Biography
Myles Munroe was born on April 20, 1953, in Nassau, the Bahamas, in a family of modest means. He grew up in a poor neighborhood and was one of several children. His father was a laborer, and his mother was a devout Christian. He was a bright and ambitious boy, and he was determined to rise above his circumstances. At the age of fourteen, he was converted at a church meeting. He felt a call to the ministry and began to preach as a teenager. He studied at Oral Roberts University, in Tulsa, Oklahoma, where he took a degree in education, and later received a master's degree in theology.
He returned to the Bahamas and, in 1976, he started a small church, called Bahamas Faith Ministries International, in Nassau. It began with a handful of members and grew into a large congregation of thousands. He was a gifted speaker, with a commanding presence and a strong voice. He spoke on leadership, the kingdom of God and the potential of every person. He taught that every person has a purpose and a gift and that the church should help people to find and use them. He was married to Ruth, who was a partner in his work and a leader in the ministry.
He built an international ministry. He traveled widely and spoke in more than a hundred countries. He addressed political leaders, business executives and church leaders. He founded the International Third World Leaders Association, a group that aimed to develop leadership in the developing world. He was the founder of the Myles Munroe International organization, which carried out his teaching through books, tapes and conferences. He was a prolific author who wrote over sixty books. Among them are Rediscovering the Kingdom, The Principles and Power of Vision, Understanding Your Potential and The Spirit of Leadership. His books were widely read, and they were translated into many languages.
His central theme was the kingdom of God. He taught that Jesus came to restore the kingdom, which had been lost in the fall of man, and that the church is the agent of the kingdom on earth. He said that the gospel of Jesus was the gospel of the kingdom, and that this had been neglected. He stressed the importance of dominion and the authority of the believer. He also taught on the value of vision and purpose. He was an advocate of the idea that poverty was not the will of God and that believers should be a source of blessing to their communities.
His teaching has drawn criticism. Some have argued that he gave too much emphasis to wealth and success and that he leaned toward the prosperity gospel. Others have said that his teaching on the kingdom lacked balance. He denied that he taught a gospel of greed. He said that he wanted to help people rise out of poverty and to work for the good of their nations. He was a man of strong convictions and a great sense of mission. He took part in a number of charitable and development projects.
He died on November 9, 2014, in a plane crash on Grand Bahama Island, at the age of sixty-one. His wife, Ruth, and a number of other members of his team were also killed. They were on their way to a conference. The crash was a shock to the Bahamas and to the Christian world. Thousands attended the funeral. His children, Charisa and Chairo, carried on his work.
His life shows the effect of a poor boy from the Bahamas who rose to be a leader of an international ministry. His legacy is a matter of both praise and debate.