Who was Morris Cerullo?

Morris Cerullo (1931—2020) was an American Pentecostal evangelist, missionary, author, and faith healer. He was known for holding large-scale international evangelism crusades, particularly in Third World countries, where he drew audiences of over 200,000 for a single service. Cerullo’s ministry focused on personal evangelism, healing, training, and supporting native missions. Although Cerullo was lesser known in the United States, his life journey was one of remarkable influence.

Born on October 2, 1931, in Passaic, New Jersey, and orphaned at two, Morris was raised in an Orthodox Jewish orphanage in Clifton, New Jersey. Despite the hardships, Morris felt God calling him from a young age. At fourteen, Cerullo experienced a profound spiritual awakening after receiving a New Testament Bible from a Christian nurse at the orphanage. The encounter solidified his faith and set him on a path of ministry.

As a new Christian, Morris felt a burning desire to share the message of salvation in Jesus Christ with others. He began preaching the gospel in local churches by the age sixteen and received a scholarship to a Bible School in New York.

While attending Bible college, Morris met fellow student Theresa Le Pari, who would later become his wife and lifelong partner of nearly seventy years. The couple had three children: David, Susan, and Mark.

Morris Cerullo was ordained in the Assemblies of God in 1952. He would later be awarded two honorary doctorate degrees, one from Florida Beacon College and Seminary in Jacksonville, Florida, and one from Oral Roberts University in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

Cerullo began preaching in local churches and then expanded his reach through revivals and crusades. In 1956, Cerullo started his healing ministry and was associated with the Voice of Healing organization. His ability to connect with diverse audiences and his dynamic preaching style quickly gained attention.

Cerullo led crusades in more than 100 countries and preached to millions during his lifetime. Cerullo’s commitment to evangelism took him to many remote and challenging places, where he often faced opposition and persecution.

Perhaps his most significant contribution was equipping Christian leaders for ministry around the globe. In 1963 he founded the Morris Cerullo World Evangelism (MCWE) organization, which provided resources, training programs, and conferences to train pastors and evangelists. He established a School of Ministry and an International School of Ministry, which claim to have educated hundreds of thousands of leaders to spread the gospel in their communities.

Cerullo wrote numerous books and study materials on various aspects of the Christian faith and ministry. His works, including The New Anointing, The Miracle Book, The Prayer Bible, and Proof Producers, have been widely distributed and translated into multiple languages.

In 1975, Cerullo launched a major television series called Helpline TV, and in 2011, he introduced Victory Today. Both programs were widely distributed. He also aired several television specials about Israel and the Holy Land and used radio to reach even broader audiences. His organization provided humanitarian aid and medical assistance in poverty-stricken countries.

Yet, despite his popularity overseas, Morris Cerullo became a controversial figure in the United Kingdom during the 1990s, with his financial methods and claims of healing. He was also sued twice by employees who claimed to be mistreated for questioning his fundraising methods. In the United States, Cerullo was indicted by a federal grand jury on three counts for failing to report his total income for three years in the 1990s; however, the charges were eventually dismissed.

Morris Cerullo died of pneumonia on July 10, 2020. He was 88. His ministry continues through MCWE and the leaders he has trained worldwide.