Ira North

Ira Lutts North (August 31, 1922 Ethridge, Tennessee – January 15, 1984 Nashville, Tennessee) was a preacher and author within the Churches of Christ.

He received his education at David Lipscomb College (now Lipscomb University, Abilene Christian College (now Abilene Christian University (B.A.), University of Illinois (M.A.), and Louisiana State University (PhD).

At the age of 17 he began a 43-year preaching ministry that ranged from Illinois and Louisiana to Tennessee. His longest ministry service was for Madison Church of Christ in Nashville. He began preaching for the Madison church in 1953 and continued for 32 years. During his leadership, the Madison church grew to one of the largest Churches of Christ worldwide.

He was editor of Gospel Advocate, a religious journal prominent among the Churches of Christ. He wrote several books, most notably Balance - A Tried And Tested Formula For Church Growth. He was also a teacher on the nationally televised Amazing Grace Bible Class which featured sermons like "If I Were a Woman" among other topics.

North was instrumental in starting a retirement home and an orphanage in the area of Madison, Tennessee. The Gospel Advocate posthumously called him a "lover of the very young" in 1990.^[1]

His wife, the former Avon Stephens, whom he wed in 1939, died in April 2008.^[2]

References

External links

• Ira North at Find a Grave