Ron Luce
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Ron Luce is the founder and CEO of Teen Mania Ministries located in Garden Valley, Texas, near Tyler. Together with his wife Katie, Ron founded Teen Mania in 1986 in his van. The ministry has expanded greatly and has become influential within today's Christian youth culture. Each year, thousands of young people travel with Teen Mania around the world to spread the Gospel of Jesus. Luce also hosts weekend Acquire the Fire youth rallies and ministry clinics in large venues nationwide, many attracting tens of thousands of teens and youth workers. He also hosts a weekly TV show, Acquire the Fire, on the Trinity Broadcasting Network. During the TV show viewers get an inside look at the ministry. Training and ministry experience is provided for young adults wishing to enter into youth (and other) ministries, as interns in the Honor Academy. Luce expanded his operations in 2005 by starting the Battle Cry teen organizing initiative.
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Some have criticized his organization as being a Christian fascist movement, citing frequent militant statements by him at his youth rallies such as "This is war. And Jesus invites us to get into the action, telling us that the violent—the ‘forceful’ ones—will lay hold of the kingdom," and exhorting his young followers to proclaim in unison "I will keep my eyes on the battle, submitting to Your code even when I don’t understand." This type of imagery is said to be used under the context of a spiritual "battle" between good an evil. The Battle Cry rallies use militarist imagery and wording, even the presentation of active and former military personnel to promote their ideas of spreading Christianity throughout the U.S. and the world. After talking with some Navy SEALs onstage he was quoted as saying "That is your youth pastor. He’s going to make you a SEAL for Christ."
Luce was raised in a broken home and became involved in drug and alcohol abuse in his early teenage years. At age 16 Luce became a Christian and committed his life to inspiring young people to following Jesus. He received his bachelor's degree in Psychology and Theology from Oral Roberts University and his Masters in Counseling Psychology from the University of Tulsa.
