Francis Chan (born August 31, 1967, in San Francisco, California), is an American Protestant writer, trainer, and evangelist in churches & related locales.
Francis was born in San Francisco, California on 31st August 1967. He is former training priest of Cornerstone Community Church in Simi Valley, California, which he created in 1994.
He also created Eternity Bible College, and assisted as its early leader and has been a board fellow of numerous Christian and social justice groups, with Children’s Hunger Fund and Gospel for Asia.
Initial Days and Schooling
Francis Chan was in Chinatown areas of San Francisco, California on 31st August 1967 to refugees Pak-sum Chan [陳柏森], and Wan-bing Mui [梅韻冰].
His father was an ex-priest at the Leighton Road Baptist Church in Hong Kong while his mother was a “Bible lady of the Hong Kong Baptist Church, Caine Road.”
After the birth of Francis who was their 3rd child, his mother died of excessive bleeding and the newborn was named for the city of his birth and of the tragedy as Francis Chan [藩].
The members of his family thereafter included;
- His father – Pak-sum Chan [陳柏森]
- His Elder Sister – Grace
- His Brother – Paul
- Gloria – Who was born from Pak-sum Chan and his 2nd wife Amy Law
Francis Chan was sent to Hong Kong to be raised by his grandmother, a Buddhist for some years. During this time, his father wedded Amy Law [羅笑容] and gave Francis a half-sister, Gloria.
In 1976, when Chan was 8 years old, his stepmother Amy Chan died in a car tragedy.
His father then re-wedded again, to Josephine Leung [梁克閲], who “raised [the] 4 kids fondly with Godly inspiration.
In raising the 4 kids, his father and new stepmother had family care from his father’s younger sister and her husband, Marion and William Wong, along with a large clan and church clan.
He said that his understanding of the fear of God grew when began to fear his father as he did not get along well with his father. He truly understood the love of God, once he was a father himself.
Francis Clan, lost his father to cancer when he was just 12 years old (The year 1979). Chan was a very active member of various Christian youth groups while he was studying in high school and junior college.
This helped him gain more faith in Christ and get a better understanding of Christianity by developing more curiosity in ministry.
Chan proceeded high school and went on to earn a bachelor of arts degree from Master’s College, and a master of divinity degree from The Master’s Seminary.
The Career of Francis Chan
After receiving his academy grade, Chan “landed a youth pastor position” in Chatsworth, California, at the Church at Rocky Peak.
In 2009, Christianity Today reported that has Chan illustrating this as an era where his own life was not lived reliably with his sacred ideas, stating “Those were the worst years of my life… a sinful, hypocritical time.”
For details not clarified extra, Chan left that pastoral place for a job at a cafe, waiting tables. Before becoming a senior pastor, Chan ran diverse retail and fast-food jobs.
Cornerstone Community Church
The Cornerstone Community Church was founded in 1994 by Francis Chan, his wife Lisa, and 30 others. Within 2 months of its functioning, the Church had grown to have 100 attending’s.
The church sustained to see rises in presence, and by the year 2000, it had received support from local officers for building growth to double its size, in support of a 1600-member audience.
The Cornerstone Church in January 2008 became one of the largest churches in California, Ventura Country. After a 3 month leave from Cornerstone, ca. 2008, Francis Chan said he felt imprisoned to martyr more for God.
Chan stopped taking salaries from the Church, he donated 50% of his income and gave most of his book royalties, which summed up to a total amount of $2,000,000, to various aids.
All of it goes to governments which save sex workers in remote countries. Also, in 2008 it was stated that Cornerstone would give away 55% of its revenue to helpful causes.
Chan established Eternity Bible College in 2004 as an office of Cornerstone Church, with 100 scholars.
In 2008, Eternity threw an overseas suite in Ecuador. As of 2009, the university had 47 alumni helping in various parts of the world.
On Sunday, April 18, 2010, Chan proclaimed to his audience that he felt called to quit at Cornerstone in Simi Valley.
The Ministries in Hong Kong
In 2020, Francis Chan relocated to Hong Kong.
As of 2020, he lives and works in Sham Shui Po, the deprived area in Hong Kong and the area where his mother used to do ministries in the 1950s.
Other ministries
In June 2011, he detailed that he felt called to San Francisco, CA. He moved to Northern California and developed a church establishing drive of house churches called “We Are Church”.
In September 2014, Chan joined the board of elders of Abundant Life Christian Fellowship; as of August 2016, he was no longer an elder at that audience.
Chan has also served as an ambassador for Care for Children.
Personal Life and Theology
Chan often talks about “What the Bible is saying” “and living our lives that way.” According to an author, he is not afraid of opposing “Luke warmness” in the Christian life.
Chan is wedded to Lisa, a singer. They wed in 1994, and as of December 2014, they have 7 children. Their eldest is singer Rachel Chan.
Quick read: Holy Saturday Folklore
Discipleship, Not Character
Chan’s turn headed for others started about 1999 when a preacher from Papua New Guinea probed the inner focus of Cornerstone Church.
After a trip to Uganda, Francis Chan and his wife relocated their family into a smaller home, and in 2007, Cornerstone’s bests chose to give 50% of the church’s budget away to other offices and nonprofits.
Chan’s 1st book, Crazy Love: Overwhelmed by a Relentless God, was first printed in 2008 and has sold over 1 million copies to date. His fame blasted, & Cornerstone grew to one of the major churches in California.
More books followed:
- Forgotten God;
- The BASIC Series;
- The children’s books The Big Red Tractor,
- Halfway Herbert, and Ronnie Wilson’s Gift;
- Erasing Hell; Multiply.
Along the way, Chan and others created Eternity Bible College, which sustained the “less is more” idea by joining with area public colleges to achieve overall education courses.
The college was made to make followers and teach scholars how to disciple others. Today, Francis Chan is still writing and intricate in church establishing plans in San Francisco.
Francis Early Years Were Scatter by Tragic Events
Francis Chan had faced a lot of tragedies during his early childhood. Such as;
- After his birth in 1967, Hong Kong, his mother died immediately.
- At the age of 9, his stepmother got killed in a car accident.
- At the age of 12, his father died due to cancer.
Thus, his growth and nurturing were taken care of by his grandmother and other members of the family.
Despite these hardships, Chan says he never accused God. He matured even closer to God in high school and decided to become a priest.
Chan got a bachelor’s degree in youth ministry from The Master’s College in Santa Clarita, California, charted by a master’s of divinity degree from The Master’s Seminary, on the site of Grace Community Church, in Sun Valley, California.
After getting his master’s in 1992, Chan operated as a youth pastor until he and his wife created Cornerstone Community Church in 1994. He and Lisa are the parents of four daughters and a son.
Today Francis and his family endure their modest routine, taking the deprived and social exiles into their home.
Conclusion
Francis Chan is the successful author of books, Crazy Love, Forgotten God, Erasing Hell, Multiply and You and Me Forever, co-authored with his wife, Lisa.
People Also Ask
What is the net worth of Francis Chan?
Francis is an American minister who has a net worth of $300,000. Born on August 31, 1967, in Hong Kong, Francis Chan is the creator and ex-teaching pastor of Cornerstone Community Church in Simi Valley, CA.
How old is Francis Chan?
Chan is 52 years old. He was born on 31st August 1967.
Who raised Francis Chan?
His dad then died of cancer when Chan was 12 years old. Francis was then raised by his 2nd stepmother Josephine Chan along with his older sister Grace, older brother Paul and much younger half-sister, Gloria. After her death, he was raised by his grandmother and supported by other family members.
Who are the prosperity preachers?
In 2007, U.S. Senator Chuck Grassley opened a probe into the finances of six televangelism ministries that promoted prosperity theology: Kenneth Copeland Ministries, Creflo Dollar Ministries, Benny Hinn Ministries, Bishop Eddie Long Ministries, Joyce Meyer Ministries, and Paula White Ministries.