A son of Pittsburgh, R.C. Sproul spent the early years of his life pursuing sports and the girl he met while in the first grade. He attended Westminster College on an athletic scholarship. And the girl from grade school? R.C. married Vesta in 1960. It’s been R.C. and Vesta ever since. He wrote his college senior philosophy thesis on the topic, “The Existential Implications of Moby Dick.” It would certainly not be the last thing written by R.C. Sproul.
1965-1975
R.C. served at Gordon College in Massachusetts, Conwell Theological Seminary in Philadelphia, and then in a pastorate in Cincinnati. In 1971, R.C., Vesta, and their two children, Sherrie and R.C. Jr. settled in the mountains of Western Pennsylvania to serve at the newly established Ligonier Valley Study Center. R.C. published his first book in 1973, The Symbol, an exposition of the Apostles’ Creed, winning a Christianity Today book award.
1976-1984
R.C. led a team of scholars and churchmen in writing what would come to be one of the most significant documents of the 20th-century church, The Chicago Statement on Biblical Inerrancy. In 1984, the Sprouls and the Ligonier staff moved to Orlando, Florida. In addition to leading a rapidly growing ministry and delivering lectures for teaching series, R.C. also served as a professor of theology for a Reformed seminary.
1985
The capstone of all of the teaching series was The Holiness of God, published as a book in 1985. In it, R.C. aimed to address humanity’s fundamental problem: we do not know who God is and we do not know who we are. At the core of this book was Isaiah 6, a touchstone text for R.C. Sproul and Ligonier Ministries. In it, we also meet all of R.C.’s favorites from church history: Luther, Edwards, Calvin, and Augustine.
1986-1994
R.C. published Chosen by God in 1986. That book was used by God to call thousands of Christians to a higher view of the sovereignty of God. In 1994, R.C. took a strong stand against Evangelicals and Catholics Together (ECT). That same year, Renewing Your Mindfirst aired on the radio. Over the coming years, radio broadcasts would reach millions of listeners.
1995-2005
The New Geneva Study Bible, edited by R.C. and released in 1995, introduced the riches of Reformed Christianity through helpful interpretive notes and study aids. In 1997, Saint Andrew’s Chapel was founded. R.C. was a pastor again. A distinctive trait of R.C.’s teaching is his grasp of the flow of ideas. The Consequences of Ideas (2000) offers an insightful tour through the history of philosophy from a Christian perspective.
2006 – 2017
As a great-grandfather, R.C. wrote several children’s books. In 2010, R.C. founded Reformation Bible College, giving it the curriculum he wished he had as an undergraduate. In 2015, R.C. collaborated with Jeff Lippencott, producing a full-length CD of hymns, Glory to the Holy One and later, Saints of Zion. R.C. spent his final years in Sanford, Florida where he served Ligonier Ministries and St. Andrew’s Chapel.
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“Today my friend, co-defender of the truth and theological giant is standing in the presence of our Lord whom he loved and served faithfully. R.C. Sproul has stood with me for decades in every major theological controversy and I will dearly miss him. There is no one like him.”
JOHN MACARTHUR
“R.C. was never afraid of or shrank from the fray. He fought well, and his faith conquered. Now he beholds the Lord in His glory and is fully like Him. We do not begrudge our friend the fulfilment of his heart’s desire to behold the Holy One.”
SINCLAIR B. FERGUSON
“He was one of the great defenders of historic Christianity of our times. It is fair to say that R.C. was the greatest and most influential proponent of the recovery of Reformed theology in the last century.”
R. ALBERT MOHLER JR.
“Though he is no longer with us here on earth, he nevertheless continues to multiply himself through the lasting influence of his convictions and the counsel of his words. Long may the legacy of this extraordinary life live among us.”
STEVEN J. LAWSON
“Here was a scholar-preacher, or preacher-scholar, touched with a gift for communication that exceeded the ordinary. More importantly, here was someone who understood what was central to the Scriptures and who desired to communicate it with passion.”
DEREK W.H. THOMAS
“Of all the adjectives that can and should be used to describe his life and ministry, the one that most comes to my mind is faithful. He began his ministry committed to Christ and the Bible as well as to the value of a thorough knowledge of theology and a vigorous intellectual defense of the faith.”
W. ROBERT GODFREY
“It was easy to love R.C. Sproul. I am sure I owe him more than I can even recall. My reverence for the holiness of God and the truth of His Word would not be the same without R.C.’s influence.”
JOHN PIPER
“Thousands of us in the Reformed resurgence of these days count R.C. Sproul as a revered father of the movement.”
JOHN PIPER
“I want other disabled people to see that when God chooses them for the furnace, it’s a calling. It’s a privilege. I have R.C. to thank for that vision.”
JONI EARECKSON TADA
“In a time characterized by cynicism, indifference, and uncertainty, R.C. was a category 5 hurricane of declaration, persuasion, and instruction.”
J. LIGON DUNCAN
“R.C. was a friend, mentor, and co-laborer in the ministry of the gospel of Jesus Christ. He was like a father to me. I am grateful to God for calling R.C. to proclaim the truth of God, the gospel of God, and the grace of God in such a clear and beautiful way.”
BURK PARSONS
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REMEMBERING R.C.
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Dr. R.C. Sproul served Christ for more than sixty years. Never one to stand down when the gospel itself was at stake, R.C. tirelessly labored to defend the truth. He was a gifted communicator, and his ability to make complex topics easy to understand was evident throughout his teaching. We honor R.C. best by carrying on his mission to help as many people as possible understand the character of God and rest by faith alone in Jesus Christ.
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Dr. Sproul’s Legacy
R.C. was privileged to serve the church in many capacities. His published works continue that service today.
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Teacher, professor, pastor, author, husband, father, grandfather, friend, servant of God and His people—Dr. Robert Charles Sproul, better known to many simply as R.C., was all of these things and more. Having finished his race on earth, Dr. Sproul has gone on to his reward, and we now celebrate his legacy of faithful service to Christ and His church.
After his conversion during his freshman year in college, R.C. served Christ for more than sixty years. Never one to stand down when the gospel itself was at stake, R.C. tirelessly labored to defend the sufficiency of God’s grace alone for our salvation as well as the trustworthiness of the Word of God. Yet in all this, he remained the consummate happy warrior, his infectious humor and generous spirit on full display. His bold stand for the truth evidenced the confidence he had in the sovereignty of the Lord.
R.C. was a uniquely gifted communicator, and his ability to make complex topics easy to understand was evident throughout his teaching. God in His grace used him to awaken men and women around the world to the holiness of God, and his legacy is evident not only in the vast body of work he leaves behind but in the countless people whose understanding of God’s majestic character was deepened because they sat under his teaching.
As we reflect on R.C.’s life and legacy, we give glory to God for using R.C. to advance His kingdom on earth. We honor R.C. best by carrying on his mission to help as many people as possible understand the character of God and rest by faith alone in Jesus Christ.
Founder of
Ligonier Ministries
From the beginning, Dr. Sproul led Ligonier Ministries in helping Christians know what they believe, why they believe it, how to live it, and how to share it.
Executive Editor of
Tabletalk Magazine
To help believers add more structure to their devotional life, Dr. Sproul developed Tabletalk magazine. His offerings in Tabletalk combined the best in biblical scholarship with down-to-earth writing to help readers understand the Bible, and apply its truth to their lives.
Principal Teacher on
Renewing Your Mind
To reach more people with Dr. Sproul’s teaching, the Renewing Your Mind daily radio broadcast was launched in 1994. God has used this program to help millions of listeners grow in the knowledge of God and His truth.
General Editor of the
Reformation Study Bible
For more than twenty years, Dr. Sproul led the development and revision of the Reformation Study Bible. The latest edition produced under his oversight contains new theological summaries and contributions from seventy-five distinguished pastors and scholars.
Founding Pastor of
Saint Andrew’s Chapel
As founding pastor of Saint Andrew’s Chapel in Sanford, FL, Dr. Sproul led an independent congregation in the Reformed tradition that reflects historic and classical worship. Founded in 1997, Saint Andrew’s Chapel proclaims the Word of God through biblical exposition.
First President of
Reformation Bible College
Noting a lack of biblical educational opportunities grounded in historic Reformed tradition, Dr. Sproul founded Reformation Bible College in Sanford, Florida. RBC helps students understand the Bible, and how to apply that knowledge in today’s world.
Yirah Group 