The Rev. Kenneth E. Hagin, who started preaching at age 17 and grew his congregation into an international ministry, died Friday. He was 86.
Hagin's ministry included Rhema Bible Training Centers in 14 nations and Rhema churches in more than 110 countries. The Rhema Bible Church in Broken Arrow, where his ministry was based, has 8,000 members.
His ministry began when he said God miraculously healed him of a deformed heart and incurable blood disease. The ministry was part of a nationwide healing revival in the 1950s and '60s.
He founded Rhema Bible Training Center USA in 1974, and it now has 23,000 alumni.
His Faith Library Publications has more than 65 million books in print. The ministry has a weekly television program called "Rhema Praise" and a radio program, "Faith Seminar of the Air," which also appears on the Internet.