luce was interviewed for an MSNBC documentary entitled "Mind Over Mania."{{cite episode

| title = Mind Over Mania

| url = http://www.nbcnews.com/id/21134540

| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20130129090138/http://www.nbcnews.com/id/21134540/

| url-status = dead

| archive-date = January 29, 2013

| network = NBC News

| airdate = November 6, 2011}} The documentary showed footage of controversial Teen Mania events, doctrines, and practices, and also included interviews with past Honor Academy interns and Christian mental health professionals who criticized the ministry for using what they identified as cult mind control techniques according to Robert Jay Lifton's "Eight Criteria for Thought Reform". Luce declined a follow-up interview for the documentary, but later said that the footage was taken out of context and the MSNBC filmmakers had approached him under false pretenses.{{cite news

| last = Schapiro

| first = Jeff

| title = Teen Mania Founder: MSNBC Documentary is Deceptive

| publisher = The Christian Post

| date = November 7, 2011

| url = http://www.christianpost.com/news/teen-mania-founder-msnbc-documentary-is-deceptive-60902/

| accessdate = January 13, 2012 }} However, MSNBC responded in a statement that Luce's accusations were false.{{cite news

| last = Schapiro

| first = Jeff

| title = MSNBC Responds to Accusations over Teen Mania Documentary

| publisher = The Christian Post

| date = November 9, 2011

| url = http://www.christianpost.com/news/msnbc-responds-to-accusations-over-teen-mania-documentary-61181/

| accessdate = January 13, 2012 }} The documentary won an investigative reporting award from the CINE organization.[http://www.cine.org/film/mind-over-mania/ Mind Over Mania – CINE]

=Lawsuit=

On September 9, 2015, the 4th Judicial District Court in Colorado Springs issued an arrest warrant for Ron Luce for failure to appear at a hearing regarding a breach of contract lawsuit against Teen Mania.{{cite news | first = J. C. | last = Derrick | authorlink = J. C. Derrick | title = Warrant issued for Teen Mania founder | url = http://www.worldmag.com/2015/10/warrant_issued_for_teen_mania_founder| publisher = World | date = October 1, 2015 | accessdate = 2015-10-01 }}{{cite news | first = Morgan | last = Lee | title = Compassion International Sues Teen Mania over Acquire the Fire

| url = http://www.christianitytoday.com/gleanings/2015/october/compassion-international-sues-teen-mania.html | publisher = Christianity Today | date = October 1, 2015 | accessdate = 2015-10-05 }}{{cite news | first = Anugrah | last = Kumar | title =Arrest Warrant Issued for Teen Mania Founder Ron Luce in Compassion International's Lawsuit | url = http://www.christianpost.com/news/arrest-warrant-issued-for-teen-mania-founderron-luce-incompassion-internationals-lawsuit-146873/| publisher = Christian Post | date = October 5, 2015 | accessdate = 2015-10-05 }} In the lawsuit, Compassion International sought a $174,124.73 judgment; Compassion's position was that they paid for stage time at Teen Mania events to make appeals for attendees to sponsor children in need; those events were canceled and the funds were not returned.

Early life and education

Luce became involved in drug and alcohol abuse while living with his father.{{cite web|url=http://teenmania.com/corporate/index.cfm|title=Teen Mania Corporate Website|accessdate=August 4, 2007|author=Teen Mania Ministries |archiveurl = https://web.archive.org/web/20070720193537/http://www.teenmania.com/corporate/index.cfm |archivedate = July 20, 2007}} Luce was taken in by a pastor,{{Citation needed|date=March 2008}} under whose roof he became a Christian. He then committed his life to evangelizing and training young people. He received his bachelor's degree in Psychology and Theology from Oral Roberts University and his Masters in Counseling Psychology from the University of Tulsa.{{cite web|url=http://www.extremecamps.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=home.show&pageId=33|title=Extreme Camps: Ron Luce|accessdate=August 4, 2007|author=Teen Mania Ministries |archiveurl = https://web.archive.org/web/20070928015219/http://www.extremecamps.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=home.show&pageId=33 |archivedate = September 28, 2007}}

Appointments

In 2002, U.S. President George W. Bush appointed him to the White House Advisory Commission on Drug-Free Communities, on which he served until 2004.{{cite web|url=http://www.demossnewspond.com/teen/presskit/RonLuceBio.htm|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20080209031735/http://www.demossnewspond.com/teen/presskit/RonLuceBio.htm|archivedate=February 9, 2008|title=BattleCry: Ron Luce Biography|accessdate=August 4, 2007|author=DeMossNewsPond.com}} Luce joined the board of trustees of Oral Roberts University in January 2008.

{{cite news

| last = Marciszewski

| first = April

| title = Trustees aim for stability at ORU

| publisher = Tulsa World

| date = January 21, 2008

| url = http://www.tulsaworld.com/news/article.aspx?articleID=20080121_1_A1_hThes47057

| accessdate = January 21, 2008}}

Published works

Luce has written or co-written a number of books:

Battlecry for a Generation
Battlecry for My Generation
Guard Your Heart
It's Only a Tattoo
"The Mark of a World Changer"
Power of One
When Teens Pray
Re-Create: Building a culture in your home stronger than the culture destroying your kids

Other works by Luce include the "Over the Edge" devotional series, and the "Rise Up," "Dig In," "Band Together," "Move Out," and "Double Vision" curricula associated with the Battle Cry Campaign. {{Citation needed|date=April 2016}}

References

External links

[http://www.teenmania.com/ Teen Mania Ministries]
[http://www.acquirethefire.com/ Acquire the Fire (ATF) youth rallies]
[https://web.archive.org/web/20110222215131/http://battlecry.com/ Battle Cry web site]
[http://www.honoracademy.com/ Honor Academy – youth ministry training]
[http://www.globalexpeditions.com/ Global Expeditions – Foreign Missions]
[http://www.extremecamps.com/ Extreme Camps (youth ministry and training camps)]
[https://web.archive.org/web/20080320022224/http://www.demossnewspond.com/teen BattleCry Newsroom]
[https://web.archive.org/web/20071012183742/http://alumni.oru.edu/oldexcellence/fall90/pages/focus1.html ORU Alumni Feature: Ron Luce]
[http://www.christianleadershipuniversity.com/section6.htm Biography of Ron Luce at Christian Leadership University]
[https://web.archive.org/web/20160113153031/http://www.recoveringalumni.com/search/label/ron%20luce Anti-Ron Luce Blog] (archived)