Leith Anderson National Association of Evangelicals

Leith Anderson is president emeritus of the National Association of Evangelicals and pastor emeritus of Wooddale church in Eden Prairie, Minnesota, after serving as senior pastor from 1977 - 2011.

He was born in Bloomfield , N.J. in 1944 where his father, Charles William Anderson, was pastor at Brookdale Baptist church.

He went to the same church as Charlene Lillian Alles. They started dating when he was 15. They married in 1965 and had 4 children.

Diploma and degrees earned
Moody Bible Institute, Chicago diploma
Bradley University, Peoria, Illinois B.A. in Sociology
Denver Seminary MD Master of divinity
Fuller theological seminary DM Doctor of Ministry
He also received 3 honorary doctorates.

During his seminary studies he served as a youth pastor at Calvary Church, Longmont, Colorado. After graduation he became senior pastor there for the next 10 years. He continued to study and became an adjunct professor of pastoral homiletics at Denver Seminary.

In 1977 he became senior pastor at Wooddale church. in suburban Minneapolis.
In 1984they moved to a new building in Eden Prairie because the congregation was now in its 1000s - one of the larger churches in the state and region.

While at Wooddale church he nationally syndicated radio programs ’ Faith Matters’ and ‘Faith Minute’. ’ Faith Matters’ - a 30 minute weekly program -was launched in 1997. Relaunched in 1999 as a 2 minute program ‘Faith Minute’. It can be heard in cities across America and around the world.
( Read notes of ‘Faith Matters’)
Wooddale planted 9 daughter churches. Leith retired after 35 years as senior pastor on 31st December 2011.

While pastoring he wrote book (20) and articles on biblical themes and taught in numerous seminary doctoral programs. He was also a frequent speaker at inter/national conferences and served on a number of boards He was interim president of Denver seminary from 1999-2000.

From 2001/3 he was the interim president of the National Association of Evangelicals (NAE) when it faced organizational stress. He filled the role again in 2006. He then became the elected president for terms extending through to 2019 when he announced his retirement from the position.
As NAE president he frequently gave advice on briefs, news conferences and interviews and connected religious leaders across the USA and internationally…
Priority was given to issues relating to religious freedom, immigration policies, evangelical biblical theology and values,social justice and engaging in evangelism, humanitarian services and cultural influence.

He served on President Obama’s Advisory Council on Faith based and Neighborhood partnerships

In 2019 he was named to the Founder’s Chair of World Vision International.

Sources
Christianity Today
NAE
Wooddale Church
Wikipedia