Beverly LaHaye | |
|---|---|
| Born | Beverly Jean Davenport (1929-04-30)April 30, 1929 Oakland County, Michigan, U.S. |
| Died | April 14, 2024(2024-04-14) (aged 94) El Cajon, California, U.S. |
| Alma mater | Highland Park Community High School,Bob Jones University |
| Spouse | |
| Children | 4 |
Beverly Jean Davenport LaHaye (néeRatcliffe; April 30, 1929 – April 14, 2024) was an American Christianconservative activist and author who foundedConcerned Women for America (CWA) inSan Diego, California, in 1979. She was the wife ofTim LaHaye, anevangelical Christian minister and author of theLeft Behind series, until his death in 2016.
Beverly Jean Davenport was born inOakland County, Michigan, on April 30, 1929, to Lowell Ardo and Nellie Elizabeth (née Pitts) Davenport.[1] Her father was a factory worker inSouthfield, Michigan, and died of a ruptured appendix when Beverly was almost two years old.[2] Within two years, Nellie Elizabeth married Daniel Ratcliffe, a tool maker in the auto industry inOakland County, Michigan.[3] From then on, Beverly Jean and her older sister Blanche Aileen used their stepfather's surname as their own.[4]
She graduated fromHighland Park Community High School in 1946.[5] She attendedBob Jones University (then named Bob Jones College) and marriedAir Force veteran and aspiring pastor Tim LaHaye in 1947.[6] After attending college for one year, she dropped out and joined the workforce to support the family finances, as her husband Tim made little money as a pastor.[7][8] In 1956, the LaHayes moved toSan Diego, California, where Tim became the pastor ofScott Memorial Baptist Church. Beverly became the church secretary and helped direct juniorSunday School. Despite having a shy personality and struggling with the monotony of homemaking, LaHaye believed that homemaking would help her learn submission.[8] Along with her husband, LaHaye was a member ofLiberty University's board of trustees.[9] In 69 years of marriage, the LaHayes had four children,[10] Linda, Larry, Lee, and Lori,[11] and nine grandchildren.[12]
LaHaye died at a hospice facility inEl Cajon, California, on April 14, 2024, at the age of 94.[8][6][13]
LaHaye formedConcerned Women for America (CWA) in 1979.[14] Initially, CWA was a reaction to theNational Organization for Women and a 1978Barbara Walters interview with feministBetty Friedan.[15] LaHaye stated that she believed Friedan's goal was "to dismantle the bedrock of American culture: the family",[16] and that Christian women were not included in discussions ofwomen's rights. LaHaye held a rally in a localSan Diego auditorium which marked the beginning of CWA.[16]
While CWA was originally intended to be a local group, the organization was established nationwide within two years.[17] The organization calls itself "the nation's largest public policy women's organization devoted to biblical principles."[18] When CWA's headquarters moved to Washington, D.C., LaHaye "announced at a press conference: 'This is our message: the feminists do not speak for all women in America, and CWA is here in Washington to end the monopoly of feminists who claim to speak for all women.'"[19]
The CWA strongly supportedRonald Reagan duringhis presidency, and Reagan credited LaHaye with "changing the face of American politics".[6][8]
CWA is a501(c)(3) nonprofit organization[20] that is "supported by hundreds of local chapters across the country."[19] In 2014,Salon stated that "CWA [had] become a powerful political force, claiming over half a million members."[14] LaHaye led the organization until 2006.[6]
LaHaye and her husband co-authored the self-help sex manualThe Act of Marriage: The Beauty of Sexual Love in 1976.[21]
LaHaye wroteThe Spirit-Controlled Woman in 1976,[22] a companion to her husband's bookThe Spirit-Controlled Temperament. A revised and expanded edition of the book,The New Spirit-Controlled Woman, was released in 2005.[23]The Desires of a Woman's Heart was released in 1993.[24]
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