Larry Burkett
Encyclopedia
Larry Burkett was an American
author
and radio
personality whose work focused on financial counseling from an evangelical Christian point of view. Burkett was born the fifth of eight children. After completing high school in Winter Garden, Florida
, he entered the U.S. Air Force where he served in the Strategic Air Command
.
Upon completion of his military duties, Burkett and his wife Judy returned to central Florida
, where he worked in the space program at Cape Canaveral
. He spent the next several years at the Space Center in charge of an experiments test facility that served the Mercury-
, Gemini-
, and Apollo-manned space programs. While working at the space center, Burkett earned degrees in marketing and finance at Rollins College
.
Burkett left the Space Center in 1970 to become Vice President of an electronics manufacturing firm. In 1972, he became an evangelical Christian; an event that had a profound effect on his life. In 1973, he left the electronics company to join the staff of a nonprofit ministry, Campus Crusade for Christ
, as a financial counselor where he met Austin Pryor
, Ron Blue and other notable financial experts. It was during this time that he began an intense study of what the Bible says about handling money, and he started teaching small groups around the country.
Burkett left the campus ministry in 1976 to form Christian Financial Concepts (CFC), a nonprofit organization dedicated to teaching the biblical principles of handling money. In September 2000, CFC merged with Crown Ministries, creating a new organization, Crown Financial Ministries
. Burkett served as Chairman of the Board of Directors until his death.
has since replaced the three longer-form radio broadcasts with shows having different titles and reworked formats.) In May 1996, Southwest Baptist University
conferred on Burkett an honorary doctorate in economics. His last book was Nothing to Fear, in which he gave an update on his experiences with cancer and cancer treatments.
Not long before his death, Burkett founded the Larry Burkett Cancer Research Foundation.
Larry's final book before his death was The Burkett & Blue Definitive Guide to Securing Wealth to Last, and was written with Ron Blue and Jeremy L. White.
Burkett wrote that as interest on the debt consumes a larger and larger portion of the yearly federal budget, and more money is borrowed each year to pay the interest on what was borrowed in previous years, there will be a temptation to “monetize” the debt at an increasing rate; this would lead to a calamity not seen since the Great Depression. Burkett questioned whether or not elected leaders would take action in time to prevent fiscal chaos, and believed they would not.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
author
Author
An author is broadly defined as "the person who originates or gives existence to anything" and that authorship determines responsibility for what is created. Narrowly defined, an author is the originator of any written work.-Legal significance:...
and radio
Radio
Radio is the transmission of signals through free space by modulation of electromagnetic waves with frequencies below those of visible light. Electromagnetic radiation travels by means of oscillating electromagnetic fields that pass through the air and the vacuum of space...
personality whose work focused on financial counseling from an evangelical Christian point of view. Burkett was born the fifth of eight children. After completing high school in Winter Garden, Florida
Winter Garden, Florida
Winter Garden is a city located west of downtown Orlando in western Orange County, Florida. It is part of the Orlando–Kissimmee Metropolitan Statistical Area. Winter Garden's population is currently over 30,000.-Geography:...
, he entered the U.S. Air Force where he served in the Strategic Air Command
Strategic Air Command
The Strategic Air Command was both a Major Command of the United States Air Force and a "specified command" of the United States Department of Defense. SAC was the operational establishment in charge of America's land-based strategic bomber aircraft and land-based intercontinental ballistic...
.
Upon completion of his military duties, Burkett and his wife Judy returned to central Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
, where he worked in the space program at Cape Canaveral
Cape Canaveral, Florida
Cape Canaveral is a city in Brevard County, Florida, United States. The population was 8,829 at the 2000 census. As of 2008, the estimated population according to the U.S. Census Bureau was 10,147...
. He spent the next several years at the Space Center in charge of an experiments test facility that served the Mercury-
Project Mercury
In January 1960 NASA awarded Western Electric Company a contract for the Mercury tracking network. The value of the contract was over $33 million. Also in January, McDonnell delivered the first production-type Mercury spacecraft, less than a year after award of the formal contract. On February 12,...
, Gemini-
Project Gemini
Project Gemini was the second human spaceflight program of NASA, the civilian space agency of the United States government. Project Gemini was conducted between projects Mercury and Apollo, with ten manned flights occurring in 1965 and 1966....
, and Apollo-manned space programs. While working at the space center, Burkett earned degrees in marketing and finance at Rollins College
Rollins College
Rollins College is a private, coeducational liberal arts college located in Winter Park, Florida , along the shores of Lake Virginia....
.
Burkett left the Space Center in 1970 to become Vice President of an electronics manufacturing firm. In 1972, he became an evangelical Christian; an event that had a profound effect on his life. In 1973, he left the electronics company to join the staff of a nonprofit ministry, Campus Crusade for Christ
Campus Crusade for Christ
Campus Crusade for Christ is an interdenominational Christian organization that promotes evangelism and discipleship in more than 190 countries...
, as a financial counselor where he met Austin Pryor
Austin Pryor
Austin C. Pryor, Jr. is an American financial writer, speaker, and radio personality whose work focuses on investment counseling from an evangelical Christian point of view.-Background:...
, Ron Blue and other notable financial experts. It was during this time that he began an intense study of what the Bible says about handling money, and he started teaching small groups around the country.
Burkett left the campus ministry in 1976 to form Christian Financial Concepts (CFC), a nonprofit organization dedicated to teaching the biblical principles of handling money. In September 2000, CFC merged with Crown Ministries, creating a new organization, Crown Financial Ministries
Crown Financial Ministries
Crown Financial Ministries is a nondenominational, evangelical Christian ministry with the mission of equipping Christians around the world to learn, apply and teach financial principles which they claim are based on the Bible...
. Burkett served as Chairman of the Board of Directors until his death.
Works
Burkett published more than 70 books, sales of which now exceed 11 million copies and include several national best-sellers. The three radio programs that he began -- “Money Matters,” “How to Manage Your Money,” and “MoneyWatch,” along with a series of short features titled “A Money Minute” -- have been carried on more than 1,100 radio outlets worldwide. (Crown Financial MinistriesCrown Financial Ministries
Crown Financial Ministries is a nondenominational, evangelical Christian ministry with the mission of equipping Christians around the world to learn, apply and teach financial principles which they claim are based on the Bible...
has since replaced the three longer-form radio broadcasts with shows having different titles and reworked formats.) In May 1996, Southwest Baptist University
Southwest Baptist University
Southwest Baptist University is a private institute of higher education affiliated with the Missouri Baptist Convention which is part of the Southern Baptist Convention. In 2003 there were approximately 3,600 students attending at one of SBU's four Missouri, United States campuses in Bolivar,...
conferred on Burkett an honorary doctorate in economics. His last book was Nothing to Fear, in which he gave an update on his experiences with cancer and cancer treatments.
Not long before his death, Burkett founded the Larry Burkett Cancer Research Foundation.
Larry's final book before his death was The Burkett & Blue Definitive Guide to Securing Wealth to Last, and was written with Ron Blue and Jeremy L. White.
Catastrophic Warnings
In The Coming Economic Earthquake (Moody Press, Chicago, I11. • 1991), Burkett delineated growing federal deficits and the ever increasing use of debt by business and households out of control. Burkett points out those severe economic times will appear sometime shortly after the millennium, unless current polices are changed. Burkett believed that Keynesian economic policies, with ideals for continuing federal deficits and the implicit preference for higher levels of consumption, reduced saving, and a larger role for government in the economy, are a means to disaster.Burkett wrote that as interest on the debt consumes a larger and larger portion of the yearly federal budget, and more money is borrowed each year to pay the interest on what was borrowed in previous years, there will be a temptation to “monetize” the debt at an increasing rate; this would lead to a calamity not seen since the Great Depression. Burkett questioned whether or not elected leaders would take action in time to prevent fiscal chaos, and believed they would not.
Non-fiction
- What Ever Happened to the American Dream
- The Coming Economic Earthquake
- Your Finances in Changing Times
- Business by the Book
- The Financial Planning Workbook
- Women Leaving the Workplace
- Investing for the Future
- Financial Parenting
- Debt-Free Living
- Hope When It Hurts
- and Great Is Thy Faithfulness
- Nothing to Fear
- The Complete Financial Guide for Young Couples
- Crisis Control in the New Millennium
- The Burkett & Blue Definitive Guide to Securing Wealth to Last (with Ron Blue and Jeremy L. White)
Novels
- The Illuminati
- The THOR Conspiracy
- Solar Flare
- Kingdom Come (with T. Davis BunnT. Davis BunnT. Davis Bunn is an American author.Bunn grew up in North Carolina. He became an international financial expert and worked in Europe, Africa and the Middle East. Bunn and his wife live in Oxford now...
)