Charles Fulton (minister)
Encyclopedia
Charles Fulton is an American
minister
and businessman who most notably served as president of ACTS 29 Ministries and who was a prominent leader in the Christian
renewal
movement of the 1980s and 1990s.
The son of federal
judge
Charles B. Fulton
, he was born in West Palm Beach, Florida
, he achieved his bachelor's degree
from Stetson University
, where his focus was on pre-law
and business
studies. Following an experience at a Billy Graham
crusade, he became convinced that his destiny lay with an ordination
in the Episcopal Church.
Following his graduation from Stetson and a tour of duty in the United States
Army
, Fulton enrolled in Berkeley Divinity School
at Yale University
, where he received his M.Div. in 1964. He was ordained into the diaconate in August 1964, and became a priest in December of that year.
Fulton spent the next 30 years mostly as a parish priest, though from 1974–1980 he re-entered the business world as the Executive Vice President of Snelling & Snelling, which at the time was the world’s largest employment agency. In 1980, however, he felt that God was calling him back into full-time ministry, and he resigned from the business world and started a new Episcopal church in Osprey, Florida
. In 1987, he was called to a church in Jacksonville, Florida
, and in 1993 he was chosen by the board of directors of ACTS 29 Ministries to serve as that organization’s third president since its inception in 1973.
During his time at ACTS 29, Fulton moved the headquarters from Evergreen, Colorado
to Atlanta, Georgia
. He also founded the YouthQuake
conference, which is held each January in Ridgecrest, North Carolina
. He also served on the steering committee for the North American Renewal Service Committee, an umbrella organization that unites the renewal efforts of every major Christian denomination
. Fulton also helped organized that organization's international conferences in Orlando, Florida
(1995) and St. Louis, Missouri
(2000). He was also one of the keynote speakers in 2000.
Fulton retired from full-time ministry in 2003. He now spends much of his time raising Tennessee Walking Horses.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
minister
Minister of religion
In Christian churches, a minister is someone who is authorized by a church or religious organization to perform functions such as teaching of beliefs; leading services such as weddings, baptisms or funerals; or otherwise providing spiritual guidance to the community...
and businessman who most notably served as president of ACTS 29 Ministries and who was a prominent leader in the Christian
Christian
A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...
renewal
Renewal
Renew or renewal may refer to:*Urban renewal, a function of urban planning*Renewal theory, a branch of probability theory*Renewal , a 2008 documentary on the religious environmental movement...
movement of the 1980s and 1990s.
The son of federal
United States federal courts
The United States federal courts make up the judiciary branch of federal government of the United States organized under the United States Constitution and laws of the federal government.-Categories:...
judge
Judge
A judge is a person who presides over court proceedings, either alone or as part of a panel of judges. The powers, functions, method of appointment, discipline, and training of judges vary widely across different jurisdictions. The judge is supposed to conduct the trial impartially and in an open...
Charles B. Fulton
Charles B. Fulton
Charles Britton Fulton was a lawyer and United States federal judge.Born in Fallon, Nevada, he worked his way through college at the University of Florida and completed his law degree there in 1935. He immediately set up his private law practice in West Palm Beach, Florida, and was named Florida's...
, he was born in West Palm Beach, Florida
West Palm Beach, Florida
West Palm Beach, is a city located on the Atlantic coast in southeastern Florida and is the most populous city in and county seat of Palm Beach County, the third most populous county in Florida with a 2010 population of 1,320,134. The city is also the oldest incorporated municipality in South Florida...
, he achieved his bachelor's degree
Bachelor's degree
A bachelor's degree is usually an academic degree awarded for an undergraduate course or major that generally lasts for three or four years, but can range anywhere from two to six years depending on the region of the world...
from Stetson University
Stetson University
Stetson University is a private university with four colleges and schools located across the I-4 corridor in Central Florida. The primary undergraduate campus is located in DeLand, Florida, USA. In the 2012 U.S...
, where his focus was on pre-law
Pre-law
In the United States, pre-law refers to any course of study taken by an undergraduate in preparation for study at a law school.The American Bar Association requires law schools that it approves to require at least a bachelor's degree for North American students for admission...
and business
Business
A business is an organization engaged in the trade of goods, services, or both to consumers. Businesses are predominant in capitalist economies, where most of them are privately owned and administered to earn profit to increase the wealth of their owners. Businesses may also be not-for-profit...
studies. Following an experience at a Billy Graham
Billy Graham
William Franklin "Billy" Graham, Jr. is an American evangelical Christian evangelist. As of April 25, 2010, when he met with Barack Obama, Graham has spent personal time with twelve United States Presidents dating back to Harry S. Truman, and is number seven on Gallup's list of admired people for...
crusade, he became convinced that his destiny lay with an ordination
Ordination
In general religious use, ordination is the process by which individuals are consecrated, that is, set apart as clergy to perform various religious rites and ceremonies. The process and ceremonies of ordination itself varies by religion and denomination. One who is in preparation for, or who is...
in the Episcopal Church.
Following his graduation from Stetson and a tour of duty in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
Army
Army
An army An army An army (from Latin arma "arms, weapons" via Old French armée, "armed" (feminine), in the broadest sense, is the land-based military of a nation or state. It may also include other branches of the military such as the air force via means of aviation corps...
, Fulton enrolled in Berkeley Divinity School
Berkeley Divinity School
Berkeley Divinity School, founded in 1854, is an official seminary of the Episcopal Church, based in New Haven, Connecticut. The seminary was originally founded as a middle-way between the Anglo-Catholic leaning General Theological Seminary in New York, and the Evangelical-leaning Virginia...
at Yale University
Yale University
Yale University is a private, Ivy League university located in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1701 in the Colony of Connecticut, the university is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States...
, where he received his M.Div. in 1964. He was ordained into the diaconate in August 1964, and became a priest in December of that year.
Fulton spent the next 30 years mostly as a parish priest, though from 1974–1980 he re-entered the business world as the Executive Vice President of Snelling & Snelling, which at the time was the world’s largest employment agency. In 1980, however, he felt that God was calling him back into full-time ministry, and he resigned from the business world and started a new Episcopal church in Osprey, Florida
Osprey, Florida
Osprey is a census-designated place in Sarasota County, Florida, United States. The population was 4,143 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Bradenton–Sarasota–Venice Metropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:...
. In 1987, he was called to a church in Jacksonville, Florida
Jacksonville, Florida
Jacksonville is the largest city in the U.S. state of Florida in terms of both population and land area, and the largest city by area in the contiguous United States. It is the county seat of Duval County, with which the city government consolidated in 1968...
, and in 1993 he was chosen by the board of directors of ACTS 29 Ministries to serve as that organization’s third president since its inception in 1973.
During his time at ACTS 29, Fulton moved the headquarters from Evergreen, Colorado
Evergreen, Colorado
Evergreen is a census-designated place and a U.S. Post Office in Jefferson County, Colorado, United States. Evergreen is roughly west of Denver. The population was 9,038 at the 2010 census...
to Atlanta, Georgia
Atlanta, Georgia
Atlanta is the capital and most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia. According to the 2010 census, Atlanta's population is 420,003. Atlanta is the cultural and economic center of the Atlanta metropolitan area, which is home to 5,268,860 people and is the ninth largest metropolitan area in...
. He also founded the YouthQuake
YouthQuake
YouthQuake is an annual conference that is the primary youth event of ACTS 29 Ministries, a Christian ministry based in Atlanta, Georgia. The event was started in the early 1990s by Episcopal Renewal Ministries and its then-president, the Rev. Charles Fulton. In 1993, the location was changed to...
conference, which is held each January in Ridgecrest, North Carolina
Ridgecrest, North Carolina
Ridgecrest is an unincorporated settlement in eastern Buncombe County, North Carolina, off Interstate 40/U.S. Route 70. The community is part of the Asheville Metropolitan Statistical Area...
. He also served on the steering committee for the North American Renewal Service Committee, an umbrella organization that unites the renewal efforts of every major Christian denomination
Christian denomination
A Christian denomination is an identifiable religious body under a common name, structure, and doctrine within Christianity. In the Orthodox tradition, Churches are divided often along ethnic and linguistic lines, into separate churches and traditions. Technically, divisions between one group and...
. Fulton also helped organized that organization's international conferences in Orlando, Florida
Orlando, Florida
Orlando is a city in the central region of the U.S. state of Florida. It is the county seat of Orange County, and the center of the Greater Orlando metropolitan area. According to the 2010 US Census, the city had a population of 238,300, making Orlando the 79th largest city in the United States...
(1995) and St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis is an independent city on the eastern border of Missouri, United States. With a population of 319,294, it was the 58th-largest U.S. city at the 2010 U.S. Census. The Greater St...
(2000). He was also one of the keynote speakers in 2000.
Fulton retired from full-time ministry in 2003. He now spends much of his time raising Tennessee Walking Horses.
Published books
- 1994 - Reflections on the Run, ISBN 0-87788-818-3
- 2001 - Reflections on the Run (revised edition), ISBN 0-9710502-0-1
- 2001 - The River of Healing, ISBN 0-9710502-2-8
- 2001 - Touched By the Spirit, ISBN 0-9710502-1-X