About Harold Rawlings

Though a native of Arkansas, Harold Rawlings spent most of his boyhood years in Tyler, Texas, until graduation from high school. He holds degrees from Baptist Bible College, Bob Jones University, California Graduate School of Theology, and Louisiana Baptist University (Ph.D.). In addition, he has served on the board of several educational institutions, including Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, Criswell College, Luther Rice University, Louisiana Baptist University, Arlington Baptist College, and Bibel Seminar in Bornheim, Germany. He is a member of the Tyndale Society and The Evangelical Theological Society. He and his wife Sylvia have five children, all of whom are involved either in full time ministry or as active volunteers in their local churches.

Pastoral Experience

Rawlings' first pastorate was in St. Louis, where he served for six years. During his stint as pastor there, the church grew from 33 to an average of almost 300. A new auditorium and educational facility were completed during this time. While in St. Louis, he continued to pursue further educational opportunities, studying at Covenant Seminary and Concordia Seminary. In June, 1963, he became Associate Pastor of Landmark Baptist Temple in Cincinnati, Ohio. In 1984 he became Co-Pastor along with his father, Dr. John Rawlings, and then served as Senior Pastor from 1994 to 2001.

Situated on a beautiful170-acre campus, the sprawling Landmark complex is one of the largest in the Midwest. Rawlings assisted in founding Landmark Christian Academy in 1973, a private Christian school that provided kindergarten through 12th grade, and served as Administrator for a number of years. A November 1969 sermon, "The World's Most Amazing Book," delivered by Rawlings to about 350 guests in the East Room of the Nixon White House, was recorded in the Congressional Record and later published, along with other White House sermons, by Harper Row publishers.

Books Authored by Harold

Now associated with The Rawlings Foundation, Rawlings preaches and lectures in churches, institutions, conferences, and seminars worldwide. He is especially in demand for his lecture, "TRIAL BY FIRE," a presentation that details the fascinating and little known history of how the English Bible came to be. Rawlings is the author of Trial By Fire: The Struggle to Get the Bible into English, which grew out of his lecture; Basic Baptist Beliefs: An Exposition of Key Biblical Doctrines; and The Words of This Prophecy: Messages on the Book of Revelation. His spiritual formation booklet for new Christians, "Now That I'm Saved, What's Next?" is used by churches throughout the U.S.