{{Short description|American evangelist and author}} '''Larry Tomczak''' is a Christian evangelist and author. He co-founded People of Destiny International, a network of churches, and was editor of ''People of Destiny magazine''.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |date=2015-01-09 |title=Who is Larry Tomczak |url=https://www.larrytomczak.com/about/ |access-date=2023-07-31 |website=Larry Tomczak |language=en-US}}</ref> Tomczak is the author of several books, most prominently ''Clap Your Hands!'', an autobiography.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2021-12-13 |title=Clap Your Hands Promotion |url=https://www.larrytomczak.com/clap-your-hands-promotion/ |access-date=2023-07-31 |website=Larry Tomczak |language=en-US}}</ref>
==Early life== Tomczak was born into a Roman Catholic family in Ohio, and in his youth was part of a local rock band.<ref> {{cite book | last = Adams | first = Deanna R. | title = Rock'n'Roll and the Cleveland Connection | publisher = Kent State University Press | year = 2002 | page = 158 | isbn = 978-0-87338-691-3 }} </ref>
Tomczak was involved in the charismatic renewal of the 1970s, as described in his book ''Clap Your Hands!''<ref> {{cite book | last = Tomczak | first = Larry | title = Clap Your Hands | year = 1973 | publisher = Plainfield, N.J., Logos International | isbn = 9780882700724 | url = https://archive.org/details/clapyourhands00tomc | url-access = registration }} </ref> Together with C.J. Mahaney, Tomczak co-founded the Covenant Life Church, which would later become known as the Sovereign Grace Churches.<ref> {{cite book | last = Tomczak | first = Larry | title = Clap Your Hands | pages = 179–196 }} </ref><ref> {{cite book | last = Virgo | first = Terry | title = No Well Worn Paths }} </ref> Tomczak eventually left the ministry in 1998, at the time citing theological differences.<ref name="Where Are They Now">{{cite news |url = http://spiritledwoman.charismamag.com/index.php/component/content/article/235-unorganized/369-charismatters |title = Where Are They Now? |accessdate = 2008-02-09 |date = July 2000 |publisher = Charisma Magazine |archive-url = https://archive.today/20130119040118/http://spiritledwoman.charismamag.com/index.php/component/content/article/235-unorganized/369-charismatters |archive-date = 2013-01-19 |url-status = dead }}</ref><ref> {{cite book | last = Tomczak | first = Larry | title = What Do You Believe About How People get Saved? | year = 1998 }} </ref> ==Slander lawsuit settlement==
In 1983, Tomczak paid $150,000 to settle a lawsuit for repeatedly slandering psychiatrist Thomas Anthony Harris and his wife, Amy, authors of the best-seller ''I'm O.K. - You're OK.''
In 1983 ''The New York Times'' reported that Tomczak repeatedly and publicly claimed "'Most people today don't know that the author of that book committed suicide about two years ago, and yet people are still practicing some of his philosophies."<ref>{{cite news|title=Author Wins Judgment for Slander|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1983/09/10/arts/author-wins-judgment-for-slander.html|newspaper=The New York Times|accessdate=22 January 2016|date=1983-09-10}}</ref> Dr. Harris was still alive, and in fact died 12 years later at the age of 85.
According to Dr. Harris, the lies "hurt his reputation, forced cancellation of speaking appearances, and caused a 50 percent drop in book sales."
==Views on homosexuality== Tomczak subscribes to the research of Paul Cameron which claims that gays and lesbians suffer higher rates of mental illness and suicide, among other things, and links these to their inherent sexuality.<ref name="Charisma Magazine">{{Cite web | url=http://www.charismanews.com/opinion/heres-the-deal/40686-gov-christie-people-are-not-born-homosexual | title=Gov. Christie, People Are Not Born Homosexual| work=Charisma News| last1=Tomczak| first1=Larry}}</ref> Tomczak has expressed his view that sexual orientation is a learned behavior:
<blockquote>People are not born homosexual. According to Scripture and science, homosexuality is not part of someone's biological constitution. People will argue to the contrary, but being gay is not like left-handedness. There is absolutely no scientific evidence of a gay gene. Nature or nurture? The answer is the latter. This is not opinion; it's truth.</blockquote>
In January 2015, Tomczak wrote a letter on ''The Christian Post'' to television personality Ellen DeGeneres, after she mentioned a recent article of his on her show to argue "I don't have an agenda".<ref>{{cite news |url = http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2015/jan/15/larry-tomczak-responds-to-ellen-degeneres-a-nation/ |title = Christian Post writer responds to Ellen DeGeneres: 'A nation rises or falls on marriage' |accessdate = 2015-01-15 |date = 2015-01-15 |newspaper = The Washington Post }}</ref>
==Personal life==
Tomczak has been married for over 40 years and has four children. He lives in the Nashville metropolitan area.<ref name=":0" />
Throughout 2020, Tomczak was a strong supporter of Donald Trump's re-election campaign. On November 19, 2020 Tomczak posted a video.<ref>{{cite web |title=Larry Tomczak:Week in Review |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5hTZzaGzcuE&feature=emb_logo |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211221/5hTZzaGzcuE |archive-date=2021-12-21 |url-status=live|website=YouTube| date=19 November 2020 }}{{cbignore}}</ref> Therein he claims that "...the fact that Dems have stolen the election." Tomczak also claimed that Donald Trump would prevail through "divine intervention."
In July 2011, Tomczak released a letter stating that he and Mahaney have since reconciled, and that Mahaney has made a full apology to Tomczak and his family for any wrongdoing on the part of the ministry.<ref name="A letter from Larry Tomczak on his reconciliation with C.J. Mahaney">{{cite news |date=2011-07-11 |title=A letter from Larry Tomczak on his reconciliation with C.J. Mahaney |publisher=Sovereign Grace Ministries |url=http://www.sovereigngraceministries.org/blogs/sgm/post/A-letter-from-Larry-Tomczak-on-his-reconciliation-with-CJ-Mahaney.aspx |url-status=dead |accessdate=2011-07-12 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110920164724/http://www.sovereigngraceministries.org/blogs/sgm/post/A-letter-from-Larry-Tomczak-on-his-reconciliation-with-CJ-Mahaney.aspx |archivedate=2011-09-20}}</ref>
In November 2011, however, Tomczak released another letter stating that Sovereign Grace Churches had subjected him and his family to spiritual abuse, slander, and blackmailing. In particular, they had questioned Tomczak's fitness as a father due to what Tomczak called his son's "teenage rebellion".<ref>{{Cite web |last=Duin |first=Julia |date=November 6, 2008 |title=DUIN: Evangelist Tomczak still a force |url=https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2008/nov/6/evangelist-tomczak-still-a-force/ |access-date=2023-07-31 |website=The Washington Times |language=en-US}}</ref> Tomczak now asserts that his family left Sovereign Grace Churches to escape this abuse.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Tomczak |first=Larry |date=November 2011 |title=The Tomczak Departure from S.G.M. - What Really Happened? |url=http://larrytomczak.com/Docs/departure_sgm.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120211131316/http://larrytomczak.com/Docs/departure_sgm.pdf |archive-date=2012-02-11 |access-date=2023-07-31}}</ref>
==Bibliography==
*The Little Handbook On Loving Correction: How To Raise Happy, Obedient, Respectful Children<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/2013/01/15/lawsuit-accuses-pastor-of-abuse/1566390/|title=Lawsuit accuses Tenn. Pastor of abuse|website=USA Today}}</ref> *Clap Your Hands!<ref> {{cite book | last = Tomczak | first = Larry | title = Clap Your Hands | year = 1988 | isbn= 978-0-88419-252-7}} </ref>
*Divine Appointments<ref> {{cite book |title=Divine Appointments |first=Larry |last=Tomczak |isbn=978-1-56043-320-0|date=June 1998 }}</ref>
*Reckless Abandon<ref> {{cite book |title=Reckless Abandon |first=Larry |last=Tomczak |isbn=978-0-88419-876-5|year=2002 }}</ref>
*God, the rod, and Your child's bod: The art of loving correction for Christian parents<ref> {{cite book |title=God, the rod, and Your child's bod: The art of loving correction for Christian parents |first=Larry |last=Tomczak |isbn=978-0800750824|year=1982 |publisher=Power Books }}</ref> ==External links== *[http://larrytomczak.com] Official website.
==References== <references/>
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Tomczak, Larry}} Category:Living people Category:American Christian religious leaders Category:American Christian clergy Category:American Charismatics Category:Writers from Ohio Category:Converts to evangelical Christianity from Roman Catholicism Category:Year of birth missing (living people)