It is with a heavy heart that I announce the homegoing of my Dad, Dr. Cecil Todd, who marched forth on March 4th at 5:55 P.M. to be with the Lord. Dad served faithfully in full time evangelistic ministry for more than 75 years. He was born October 7, 1931 in Nashoba, OK to my grandparents, Cecil and Emily Todd. Dad led a life marked by an unwavering commitment to spreading the Gospel across the globe. Dad’s ministry spanned all over the United States and in 22 foreign countries. Preaching the message of Christ in various capacities, including serving as lead pastor in 5 different churches and was the Founder and President of the Revival Fires Ministry that he started in 1964! With its Headquarters initially in Joplin for many years and later moving to the Branson West, Missouri area 38 years ago. His mission touched countess lives. A graduate of Ozark Bible College. He delivered his first sermon in 1949, marking the beginning of more than seven decades dedicated to ministry, traveling over 3 million miles and winning more than 3 million souls to Christ.
Dad’s unique contributions included being the only minister invited to speak on Red Square during the May Day celebration in Moscow, Russia. Dad launched a nationwide television program in 1966, broadcasting on more than 200 stations and featuring interviews with notable figures including Presidents Ronald Reagan and Gerald Ford, and many well-known spiritual leaders and celebrities. Dad’s commitment to service was also evident through his efforts to provide Bibles for our U.S. troops, starting at Desert Storm and still going to this present day through our ministry, Revival Fires International.
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Dad’s life was rich in personal joy as well.
Dad was a boxer when he was a boy growing up. I recall Dad’s ability to be very personal with us kids. I have fond memories of Dad getting down on the floor and wrestling with me, and my brothers. I remember his hands were very tender but very strong. This was very descriptive of the Dad he was. Dad was very strong, dependable, yet tender hearted.
Dad was gone a lot, but he always made the time he was home very special.
Dad was a tremendous prayer warrior. Every morning, he would get up and every night when he would go to bed, he would get on his knees and pray. Dad’s faithfulness to pray influenced me to pray.
Dad had an unparalleled work ethic, one that he instilled in me from an early age. Dad was the hardest worker I knew. Dad would get to Revival Fires early and work until 6 pm every day. And my precious mom, Barbara Todd, was always faithful to have a wonderful home cooked meal prepared and ready when Dad would come home. We would sit at the table as a family for dinner every evening. This was so important and had a tremendous influence on my life.
Dad was an influencer when it came to reading and applying and distributing God’s Word. Dad read his Bible faithfully and carried his Bible with him almost everywhere he went. He loved God’s Word. He instilled a love for God’s Word in me. He placed an importance of distributing the Bible to people that have never had a Bible.
In September 1991, Dad began the distribution of millions of Bibles as text books to the youth of Russia. In 2005 a young man in the media department from our home church went to Russia. He was witnessing to a family in their home and noticed the Revival Fires logo on the back of a book. He picked it up and realized it was one of the Russian Bibles our Revival Fires team had distributed.
He asked, “Where did you get this Bible? The lady of the house unfolded the story. She said that Tim Todd gave the Bible to her 10-year-old daughter and led her to the Lord. She came home and led her mom, dad, brothers and sisters to the Lord. The entire family is serving God because of Revival Fires Bible distribution to Russia’s young people!
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Witnessing the positive impact Dad’s Bible distribution to millions influenced me to make it a priority to give God’s Word to those that don’t have a Bible.
Dad influenced my life to be a soul winner. Dad was the most effective soul winner I have ever met. He won more people to the Lord than anyone I have known personally.
I was preaching a revival in Fort Smith, Arkansas and met up with a 96-year-old man that was in a church Dad started there in the 50’s. This man was a construction worker that Dad would witness to every day. This man told me that dad would drive around the neighborhoods inviting people to church with a loud speaker on top of his car. One time Dad came witnessing to him at a house where this man was working on the roof and the man asked him, “What will it take to get you to stop coming to see me?” Dad said, “Just come to church.”. This man did, gave his life to Jesus and served on the board of the church for the rest of his life.
Dad was a soul winner. Many years ago Dad gave a Bible to me that was dated 1956. The inscription reads:
“To my son, Timothy Dean Todd, Son, this is one of my oldest Bibles. It has been wept over, sweated over and prayed over for more years than I can count. May God help you to use it to win many more precious souls to our Lord and Savior.”
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Dad not only influenced me, he influenced national and international leaders that have influenced nations.
The late, President Ronald Reagan was one of the many.
In 1967, six months after becoming California governor, Ronald Reagan signed into law a bill that he would later call, “my worse decision as governor”. It was the California Therapeutic Abortion Act, which aimed to make California the third state in the nation to liberalize abortion laws. Reagan had not given abortion much thought and had no strong pro-life conviction prior to taking office — it wasn’t a leading social issue at the time — but he was faced with a decision that could set the tone for the rest of the country. Reagan reluctantly signed the bill and abortions increased exponentially.
Around the same time frame my Dad reached out to Governor Reagan and began to play a very important, life changing role in his life spiritually. Dad began to advise and counsel Reagan on a regular basis. Dad influenced Reagan to deeply regret his decision to pass that abortion bill. In fact, historians say it’s the only thing Reagan did as governor or president that he regretted. Reagan went on to become one of the most pro-life presidents ever to serve in office.
Dad was a longtime spiritual influencer in Reagan’s life while he was governor and president.
Yes, Dad was a tremendous influence on so many.
To the 3 million people that Dad won to the Lord, he was an evangelist and a spiritual leader to many of them. To the body of Christ that respected him so much, Dad was a true General in God’s Army and Dr. Todd. To his brothers and sisters, Dad was Cecil. To our children, Dad was grandpa. To the Lord Jesus Christ, Dad was a son and a servant. To the world, Dad may have been just one man, but to me, he was the world. To me, he was Dad.
My Dad, was the lighthouse that guided me through life, providing not only light in the darkest times of my life but also a solid foundation on which I could always rely.
I’ve been preaching the Gospel for 38 years and will do so until the Lord calls me home or returns for His glorious church! Besides Jesus Christ, Dad has influenced my life more than anyone else.
My Dad, Cecil Todd, another General won his battle and has become a part of the great cloud of witnesses.
In honor of Dad’s lifelong mission, the family requests donations be made by clicking the giving button below to support the distribution of Bibles to our troops defending Israel in the Middle East. Dad’s monumental legacy of faith, service, and love will be remembered and cherished by those whose lives he touched.
TRUTH FOR YOUTH BIBLE DISTRIBUTION TO UNACCOMPANIED YOUTH AT THE SOUTH TEXAS BORDER
Saturday, March 23 through Tuesday, March 26 was a complete success as we were able to give more than 16,000 Truth for Youth Bibles to young men and young ladies in eight facilities at the South Texas border! The majority of these precious young people, ages 12-18, gave their lives to Jesus Christ as their personal Savior! What an exciting opportunity to witness thousands of youth receiving thousands of Bibles from Honduras, Guatemala, El Salvador, Ecuador, Venezuela, Cuba and Mexico, wholeheartedly surrendering their lives to Jesus Christ for the very first time and coming into the Kingdom of God!
My heart is overwhelmed with joy for what God is accomplishing in the hearts and lives of these precious young people at the border! As I shared the Gospel message, tears were streaming down their cheeks as the Holy Spirit was convicting so many of them.
It is not good for America for these people coming into our nation illegally. But as long as they are coming, I will do everything I can to introduce them to Jesus. They all need Jesus and they all need Bibles! To help us provide Bibles for unaccompanied minors at the border you may click the giving button below. Wrap your gift with love and thank you for your gift to help us provide the Word of God to youth that don’t have a Bible, and introduce them to Jesus Christ.
Thank you for continuing to pray for all of the vitally important ministry outreaches of Revival Fires International. Your prayers and financial support are GREATLY appreciated!!!
For a $100 a month or more partnership to help us take the Gospel around the world…receive the Spirit of Israel Bible, a powerful new resource prepared to help you understand the prophetic and spiritual links between America and Israel and the connection between Christianity and ancient Biblical traditions.
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