{{Short description|American writer and Christian preacher (born 1967)}} {{about|the Christian author|the Singaporean bishop|Francis Chan (bishop)|the Hong Kong gastroenterologist|Francis Ka Leung Chan}} {{BLP self-published|date=October 2020}} {{Use American English|date=September 2018}} {{Use mdy dates|date=November 2012}} {{Infobox Christian leader | name = Francis Chan | image = Francis Chan in 2009 (3x4 cropped).jpg | caption = Chan in 2009 | birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1967|8|31}}<ref name="auto1">{{Cite web |url=http://www.juststopandthink.com/francis-chan-bio/ |title=Francis Chan Bio - Just Stop and Think |access-date=June 14, 2020 |archive-date=June 14, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200614143315/http://www.juststopandthink.com/francis-chan-bio/ |url-status=dead }}</ref> | birth_place = San Francisco, California, U.S.<ref name="auto">{{Cite web|url=https://medium.com/koinonia/francis-chan-how-the-lockdown-can-help-us-reach-a-lost-world-c585e26f5c70|title=Francis Chan: How the Lockdown Can Help Us Reach a Lost World|first=Joseph|last=Serwach|date=March 24, 2020|website=Medium}}</ref> | death_date = | death_place = | education = The Master's University (BA),<br />The Master's Seminary (MDiv) | occupation = Christian teacher, preacher, author | spouse = Lisa Lundgren | children = 7 | parents = }}
'''Francis Chan''' ({{lang-zh|陳恩藩}}; born August 31, 1967)<ref name="auto1"/> is an American Protestant author, teacher, and preacher. He is the former teaching pastor of the nondenominational Cornerstone Community Church, an Evangelical church in Simi Valley, California founded by Chan in 1994.<ref name=jama20070327>{{cite journal | author = Lau, K.C. | date = November 7, 2012 | title = The Extraordinary Reverend Francis Chan | journal = Evangel Literature | language = en, zh | url=http://www.evangellite.org/2012/11/07/the-extraordinary-reverend-francis-chan/ | archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20140126041014/http://www.evangellite.org/2012/11/07/the-extraordinary-reverend-francis-chan/ |archive-date= January 26, 2014 | url-status = usurped |access-date= December 29, 2019 }}</ref> He also founded Eternity Bible College in 2004, and served as its early chancellor until 2010.<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=AzqpAgAAQBAJ&q=francis+chan+Eternity+Bible+College%2C+and+served+as+its+early+chancellor&pg=PT416|title=The Francis Chan Collection: Crazy Love, Forgotten God, Erasing Hell, and Multiply|first1=Francis|last1=Chan|first2=Preston M.|last2=Sprinkle|date=January 24, 2014|publisher=David C Cook|isbn=9780781412032|via=Google Books}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |first=Francis |last=Chan |title=about EBC: a message from our founder |url=http://www.eternitybiblecollege.com/about/message.html |publisher=Eternity Bible College |access-date=June 11, 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090301060902/http://www.eternitybiblecollege.com/about/message.html |archive-date=March 1, 2009 |df=mdy-all }}</ref>
Chan has been a board member of several Christian and social justice organizations, including Children's Hunger Fund and Gospel for Asia.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.christianitytoday.com/news/2015/october/why-gospel-for-asia-kicked-out-of-ecfa-yohannan.html |title=Why Gospel for Asia Got Kicked Out of the Evangelical... |url-access=subscription|work = Christianity Today |date=October 8, 2015 |access-date=October 25, 2019}}</ref> He has authored and co-authored numerous books including ''Crazy Love'', a New York Times bestseller.<ref>{{Cite news|title=Paperback Advice & Misc. Books - Best Sellers - Books - Nov. 14, 2010 - The New York Times|language=en-US|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/books/best-sellers/2010/11/14/paperback-advice/|access-date=2021-01-19|issn=0362-4331}}</ref> Chan has also served as an ambassador for Care for Children.<ref>{{cite web|title=Patrons & Ambassadors - Who We Are - Care For Children - Family First in Asia|url=https://www.careforchildren.com/who-we-are/patrons-and-ambassadors.html|access-date=April 28, 2020|website=careforchildren.com|archive-date=May 14, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210514110954/https://careforchildren.com/who-we-are/patrons-and-ambassadors.html|url-status=dead}}</ref>
==Biography==
===Early life and education=== Chan was born in San Francisco<ref name="auto2">{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OIeDY2Cxwxs |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211215/OIeDY2Cxwxs |archive-date=2021-12-15 |url-status=live|title=Video |website=www.youtube.com |date=June 12, 2020 |access-date=2020-11-08}}{{cbignore}}</ref><ref name="auto" /> to immigrants Pak-sum Chan [陳柏森], a former minister at the Leighton Road Baptist Church in Hong Kong, and Wan-bing Mui [梅韻冰], a “Bible woman of the Hong Kong Baptist Church, Caine Road.” He was their third child; his mother died during his childbirth,<ref name="auto2" /> of “excessive bleeding”, leaving his father with sister Grace, brother Paul, and newborn Francis, who was named for the city of his birth and of the tragedy.<ref name="jama20070327" /><ref name="GospelHerald130919" />
Chan was sent to Hong Kong to be raised by a grandmother, a Buddhist for several years. During this time, his father married Amy Law (羅笑容) and gave Francis a half-sister, Gloria. In 1976, when Chan was eight years old, his stepmother Amy Chan died in an automobile accident.<ref name=jama20070327 /><ref name="GospelHerald130919" />
His father then remarried again, to Josephine Leung [梁克閱], who raised the four children.<ref name=jama20070327 /> In raising the four, his father and new stepmother had family support from his father's younger sister and her husband, Marion and William Wong, along with a large extended family and church family.<ref name="auto1"/> He did not get along well with his father growing up but says that his fear of his father has helped him understand a level of fear of God.<ref>He did not get along well with his father growing up but says that his fear of his father has helped him understand a level of fear of God.</ref> He also stated he didn't understand the love of God well until he became a father himself.<ref name="auto1"/> In 1979, when Francis was twelve years old, he lost his father to cancer.<ref name=jama20070327 /><ref name=GospelHerald130919>{{Cite journal | author = D'Avolio, Lauren | date = September 19, 2013 | title = Francis Chan Urges the Church to Turn Her Eyes on God, Away From the Standards of Men | journal = The Gospel Herald | url=https://www.gospelherald.com/articles/48903/20130919/francis-chan-urges-church-turn-eyes-god-away-standards-men.htm | access-date=December 20, 2019 | quote = He was born in San Francisco's Chinatown, but his mother died as she was giving birth to him. His dad remarried, but when he Chan was 8 his step mother died in a car accident. Then, his dad died of cancer when he was 12. ‘By the time I was in junior high I was thinking, “Man, life is short,”’ Chan said. }}</ref> As a high-school and then junior-college student,<ref>Chan was active in Christian youth groups, which helped develop his faith in Christ and his interest in ministry.</ref> Chan was active in Christian youth groups, which helped develop his faith in Christ and his interest in ministry.<ref name="jama20070327" />
Chan graduated from 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.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.eternity.edu/about/staff/|title=Staff}}</ref><ref name = CT_Brandon091016/>
===Career=== After earning his seminary degree, Chan "landed a youth pastor position" in Chatsworth, California, at the Church at Rocky Peak.<ref name = CT_Brandon091016>{{cite journal | author = Brandon, John | date = October 16, 2009 | title = Crazy Passion: Francis Chan Keeps Pushing and Pushing to Make More and More Disciples | journal = Christianity Today |format = online | url = https://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2009/october/30.42.html | access-date = December 27, 2019 | url-access=subscription|quote = After attending the Master's College north of Los Angeles, where he earned a seminary degree, Chan landed a youth pastor position at the Church at Rocky Peak in Chatsworth, California, a short drive from Simi Valley. }}</ref> ''Christianity Today'', reporting in 2009, has Chan characterizing this as a period where his personal life was not lived consistently with his religious ideals, stating "Those were the worst years of my life... a sinful, hypocritical time."<ref name = CT_Brandon091016/> For reasons not explained further, Chan left that pastoral position for a job at a restaurant, waiting tables.<ref name = CT_Brandon091016/>
====Cornerstone Community Church==== Chan, his wife Lisa, and 30 others founded Cornerstone Community Church in 1994;<ref name="jama20070327" /><ref name="1994 Cornerstone">{{cite web|url=https://www.christianpost.com/voices/are-you-worshiping-god-or-yourself.html|title=Are you worshiping God or yourself?|quote=Francis Chan is a popular preacher and teacher and is the former teaching pastor of Cornerstone Community Church in Simi Valley, California, which he and his wife started in 1994.|first=Brian G.|last= Chilton|work=Christian Post|date=July 11, 2019 |access-date=April 25, 2020}}</ref> within two months, the church had grown to have 100 attending. The church continued to see increases in attendance, and by the year 2000, it had received approval from local officials for building expansion to double its capacity, in support of a 1,600-member congregation.<ref name="DailyNews000328">{{cite news |first=Joseph |last=Giordono |date=March 28, 2000 |title=Membership explosion leads to expansion Simi church to double in size | newspaper=Daily News of Los Angeles | url=http://nl.newsbank.com/nl-search/we/Archives?p_product=LA&p_theme=la&p_action=search&p_maxdocs=200&p_topdoc=1&p_text_direct-0=0EBA20468DCA89F1&p_field_direct-0=document_id&p_perpage=10&p_sort=YMD_date:D | access-date = December 23, 2019 | quote = Simi Valley - To accommodate an overflow of worshippers at its existing facility, a 6-year-old Simi Valley church is going ahead with expansion plans that would more than double its current size. Receiving unanimous approval from the Simi Valley Planning Commission last week, leaders of the nondenominational Cornerstone Community Church said the expansion is necessary to serve a membership that has grown from 30 people to 1,600. | url-access=registration }}</ref> As of January 2008, Cornerstone was one of the largest churches in Ventura County, California.<ref>{{cite news |first=Tom |last=Kisken |date=January 22, 2008 |title=1973 ruling on Roe v. Wade still polarizes |url=http://www.venturacountystar.com/news/2008/jan/22/1973-ruling-on-roe-v-wade-still-polarizes-show/ |newspaper=Ventura County Star |location = Camarillo, CA | publisher = Gannett | access-date=December 23, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090725125255/http://www.venturacountystar.com/news/2008/jan/22/1973-ruling-on-roe-v-wade-still-polarizes-show/ |archive-date=July 25, 2009 |url-status=dead | quote = The Rev. Francis Chan leads one of the largest churches in Ventura County, Cornerstone Community Church in Simi Valley. He, too, argues that abortion is a hugely important issue but said many evangelicals are no longer pushing just one hot button. 'There are a mounting number of believers who are looking at other issues,' he said, listing social justice issues like caring for the poor.}}</ref>
After a three-month leave from Cornerstone, circa 2008, Chan said he felt convicted to sacrifice more for God. Chan had been giving away about 50% of his income, didn't take a salary from his church, and donated most of his book royalties, which totaled about $2,000,000, to various charities. All of it goes to organizations which rescue sex slaves in foreign countries.<ref name="CT_Brandon091016" /> Furthermore, in 2008 it was reported that Cornerstone would give away 55% of its income to charitable causes.<ref name="CT_Schuchmann091028">{{cite journal | author = Schuchmann, Jennifer | date = October 28, 2009 | title = Francis Chan's Crazy Love: Why This Pastor's Church Gives Away Half its Budget | journal = Christianity Today | format = online |url-access=subscription| url = http://www.christianitytoday.com/biblestudies/articles/discipleship/francischanscrazylove.html | url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100216035749/http://www.christianitytoday.com/biblestudies/articles/discipleship/francischanscrazylove.html | archive-date=February 16, 2010 | access-date = December 27, 2019 }}</ref>
Chan started Eternity Bible College in 2004 as a ministry of Cornerstone Community Church, with 100 students.<ref name = EBCstory2013>{{Cite web | author = EBC Staff | date = 2013 | title = The Story of Eternity | publisher = Eternity Bible College (EBC) | url = http://eternitybiblecollege.com/about/the-story-of-eternity/ |access-date=December 23, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141226113321/http://eternitybiblecollege.com/about/the-story-of-eternity/ |archive-date=December 26, 2014 |url-status=dead }}</ref> In 2008, Eternity launched an abroad program in Ecuador.<ref name = EBCstory2013/> As of 2009, the college had 47 graduates serving in various parts of the world.<ref name = EBCstory2013/>
On Sunday, April 18, 2010, Chan announced to his congregation that he felt called to resign.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://christiantoday.com.au/news/pastors-challenge-francis-chan-over-decision-to-leave-megachurch.html|title=Pastors challenge Francis Chan over decision to leave megachurch|work=Christian Today|access-date=April 27, 2020}}</ref>
====Return to San Francisco==== In June 2011, he stated he felt called to San Francisco. He moved to Northern California and started a church planting network of house churches called "We Are Church".<ref>{{cite web|date=October 3, 2018|title=Francis Chan's Letters to the Church|url=https://www.challies.com/book-reviews/francis-chans-letters-to-the-church/|access-date=April 28, 2020|work=Challies.com|quote=He returned to California to begin a church planting movement in San Francisco. He is currently a pastor of the We Are Church house church network that is spreading through Northern California.}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=History|url=http://www.wearechurch.com/history|access-date=2020-05-04|website=We Are Church|language=en-US}}</ref>
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 congregation.<ref>{{cite web|author=ALCF Staff|date=August 7, 2016|title=[Elders]|url=http://www.alcf.net/pages/page.asp?page_id=151902|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160808223855/http://www.alcf.net/pages/page.asp?page_id=151902|archive-date=August 8, 2016|access-date=7 August 2016|publisher=Abundant Life Christian Fellowship}}</ref>
He served as a top-level leader in the We Are Church network until 2020.
====Return to Hong Kong==== In 2020, Chan moved back to Hong Kong,<ref>{{cite web|title=Francis Chan discovers link between birth mother, move to Hong Kong: 'It's confirmation of God's goodness'|url=https://www.christianpost.com/news/francis-chan-discovers-link-between-birth-mother-move-to-hong-kong-its-confirmation-of-gods-goodness.html|last=Klett|first=Leah MarieAnn|date=March 11, 2020|work=The Christian Post}}</ref> living and working in Sham Shui Po, the poorest area in Hong Kong and the neighborhood where his mother used to do ministry in the 1950s.<ref>{{Cite web|title="Don't lose your peace. The enemy can't take that away from us": Francis Chan in his first address to US church after HK move {{!}} Salt&Light|url=http://saltandlight.sg/news/dont-lose-your-peace-the-enemy-cant-take-that-away-from-us-francis-chan-in-his-first-address-after-hk-move/|website=saltandlight.sg|date=April 2020 |access-date=2020-05-03}}</ref>
====Return to the US==== In January 2021, Chan announced he and his family had returned to the US after his HK visa was denied. He has stated his intent to return to Hong Kong when possible.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Shellnutt|first=Kate|date=January 26, 2021|title=Francis Chan Returns from Hong Kong After Visa Rejected|url=https://www.christianitytoday.com/news/2021/january/francis-chan-hong-kong-visa-missionary-house-church.html|access-date=2021-01-31|website=Christianity Today|language=en}}</ref>
==Theology== Chan frequently talks about "What the Bible is really saying" "and really living our lives that way." According to one author,{{who|date=December 2019}} he is not afraid of confronting "lukewarmness" in the Christian life.<ref>{{cite news |first=Drew |last=Dyck |date=November 4, 2008 |title=Who's Behind 'Crazy Love'? |url=http://www.ministrytodaymag.com/index.php/component/content/article/91-unorganized/17802-whos-behind-crazy-love |work=Ministry Today |access-date=June 11, 2009 |archive-date=August 9, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220809162349/https://ministrytodaymag.com/index.php/component/content/article/91-unorganized/17802-whos-behind-crazy-love |url-status=dead }}</ref>{{update after|2019|12|24}}
With regard to Communion, in January 2020, Francis Chan began to publicly investigate his stance on the real presence of Christ in the Lord's Supper,<ref>{{Cite web|last=Becklo|first=Matthew|date=2020-01-20|title=Francis Chan and his dream of a Eucharist rooted in the Early Church|url=https://aleteia.org/2020/01/20/francis-chan-and-his-dream-of-a-eucharist-rooted-in-the-early-church/|access-date=2021-01-31|website=Aleteia|language=en}}</ref> a lighter view of which is taught in the Reformed Protestant tradition (with which Chan has been associated in the past).<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://theopolisinstitute.com/the-eucharist-is-making-francis-chan-more-reformed-not-less/|title=The Eucharist is Making Francis Chan More Reformed, Not Less|date=2020-01-08|website=Theopolis Institute|language=en-US|access-date=2020-01-27}}</ref>
===Ecumenism=== Prior to this shift on the Eucharist, Chan had given a talk at the (Neo-charismatic Protestant) Onething conference in 2018, and was prayed over by multiple Catholic priests.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Lea|first=Jessica|date=2020-01-31|title=Chan: I Don't Care If You Are Catholic or Baptist, Just If You Love Jesus|url=https://churchleaders.com/news/370095-chan-ecumenism-jesus.html|access-date=2021-01-31|website=ChurchLeaders|language=en-US}}</ref> He spoke at the Fellowship of Catholic University Students' SEEK conference in February 2021.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Warden|first=Scott|date=2021-01-22|title=Seeking the Truth: An interview with Francis Chan|url=https://osvnews.com/2021/01/22/seeking-the-truth-an-interview-with-francis-chan/|access-date=2021-01-31|website=Our Sunday Visitor|language=en-US}}</ref>
==Personal life== Chan is married to Lisa, a singer.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Lisa Chan |url=https://www.discogs.com/artist/3059983-Lisa-Chan |access-date=2023-04-24 |website=Discogs |language=en}}</ref> They wed in 1994,<ref>{{Cite web |last=Account |first=Sample |date=2015-07-28 |title=Marriage With Eternity in Mind |url=https://www.focusonthefamily.com/marriage/marriage-with-eternity-in-mind/ |access-date=2023-04-24 |website=Focus on the Family |language=en-US}}</ref> and as of December 2014 they have seven children.<ref>{{cite journal | author1 = Smethurst, Matt | author2 = Chan, Francis | author3 = Chan, Lisa | date = December 18, 2014 | title = Marriage in Light of Forever: Francis and Lisa Chan on the Secret to Relational Success | journal = TGC | issue = U.S. Edition, online | format = author interview, via email | publisher = The Gospel Coalition (TGC) | url=http://www.thegospelcoalition.org/article/marriage-in-light-forever | access-date=December 23, 2019}}</ref> Their eldest is singer Rachel Chan.<ref name="TCP">{{cite journal |first= Justin |last=Sarachik|title=Francis Chan's Daughter: Rachel Chan Album Review for 'Go' |url=http://www.christianpost.com/news/francis-chans-daughter-rachel-chan-album-review-for-go-66417/|journal= The Christian Post|access-date=January 13, 2016 |date= January 4, 2012}}</ref>
==Bibliography== *{{cite book|title=Crazy Love: Overwhelmed by a Relentless God|last=Chan|first=Francis|author2=Danae Yankoski|year=2008|publisher=David C. Cook|isbn= 978-1-4347-6851-3|title-link=Crazy Love (book)}} *{{cite book|title=Forgotten God: Reversing Our Tragic Neglect of the Holy Spirit|last=Chan|first=Francis|author2=Danae Yankoski|year=2009|publisher=David C. Cook|isbn= 978-1-4347-6795-0|title-link=Forgotten God (book)}} *{{cite book|title=Halfway Herbert|last=Chan|first=Francis|author2=Matt Daniels|year=2010|publisher=David C. Cook|isbn= 978-0-7814-0418-1|title-link=Halfway Herbert (book)}} *{{cite book|title=The Big Red Tractor and the Little Village|last=Chan|first=Francis|author2=Matt Daniels|year=2010|publisher=David C. Cook|isbn= 978-0-7814-0419-8|title-link=The Big Red Tractor and the Little Village (book)}} *{{cite book|title=Erasing Hell: What God said about eternity, and the things we made up|last=Chan|first=Francis|author2=Preston Sprinkle|author2-link=Preston Sprinkle|year=2011|publisher=David C. Cook|isbn=978-0-7814-0725-0|title-link=Erasing Hell (book)}} *Chan, Francis; Mark Beuving (2012). ''Multiply.'' David C. Cook. {{ISBN|978-0-7814-0823-3}} *{{cite book|title=The Road We Must Travel|last=Chan|first=Francis|author2=Bill Hybels|author2-link=Bill Hybels|author3=Eugene Peterson|author3-link=Eugene Peterson|year=2014|publisher=Worthy Publishing|isbn=978-1-61795-291-3|title-link=The Road We Must Travel (book)}} *{{cite book|title=You and Me Forever: Marriage in the Light of Eternity|last=Chan|first=Francis|author2=Lisa Chan|year=2014|publisher=Claire Love Publishing|isbn= 978-0-9903514-0-5|title-link=You and Me Forever (book)}} *{{cite book|title=Letters to the Church|last=Chan|first=Francis|year=2018|publisher=David C. Cook|isbn=978-0-83077-658-0}} *{{cite book|title=Until Unity|last=Chan|first=Francis|year=2021|publisher=David C. Cook|isbn=978-0-8307-8272-7}} * Chan, Francis (2025). ''Beloved'' (David Cook)<ref>{{cite web |url= https://www.amazon.fr/s?k=francis+chan+beloved&crid=1MECHDGYKCVPK&sprefix=francis+chan+beloved%2Caps%2C234&ref=nb_sb_noss_2 |title= Francis Chan|last= |first= |date= |website= Amazon |publisher= |access-date= November 20, 2025 |quote=}}</ref>
==References== {{Reflist}}
==Further reading== * {{cite book | author = Wellman, James K. | date = 2012 | title = Rob Bell and a New American Christianity | location = Nashville, TN | publisher = Abingdon Press | isbn = 978-1426748448 | pages = 63f, 114–119 }} This author discusses the responses of Chan to the controversial Mars Hill pastor, Rob Bell.
==External links== {{wikiquote}} * {{Official website|http://www.crazylove.org/}} * [http://crazylove.org/sermons Francis Chan's Sermon Collection] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141009232450/http://crazylove.org/sermons |date=October 9, 2014 }}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Chan, Francis}} Category:1967 births Category:Living people Category:20th-century evangelicals Category:21st-century American male writers Category:21st-century American non-fiction writers Category:21st-century evangelicals Category:American Evangelical writers Category:American male non-fiction writers Category:American people of Hong Kong descent Category:American religious writers Category:Evangelical pastors Category:Hong Kong evangelicals Category:Writers from San Francisco Category:American Protestant ministers and clergy