Frederick K. C. Price | |
|---|---|
| Born | (1932-01-03)January 3, 1932 Santa Monica, California, U.S. |
| Died | February 12, 2021(2021-02-12) (aged 89) Torrance, California, U.S. |
| Education | Dorsey High School |
| Spouse | |
| Children | 5 |
| Church | Crenshaw Christian Center |
Frederick Kenneth Cercie Price (January 3, 1932 – February 12, 2021) was an Americantelevangelist and author who was the founder and pastor ofCrenshaw Christian Center (CCC), located inSouth Los Angeles,California. He was known for hisEver Increasing Faith ministries broadcast, which aired weekly on television and radio.
Price was born in 1932 inSanta Monica, California, aLos Angeles suburb, the eldest son of Winifred and Frederick Price, Sr., who owned a janitorial service in West Los Angeles.[1] Frederick attended McKinley Elementary School in Santa Monica,Foshay Junior High,Manual Arts High School andDorsey High School in Los Angeles, and received two years of schooling atLos Angeles City College. He later received an honorary diploma from theRhema Bible Training Center (1976) and an honoraryDoctor of Divinity degree fromOral Roberts University (1982).
Both of his parents had once been practicingJehovah's Witnesses. At the time Price met his future wife Betty, his parents had stopped practicing the religion and were also outspoken against allorganized religions.[2] While courting Betty, his high school sweetheart, he began attending church services with her. However, after their marriage, he stopped attending church regularly until a group of Los Angeles-area churches began sponsoring a week of old-fashionedtent revivals in the Crenshaw area. Price began attending these services with his wife. At one of these services, he receivedJesus Christ as his personal savior. Soon after becomingborn again, Price claimed to have felt the call fromGod to go into the ministry, serving mostly part-time, while working as a paper cutter, as an assistant pastor in aBaptist church from 1955 to 1957.[3][4] He then pastored anAfrican Methodist Episcopal church inVal Verde, California from 1957 to 1959. In the early 1960s, Price served atWestminster Presbyterian Church in Los Angeles.[5][6] Price then joined theChristian and Missionary Alliance at West Washington Community Church in 1965.
In February 1970, Price had received thebaptism of the Holy Spirit, and also said hespoke in tongues, a time which he considered the starting point in his own ministry. Shortly thereafter, he encountered the Bible-teaching ministry of late preacher/televangelistKenneth E. Hagin. Price joined theneo-charismatic movement, affiliating withWord of Faith, and began to teach the messages on speaking in tongues,divine healing, andprosperity teachings.[7] He and his wife Betty co-founded the Crenshaw Christian Center that same year in the Crenshaw section of West Los Angeles, California.
In November 1973, Price moved with about 300 church members from West Washington in Los Angeles in order to establish the Crenshaw Christian Center in Inglewood, California. Membership continued to grow, and in 1977 the church was forced to hold two services, with another service added in 1982, because the 1,400-seat sanctuary was always filled to capacity. In 1981, the church bought the oldPepperdine University campus.[8] After the purchase, Price oversaw construction of a new sanctuary, called the "FaithDome", which at the time was the largest domed church in the United States.
Ground was broken for the FaithDome on September 28, 1986, and construction began on January 5, 1987.[9] Construction was completed in 1989 on the 10,146-seat dome at a cost of more than $10 million. At the time of its dedication on January 21, 1990, the dome and the church's property were both fully paid for, leaving the ministry debt-free.[10][11]
In 1990, Price founded the Fellowship of International Christian Word of Faith Ministries (FICWFM), which includes churches and ministers from all over the United States and several other countries. They meet regionally throughout the year and hold a major annual convention. Price was aWord of Faith teacher.
Price married the former Betty Ruth Scott, whom he met while attending Dorsey High School, in 1953. They had five children (one child died during childhood). His grandson is professional basketball playerAllen Crabbe.[12] Fred Price Jr. succeeded him as pastor of CCC.
Price died from complications ofCOVID-19 at a hospital in Los Angeles, on February 12, 2021, at the age of 89.[13]
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