Bill Rudge

Read: The Taming of Godzilla (Bill's testimony)

Getting to Know Bill Rudge

Bill Rudge’s rebellious activities as a youth resulted in an indictment for vandalism. But eventually, through his dedication to weight lifting during his teen years, Bill became the instructor at a health spa, gaining notoriety in the karate dojo as “Godzilla”.

Trying almost everything imaginable, Bill still could not tame his restless spirit. The answer to his search for meaning and purpose was not found through any of his youthful adventures – including hitchhiking across the country to “find” himself.

Bill believed Christianity was for fools and weak-kneed sissies, but came to the realization that giving his life to Jesus Christ was the wisest and most courageous decision he would ever make. And on May 23, 1971, at the age of 18, “Godzilla” was tamed – his life dramatically changed through a personal encounter with the resurrected Christ.

Three months after accepting Christ, Bill and his young wife, Karen, were enrolled in Bible college. While there, Bill also served as youth leader for an area church, worked full time, and taught classes in physical fitness and self-defense at both the college and the YMCA.

Following graduation from Mount Vernon Bible College in 1975, Bill served as youth minister in High Point, North Carolina; then trained with Youth for Christ. In August of 1977, God led Bill and Karen to found the Bill Rudge Ministries of Living Truth, Inc. So began an incredible journey of faith: With no money or facilities – only a God-given vision and determination – it was destined to become an international outreach. While most thought the goals of these two young people could never be achieved, Bill and Karen believed God would be faithful to fulfill what He led them to do.

Bill could see that, even before accepting Christ, God’s hand was on his life, protecting and preparing him for his future ministry. God has used the experiences of Bill’s youth, his abilities and even the determination and dedication he had for weight lifting and karate, and miraculously increased and redirected them to be used for His glory. Since then, Bill has built his life and ministry on Philippians 4:13 – “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” As a result, he has overcome tremendous challenges and overwhelming obstacles as the Lord has done the impossible through his life and ministry.

From having been voted least likely to succeed (several times), to directing a growing international outreach ministry, Bill Rudge is now a worldwide speaker and author of a dozen books such as Reaching Your Maximum Potential in Christ, Overcoming the Giants in Your Life, Who Is This Jesus?, Overcoming Sexual Immorality, and Spiritual Warfare and Victory in Christ. He has delivered thousands of inspiring messages to churches, schools, colleges, seminaries, military bases, prisons, detention centers, hospitals, rallies, retreats, banquets, conventions, and pastors’ and leadership conferences throughout the United States as well as over 25 countries. Bill has led dozens of mission trips into remote and often dangerous areas to minister at conventions, churches, schools, leper colonies, hospitals and villages.

Bill is an ordained chaplain and a member of Who’s Who in Executives and Professionals. He has over 40 years of extensive research and ministry experience specializing in apologetics, health and fitness, fasting, spiritual warfare, end-time prophecy, evangelism and leadership training. His powerful testimonies testify to God’s faithfulness and protection in the midst of impossible situations.

Bill is a dedicated and determined man with an exciting background, a dynamic ministry, and tremendous goals and vision. Most importantly, Bill has a heart to follow God. He daily seeks to live under the Lordship of Jesus Christ and glorify his Lord with every aspect of his life. Bill has been married to Karen for over 45 years. They have two children and eleven grandchildren.

From the Taming of Godzilla to The Impossible

In his personal testimony, The Taming of Godzilla, Bill reveals how Jesus Christ transformed his life and how God took a person who was:

• totally committed to weight lifting and karate and made him totally committed to Jesus Christ;

• a victim of peer pressure and gave him the courage to stand alone, even in dangerous situations;

• out of control in almost every area of his life, but brought every aspect of his life under His control;

• rebellious and stiff-necked, but taught him to be surrendered and sensitive to God’s Word and Spirit;

• a liar, cheat, and thief, but enabled him to live a life of integrity;

• proud and arrogant and taught him to walk in humility and meekness before the Lord;

• continually quitting jobs and switching friends and girlfriends ... and gave him unwavering determination and commitment in ministry and marriage (over 45 years with the same wife and over 40 years in the same ministry);

• centered on self and pleasure (even to the point of believing himself to be god), and taught him instead the meaning of self-sacrifice and gave him the desire to know and please his Creator more than anything else;

• known as “Godzilla” – one of the hardest hitters in the karate dojo – to being known as one of the hardest-hitting speakers;

• hitchhiking across the country in rebellion against God to traveling throughout the U.S. and around the world proclaiming Him;

• a skeptical, smart-mouthed, street-wise kid, and convinced him of His reality; Who has done the impossible through his life and ministry and Who has given him a passion to proclaim the truth and faithfulness of Jesus Christ;

• voted least likely to succeed and without potential, to directing a growing international ministry, challenging believers to reach their maximum potential in Christ.

The Impossible documents the Lord’s miraculous intervention in Bill’s life and ministry as it shares amazing accounts of how:

• with no money or facilities, Bill and his wife Karen started what was to become an international outreach ministry;

• by stepping out in total faith and obedience, the Lord enabled them to build ministry centers valued at over a million dollars without any interest being paid;

• God kept the special outdoor outreaches they sponsored for ten years from ever being rained out – sometimes through amazing weather occurrences;

• the Lord fulfilled 100% of what He led Bill to do.

Many times the mission opportunities the Lord led Bill to accept seemed impossible to fulfill. Airline strikes, rioting, coup attempts, weather conditions, near-tragic accidents, and numerous other dangers and impossible situations stood in the way, but God always faithfully intervened to make the way possible and protected him in the midst of it. God’s intervention in apparently impossible circumstances resulted in dozens of documented miracles.

Bill has been threatened, attacked, put on “hit lists,” had spells put on him and frequently been in situations of extreme danger: nearly frozen to death in New Mexico; almost blinded when a car battery exploded in his face; bitten by a brown recluse spider; “terrorized” in an Arab country; nearly killed three times in Colorado; stranded hopelessly in India and Nigeria; found in the midst of a coup attempt in Haiti; led a feared voodoo witch doctor to the Lord during which time he was protected from being killed by three angry men armed with machetes and a lead pipe; after speaking in Jerusalem he was at the exact spot where 23 hours later the first female suicide bomber detonated herself; caught in the midst of a riot; the target of a failed robbery attempt in Lagos, Nigeria; escorted across Egypt by armed guards in a caravan of armed vehicles smuggled in and out of a country where it is forbidden to share the Gospel under penalty of prison or death; survived a violent four-vehicle collision following ministry in British Columbia....

Bill has faced numerous other dangerous, life-threatening and impossible circumstances, but the God of the Bible has always intervened, delivered him and brought the ultimate victory. Knowing that without the Lord, his family, staff, and supporters, he could achieve nothing, all that Bill has faced or accomplished only validates the reality and faithfulness of the God of the Bible whom he wholeheartedly seeks to serve and glorify with every aspect of his life – physical, mental and spiritual. Truly, Bill’s life and ministry present a tremendous witness of God’s mercy, faithfulness, protection and power!

Overview and History of Bill Rudge and the Ministry

Education & Research

• Graduated from Sharon High School (Pennsylvania, 1970)
• B.A., Bible, Mount Vernon Bible College (1975)
• Specialized training with Youth for Christ — Summer Institute of Youth Evangelism (1976)
• Talbot Bibleland Studies, Talbot Theological Seminary (1999) – Three-week trip to investigate the archaeology and geography of Rome, Turkey, and Greece with biblical scholars and archaeologist
• Nine research trips to the Holy Land and Middle East with specialized research in old city of Jerusalem and interviews/study in Jewish Quarter of Jerusalem (1983 - 2015)
• Bates Method of Vision Re-Education (14 hours of clinic study and additional hours of outside practice) (1999)
• Chaplain training with the American Red Cross in San Diego (2003 and 2005)
• Optimum Health Institute Three Week Study Course (2005)
• Get Healthy! / Stay Balanced Instructor’s Training (2006)
• Health Minister training and accreditation with Hallelujah Acres (2006 - present)
• Creative Health Institute (2007)
• Doctorate-level course on apologetics with adjunct professor of California Biblical University and Seminary (2007)
• Taking Care of Our Own (eight hour course for chaplains on preparing for line-of-duty deaths and serious injury) (2011)
• Acute Traumatic Stress Management (eight hour course for chaplains) (2011)
• Managing School Crises: From Theory to Application (14 hour course for chaplains) UMBC - An Honors University in Maryland, International Critical Incident Stress Foundation (2013)
• Grief Following Trauma (14 hour course for chaplains) UMBC - An Honors University in Maryland, International Critical Incident Stress Foundation (2014)
• Sharing Hope in Crisis (one day training for Billy Graham Rapid Response Team) (2015)
• Ministry Security Regional Training (seven hour course) presented by Center for Personal Protection and Safety (2016)
• Extensive research on cults, occult, Eastern mysticism, health and nutrition, biblical apologetics, messianic and end time prophecy, and contemporary issues by attending scores of lectures, seminars, and training programs, as well as significant personal study on these and other topics through hundreds of books, audio messages, and videos
• Traveled throughout the U.S. and world investigating and interviewing devotees and leaders of various religious movements, health practitioners, and high ranking martial artists
• Historical and archaeological research at the British Museum (London), the Louvre (Paris), Institute for Creation Research Museum (San Diego), and many other museums
• Extensive training and experience in gymnastics, self-defense, exercise, nutrition, fasting, youth and family ministry, military ministry, crisis intervention, and various other aspects of missions and ministry     
• Conducted independent studies of many biblical-related issues
• Spent thousands of hours in Bible study, prayer, and fasting

Ministry Background & Experience

• License to Preach from the International Church of the Foursquare Gospel (1975)
• Ordained by the Christian Church of North America (1982)
• Ordained minister and chaplain with The Christian and Missionary Alliance (2005 - present)
• Married to Karen since 1971; they raised two children (both are involved in ministry), took in many temporary foster children, and have eleven grandchildren
• Founded and directed Teen Life and Kids Life — one of the most effective youth outreaches in the region (1977-1988)
• Founded and directed Youth Development — a specialized program for troubled youth (1977-1988)
• Received referrals for troubled youth from school administrators, police, children and youth services, courts, and probation departments (1977-1988)
• Provided crisis intervention for families and individuals (1977 - present)
• Coordinated a local and national referral network (1977-1988)
• Founded and directed the Christian Martial Arts Association (1977-1981)
• Founded and directed Research Division of Spiritual Counterfeits (1977-1988)
• Coached youth soccer for YMCA (1986-1989)
• Designed and coordinated specialized training and obstacle courses for groups across the U.S. and abroad as well as at the ministry center for children, teens, adults, athletic teams, youth groups, soldiers, sailors, recruits, and those preparing for mission trips (1986 - present)
• Sponsored area-wide events involving thousands of youth and adults from different schools and church denominations (1977 - 1989)
• Designed and coordinated innovative competitive events for youth and adults in school and church gymnasiums and open fields throughout the U.S. and abroad (1977 - present)
• Self-defense instructor and did demonstrations in schools, churches, and detention centers (1971-present)
• Taught exercise classes and clinics (1971-present)
• Spoke at, or coordinated, over 100 high school, middle school, and elementary school assemblies in gyms and auditoriums (1979 - present)
• Served as a consultant and mentor to youth leaders, pastors, missionaries, chaplains, military personnel, as well as provided biblical counsel to several organizations, churches, missions, and ministries (1987 - present)
• Served as a volunteer chaplain for the American Red Cross during the Southern California Wildfires (2003)
• Christian Tour Consultant for Maranatha Tours, Inc. (2015 - present)
• Volunteer chaplain for Billy Graham Rapid Response Team (2015 - present)
• Served as executive director of a growing multi-faceted ministry with over 30 full-time, part-time, volunteer, and freelance staff (1977 - present)
• Founded and directed a growing international outreach organization (1987 - present)
• Trained hundreds of staff — many of whom are now pastors, chaplains, youth ministers, missionaries, have started their own ministries, or serve in leadership positions in various churches, ministries, and organizations (1977 - present)
• Member of Who’s Who in Executives and Professionals (2000)
• Dramatized testimony on Unshackled aired worldwide on over 1,000 radio stations (2000)
• Produced a weekly radio broadcast (1977 - present)
• Interviewed, and a guest, on many radio and television programs in U.S. and other countries (1977 - present)
• Short-term missionary to many countries (1987 - present)
• Traveled throughout the U.S. and to more than 25 countries
• Spoke over 2,500 times at churches, schools, colleges, seminaries, military bases, prisons, detention centers, hospitals, rallies, camps, retreats, banquets and conventions
• Lectured at pastors’ and leadership conferences throughout the U.S. and abroad

Publications

• Authored twelve books and numerous booklets, pamphlets, and tracts
• Several of the books have been translated into other languages and published in various countries
• Many articles and creative ideas have been published in various youth, Christian, and secular magazines and publications
• Quoted by several authors and articles reproduced in various publications
• A six-page article on the martial arts is in The Encyclopedia of New Age Beliefs
• More than one and a half million copies of his books, E-books, booklets, pamphlets, tracts, and audio messages have been requested by tens of thousands of pastors, missionaries, prison and military chaplains, individuals, and organizations in over 100 countries