1962 Future Christian Hall of Fame

LIFE Magazine published a feature 50 years ago in September 1962 listing 100 people they considered to be "The Takeover Generation."  Each person had to be under the age of 40.

FCC Chairman Newton Minow (who is still alive today) was among them.  He made the famous statement in 1961: 

"When television is good, nothing — not the theater, not the magazines or newspapers — nothing is better.

"But when television is bad, nothing is worse. I invite each of you to sit down in front of your own television set when your station goes on the air and stay there, for a day, without a book, without a magazine, without a newspaper, without a profit and loss sheet or a rating book to distract you. Keep your eyes glued to that set until the station signs off. I can assure you that what you will observe is a vast wasteland."

Some of the other names in LIFE:

Sen. Frank Church (sponsor of the Wilderness Act of 1964)
Thomas Eagleton (McGovern's running mate, briefly)
Rep. Daniel Inouye (Hawaii)
John Updike (novelist)
Gov. Mark Hatfield (Oregon, later a senator)

I got to thinking about how many of today's evangelical Christian leaders were under 40 in 1962.  Here's my list (* = still living today)

David Wilkerson, 31
   The Cross and the Switchblade, Teen Challenge

Hal Lindsey*, 33
   The Late Great Planet Earth

James Dobson*, 26
   Focus on the Family

James Kennedy, 32
   Coral Ridge Presbyterian Church

Chuck Colson, 31
   Watergate fame, "Born Again," Prison Fellowship, Breakpoint

Bill Gaither*, 26
   The Bill Gaither Trio

Barry McGuire*, 27
   The New Christy Minstrels, "Eve of Destruction," "Bullfrogs & Butterflies"

Chuck Swindoll*, 28
   Insight For Living radio program, Dallas Seminary, Evan. Free pastor

Josh McDowell*, 23
   "Evidence That Demands A Verdict," apologist with Campus Crusade for Christ

Jerry Falwell, 29
   Moral Majority, Liberty Church and Liberty University

Charles Stanley*, 30
   "In Touch" radio program, Baptist pastor in Atlanta

Elisabeth Elliott*, 36
   "Through Gates of Splendor" (the Jim Elliott story); "Gateway To Joy" radio program

Arthur S. DeMoss, 37
   DeMoss Foundation, father of Nancy Leigh DeMoss, who succeeded Elisabeth Elliott

Lloyd Ogilvie*, 32
   Presbyterian chaplain of the U.S. Senate, 1995-2003

Anita Bryant*, 22
   Miss America second runnerup, 1958 (she's kind of a stetch--I couldn't find many women)

Except for a couple of these people, they were all within 4-5 years in age.  Today they have 50 years of wisdom and experience, and are all in their 70s and 80s.