David R. Stokes
Encyclopedia
David R. Stokes is an American writer, commentator, broadcaster, and ordained minister. His articles appear regularly in The Daily Caller
, Townhall.com
, and American Thinker. His writings have also appeared in The Intelligencer: Journal of U.S. Intelligence Studies, The Jewish Press
, The Cold War Times, The Richard Nixon Foundation
blog, History News Network
, as well as various publications and periodicals related to Christian ministry
.
His book "The Shooting Salvationist: J. Frank Norris
and the Murder Trial that Captivated America," a narrative non-fiction, true crime thriller set in the 1920s, was published in 2011 by Steerforth Press/Random House
.
, Illinois
, and Texas
. In 1998, he was appointed Senior Pastor
of Fair Oaks Church in Fairfax, VA, a non-denominational congregation of 2,200 - with more than 30 nations represented in its membership.
(1260 AM in Washington, DC), and nationwide on Sirius/XM's Family Talk
.
He hosted "David Stokes Live" on XM Family Talk Sunday nights from 9 to 11 PM (eastern) from October 2007 to July 2008. He hosted a 30-minute program, "Loud On Purpose," on WAVA
(105.1 FM in Washington, DC) from July 2009 to July 2010.
Stokes is a regular guest-host for talk shows across the nation, including The Don Kroah Show on WAVA (Washington, DC), Bob Burney Live on WRFD (Columbus, OH), The Paul Edwards Program on WLQV
(Detroit, MI), and Live from Seattle on KGNW
(Seattle, WA).
and the Murder Trial that Captivated America" recounts the murder trial of Rev. J. Frank Norris in 1927. The book has been featured on C-Span2 Book-TV, and, on September 18, 2011, The Shooting Salvationist was listed at #6 on the Wall Street Journal Bestseller list for Hardcover True Crime. Considered one of the leading fundamentalist voices of his time, J. Frank Norris preached at the First Baptist Church of Fort Worth, TX, whose congregation numbered over 10,000 and was considered America's first "mega church." On July 17, 1926, Norris shot and killed an unarmed man in his church office. The Shooting Salvationist chronicles the ensuing trail that engaged the nation.
In his foreword to The Shooting Salvationist, Bob Schieffer
(CBS News) writes,
in Springfield, MO, in 1977. He also earned a bachelor’s degree in history from Excelsior College
of the University of the State of New York
in 1991, and a master’s degree in political science and public policy from Long Island University C.W. Post College
in 1993.
Stokes married the former Karen Holland on May 28, 1976. They have three daughters and seven grandchildren. David and Karen Stokes live in Northern Virginia
and Florida’s Treasure Coast
.
The Daily Caller
The Daily Caller is a news website based in Washington, D.C., United States, with a focus on politics, original reporting and breaking news, founded by journalist and political pundit Tucker Carlson and Neil Patel, former adviser to former Vice President Dick Cheney...
, Townhall.com
Townhall.com
Townhall.com is a web-based publication primarily dedicated to conservative United States politics. It was previously operated by the Heritage Foundation, but is now owned and operated by Salem Communications...
, and American Thinker. His writings have also appeared in The Intelligencer: Journal of U.S. Intelligence Studies, The Jewish Press
The Jewish Press
The Jewish Press is an American weekly newspaper, geared toward the Modern Orthodox Jewish community. It describes itself as "America's Largest Independent Jewish Weekly." The newspaper has a politically conservative viewpoint and editorial policy....
, The Cold War Times, The Richard Nixon Foundation
Richard Nixon Foundation
The Richard Nixon Foundation is a not-for-profit organization based at the Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum in Yorba Linda, California. It was founded in the late 1980s by Richard Nixon, 37th President of the United States, and served as the governing body for nearly twenty years...
blog, History News Network
History News Network
History News Network is a project of the Center for History and New Media at George Mason University. Although the HNN resides on GMU's server, it operates independently of the university as a non-profit corporation registered in Washington State...
, as well as various publications and periodicals related to Christian ministry
Christian ministry
In Christianity, ministry is an activity carried out by Christians to express or spread their faith. 2003's Encyclopedia of Christianity defines it as "carrying forth Christ's mission in the world", indicating that it is "conferred on each Christian in baptism." It is performed by all Christians...
.
His book "The Shooting Salvationist: J. Frank Norris
J. Frank Norris
John Franklyn Norris was a flamboyant Baptist preacher, one of the most controversial figures in the history of fundamentalism.-Biography:...
and the Murder Trial that Captivated America," a narrative non-fiction, true crime thriller set in the 1920s, was published in 2011 by Steerforth Press/Random House
Random House
Random House, Inc. is the largest general-interest trade book publisher in the world. It has been owned since 1998 by the German private media corporation Bertelsmann and has become the umbrella brand for Bertelsmann book publishing. Random House also has a movie production arm, Random House Films,...
.
Ministry
Stokes has been an ordained minister for more than 34 years, leading churches in New YorkNew York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, Illinois
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
, and Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
. In 1998, he was appointed Senior Pastor
Pastor
The word pastor usually refers to an ordained leader of a Christian congregation. When used as an ecclesiastical styling or title, this role may be abbreviated to "Pr." or often "Ps"....
of Fair Oaks Church in Fairfax, VA, a non-denominational congregation of 2,200 - with more than 30 nations represented in its membership.
Radio broadcasts
Stokes broadcasts a weekly radio commentary segment called "Beltway Blog," heard each Friday at 8:25 AM and 5:25 PM on WWRCWWRC
WWRC —branded 1260 WRC—is a news/talk radio station licensed to Washington, D.C. and serving the Washington metro area. It operates with 5,000 watts on an unlimited basis with studios and transmitters both located in the city proper...
(1260 AM in Washington, DC), and nationwide on Sirius/XM's Family Talk
FamilyTalk
Family Talk is a Christian focused talk radio channel on the SIRIUS XM Radio service Sirius channel 161 and XM channel 131 . It replaced FamilyNet Radio's SIRIUS XM feed on November 30, 2010. It was added to XM Radio Canada on April 1, 2007...
.
He hosted "David Stokes Live" on XM Family Talk Sunday nights from 9 to 11 PM (eastern) from October 2007 to July 2008. He hosted a 30-minute program, "Loud On Purpose," on WAVA
WAVA
WAVA and WAVA-FM are Religious formatted broadcast radio stations. Both stations are licensed to Arlington, Virginia and serve the Washington, D.C. Metro Area. Both WAVA and WAVA-FM, as well as sister station WWRC, are owned and operated by Salem Communications.-External links:*...
(105.1 FM in Washington, DC) from July 2009 to July 2010.
Stokes is a regular guest-host for talk shows across the nation, including The Don Kroah Show on WAVA (Washington, DC), Bob Burney Live on WRFD (Columbus, OH), The Paul Edwards Program on WLQV
WLQV
WLQV is a radio station serving the Detroit, Michigan market. The station's fifty-thousand watt daytime signal enables it to be heard from Michigan's Thumb area down to Northwest Ohio, and from Lansing, Michigan to Chatham, Ontario, Canada. WLQV has a Christian talk format.-WJBK:WLQV first signed...
(Detroit, MI), and Live from Seattle on KGNW
KGNW
KGNW is a Christian radio station that operates in Seattle, Washington.-Programming:Most of KGNW's programming consists of paid sermons by various Christian groups. The focus is on family-oriented, Christian encouragement and preaching. Conservative Christian talk show hosts that agree with the...
(Seattle, WA).
The Shooting Salvationist
Stokes’s 2011 book "The Shooting Salvationist: J. Frank NorrisJ. Frank Norris
John Franklyn Norris was a flamboyant Baptist preacher, one of the most controversial figures in the history of fundamentalism.-Biography:...
and the Murder Trial that Captivated America" recounts the murder trial of Rev. J. Frank Norris in 1927. The book has been featured on C-Span2 Book-TV, and, on September 18, 2011, The Shooting Salvationist was listed at #6 on the Wall Street Journal Bestseller list for Hardcover True Crime. Considered one of the leading fundamentalist voices of his time, J. Frank Norris preached at the First Baptist Church of Fort Worth, TX, whose congregation numbered over 10,000 and was considered America's first "mega church." On July 17, 1926, Norris shot and killed an unarmed man in his church office. The Shooting Salvationist chronicles the ensuing trail that engaged the nation.
In his foreword to The Shooting Salvationist, Bob Schieffer
Bob Schieffer
Bob Lloyd Schieffer is an American television journalist who has been with CBS News since 1969, serving 23 years as anchor on the Saturday edition of CBS Evening News from 1973 to 1996; chief Washington correspondent since 1982, moderator of the Sunday public affairs show Face the Nation since...
(CBS News) writes,
For all the colorful characters who became part of Fort Worth’s history, surely none surpassed J. Frank Norris, the fiery fundamentalist preacher
PreacherPreacher is a term for someone who preaches sermons or gives homilies. A preacher is distinct from a theologian by focusing on the communication rather than the development of doctrine. Others see preaching and theology as being intertwined...
at Fort Worth’s First Baptist Church in pure outlandishness. His oratory and penchant for publicity brought thousands into his congregation and at one point, First Baptist was among the largest churches in the world, a mega church before the phrase was coined. Unfortunately, for all his oratorical skills, Norris’ horizons were limited by several criminal indictments brought on by his tendency for violence. In this book David Stokes tells the J. Frank Norris story. If I hadn’t grown up in Fort Worth, I would have thought someone made all this up but no one did. It really happened.
Personal life
Born in Dearborn, MI, Stokes attended Harry S. Truman High School in Taylor, MI. He graduated from Baptist Bible CollegeBaptist Bible College (Springfield, Missouri)
Baptist Bible College is a conservative Bible college affiliated and owned by the Baptist Bible Fellowship International, founded in 1950 and located in Springfield, Missouri...
in Springfield, MO, in 1977. He also earned a bachelor’s degree in history from Excelsior College
Excelsior College
Excelsior College is a private, non-profit institution of higher education in Albany, New York. It is a constituent member of The University of the State of New York, and has its own charter and Board of Trustees. Excelsior College offers degrees at the undergraduate and graduate level...
of the University of the State of New York
University of the State of New York
The University of the State of New York is the State of New York's governmental umbrella organization responsible for most institutions and people in any way connected with formal educational functions, public and private, in New York State...
in 1991, and a master’s degree in political science and public policy from Long Island University C.W. Post College
Long Island University C.W. Post Campus
The C.W. Post Campus of Long Island University is a private institution of higher education located in Brookville in Nassau County, New York, United States...
in 1993.
Stokes married the former Karen Holland on May 28, 1976. They have three daughters and seven grandchildren. David and Karen Stokes live in Northern Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
and Florida’s Treasure Coast
Treasure Coast
The Treasure Coast is a region in the U.S. state of Florida, generally considered to include Indian River, St. Lucie, and Martin counties. The area stretches from Hobe Sound in the south to north of Sebastian in the north and includes the cities of Stuart, Port St. Lucie, Fort Pierce, and Vero Beach...
.