Dave Breese
David William Breese (October 14, 1926 - May 3, 2002) was an evangelical Christian pastor and theologian of the late twentieth century.
Early Family Life
Dave was born in Chicago to David and Ruth Breese. Dave attended Lane Technical High School, an all-boys school with 8,000 students. As a youth, Dave had been fascinated by airplanes and flying. During World War II, he entered Pre-Flight Training at Lane Tech, in hopes of serving his country.
He was the youngest child with three older sisters, Betty, Mary and Marg. They became involved in a Hi-C Club, a Christian youth organization. One week, when Dave was 16, the Hi-C meeting was held at the Breese house. Though he had no interest in religious pursuits, he heard Virginia Latham teaching a study on the book of Romans who clearly presented the Gospel. A couple weeks later, he decided to believe the message. (Dave's life can clearly be divided into before and after this event.)
Dave completed his studies at Judson College and Northern Baptist Seminary. Eventually he earned his multiengine rating. In many years that followed, he flew himself to speaking engagements all across the country.
He married Carol Flaming whom he met at a meeting in Winona Lake, Indiana. They had two daughters, Lynn and Noelle. Just as his parents had a foster son named Bob, Dave and Carol provided a home for a young Laotian boy, Lomae, who is considered part of the extended Breese family today.
In addition to live preaching, Dave also recorded many messages for broadcast. His family tells stories of him sitting up late at night, making radio programs on a simple recorder with a blanket over his head, because of the outside noises. At that time he didn’t have a recording studio.
In addition to his prolific writing, Dave was also a poet. His sister Betty told of how in his early years Dave's mother would have young Dave recite poetry. This contributed to his abilities as a public speaker and writer.
Accomplishments ("Applesauce")
Dave was:
- A formative force in the early years of Youth For Christ, serving 13 years
- Influential in the establishment of the AWANA Youth Association
- A speaker on Back to the Bible Broadcast’s “Pause For Good News” for 13 years
- A member of the Board of the National Religious Broadcasters and the National Association of Evangelicals
- Founder of the ministry of Christian Destiny in 1963
- President and Bible teacher on “The King Is Coming” telecast
- Radio Broadcaster on “Dave Breese Reports” and “Dave Breese Reporting”
- Consultant and friend to presidents, statesmen and religious leaders
- Author of many books and booklets
By the 80’s, he had gained national prominence via his radio broadcasts “Dave Breese Reports” and “Dave Breese Reporting!” His network of over a hundred stations covered much of the United States. In the mid 80’s, Dave accepted the call to become speaker on “The King is Coming” telecast and later assumed the presidency of the telecast’s parent organization, World Prophetic Ministry. His outreach via television spanned the globe, reaching across all of America and into 57 nations of the world.
Major Publication
In 1990, Dave published what could arguably be considered his most notable and influential work. Seven Men Who Rule the World from the Grave (ISBN 0802484492)—his magnum opus. The seven men he highlighted are:
- Charles Darwin, who systematized and advanced the principle that evolution was behind the origin of the species
- Karl Marx, who developed and advocated the notion of modern Communism
- Julius Wellhausen, who initiated "higher criticism" and "modernism"
- John Dewey, who argued for an educational system focused on problem solving and the growth of the child in all aspects of his being
- Sigmund Freud, who promoted the view that the sexual instinct is the driving force behind all human action
- John Maynard Keynes, who advocated the policies for reducing unemployment and expanding the economy that today find their expression in deficit spending and governmental activism
- Søren Kierkegaard, who stressed the obligation each person has to make conscious, responsible choices among alternatives, a major tenet of existentialism
Breese's last days
Just as the new millennium was ushered in, Dave suffered a stroke. He had rarely turned down an invitation to preach. In an average year, he would travel over 100,000 miles to speak at churches, Bible Conferences, colleges, universities, evangelistic meetings and debates. The busy schedule had taken its toll. After his stroke, he continued to write.
Dave died May 3, 2002. His messages are still broadcast on radio stations around world.