Diane Knippers, Key Evangelical Mainline Leader Dies at 53
Diane Knippers, a key evangelical leader within mainline denominations and president of the Institute on Religion and Democracy, died Monday afternoon of complications related to cancer.
Diane Knippers, a key evangelical leader within mainline denominations and president of the Institute on Religion and Democracy, died Monday afternoon of complications related to cancer. She was 53.
Knippers had battled colon cancer for two years and was admitted to intensive care at a Arlington, Va hospital after the cancer spread to her lymph nodes.
Knippers served as president for the IRD since 1993, and has helped the conservative think-tank emerge as a leading voice for renewal and evangelical leaders nationwide, especially within America’s historic mainline denominations.
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This year, Knippers took part in developing the National Association of Evangelicals’ statement on public policy engagement, and was named one of the country’s 25 most influential evangelicals.
"She set an example of faithful Christian witness amidst church and political conflicts," said Alan Wisdom, IRD's vice president in a statement released Tuesday. "She was firm in her conviction of God's truth, and that firmness enabled her to show a great serenity and warmth toward others."
“One of her consistent emphases was the importance of nurturing a new generation of church reformers,” Wisdom wrote. “The members of the IRD staff show the results of Diane’s wise influence. We will miss her presence among us. But I am confident that God’s grace has equipped us through Diane, and will continue to equip us to carry her work forward.”
Wisdom had carried on the leadership for the IRD since April 4, 2005, when Knippers took a leave to work on books and articles.
According to Mark Tooley, executive director of the United Methodist Action within the IRD, Knippers had maintained a full schedule despite being diagnosed with cancer.
“She had been diagnosed two years ago and she continued to work. Her decline did not begin until very recently,” said Tooley. “She was a dear and personal friend and mentor to me for 18 years. She was very dedicated and passionate about the gospel and the church.
Raised a daughter of a United Methodist minister, Knippers emerged as a key leader within evangelical Episcopalians. She served as a lay leader at the Truro Episcopal Church in Fairfax, Va., and was a member of the board of directors of the American Anglican Council. She also served on the boards of the National Association of Evangelicals, the Religious Liberty Commission of the World Evangelical Alliances, and the steering committee of Anglican Mainstream International.
Knippers is survived by her husband, artist Edward Knippers, her parents and a brother. Her funeral is scheduled for Saturday at her church in Virginia.
