Dupin Amphitheater Dedication
Wednesday, April 12, 2017, 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Wednesday, April 12 will be a special day in the life of SWU as we dedicate the Clyde Dupin Celebration Amphitheater at 11:00 a.m. This project has been the result of generous gifts and support from the Dupin family and a myriad of thankful friends.
A statue of Dr. Dupin is being provided by the family, fully funded from friends of the Dupin Ministry. With Clyde Dupin’s Wesleyan heritage, his connection to SWU and our mission of impacting the world for Christ, Southern Wesleyan became the natural location to promote the history and future of evangelism as modeled by Clyde. His goal will always be to focus our attention not on him, but on Christ.
Clyde Dupin was considered the “Billy Graham” of small town U.S.A. and, as his ministry grew, the Lord blessed his impact through enormously attended crusades worldwide. Letters in support of SWU acknowledging Clyde are coming in from James Dobson, Franklin Graham, David Jeremiah, Stan Toler, John Maxwell and scores of others. Special guests speaking at this event will include Jo Anne Lyon, Ben Davis, and Terry Woychowski just to name a few.
Dr. Dupin was born in 1933 near Elizabethtown, Kentucky, saved at the age of nine, and began preaching as a boy. He preached to over four million people, face to face, in more than 600 interdenominational crusades, revivals, and conventions. He conducted ten crusades in Haiti with crowds of 45,000 in a single service and more than 44,000 making decisions for Christ in that region. He conducted nine crusades throughout Russia with more than 37,000 making decisions for Christ. He always preached a message of love, forgiveness, hope and life-changing possibilities through Jesus Christ.
Ordained in 1953 as a Wesleyan minister, he pastored for 10 years and was an evangelist for 50 years. His radio program was heard by thousands and his weekly column, Religious Viewpoint, appeared in over a 100 newspapers for 40 years. Clyde was listed in Who's Who in Religion. He received his ministerial training at United Wesleyan College, University of Evansville, and received an Honorary Doctorate of Divinity from Southern Wesleyan University.
Clyde married Grace Elizabeth Spencer in 1951. They had three children; Wesley, Kenneth and Joy. Both sons are pastors and each have a son who pastors.
Please consider attending the dedication on Wednesday at the Amphitheater. This is a huge day for the Kingdom and evangelism, an important day for the Dupin family and host of visiting friends, and a big day also for SWU.