By Michael Ireland
Chief Correspondent, ASSIST News Service

WARSAW, INDIANA (ANS) -- Ken Anderson, who was the first fulltime editor of Youth For Christ's magazine and a prolific writer and pioneer Christian filmmaker, passed away at age 88 on Sunday, March 12, 2006.

A Warsaw, Indiana, resident for 45 years, Ken was born December 23, 1917 in Buena Vista County, Iowa. He was raised by a godly grandmother and father, following the death of his mother shortly after childbirth.

Ken attended Wheaton College, and Trinity, where he met Doris Jones, They were married November 16, 1938, and celebrated 67 anniversaries of that joyful day.

Licensed as a minister by the Evangelical Free Church, Ken first pastored in Isle, Minnesota, and later in Newman Grove, Nebraska.

Ken became involved in the newly-formed ministry, Youth for Christ, where he served as their first full-time magazine editor. Through YFC, he met Bob Pierce, who invited Ken to China in 1948. The two preached to tens of thousands of young people in more than a dozen cities. A short documentary film was produced on the trip, which prompted Ken to later write a book titled "This Way to the Harvest." Soon after this trip, Bob Pierce founded World Vision, and Ken became connected to Baptista Films, a pioneer in the field of Christian film production, where he wrote and directed his first dramatic films.

In 1949, Ken's YFC friends encouraged him to establish his own Christian film ministry. So he moved with his family to Muskegon, Michigan, where Gospel Films was launched. His writing skills resulted in at least one new film each year through 1960. Ken and Doris had shared a vision for missions since their early years of marriage. Gospel Films' first overseas dramatic production, filmed in Singapore, was "Something to Die For." Then, with a desire to produce films beyond North America, they moved to Warsaw in December, 1960, to establish Ken Anderson Films.

Over 200 Christian films have been produced since then, including original dramas in many foreign countries. As a pioneer in Christian films, Ken may be best remembered for "Pilgrim's Progress," produced in 1977. Featured in this story is Liam Neeson in his first screen role, playing the character, Evangelist. Over 1400 copies went out as 16mm film prints, and now thousands of copies continue to be produced as "Pilgrim’s Progress" is made available in many others languages for ongoing ministry around the world. Ken helped a number of people enter the Christian film field.

Anderson established International Films in the mid-60's to promote international productions. Many years after that ministry was moved to California, InterComm was established in 199l to continue the international vision of Ken Anderson Films. Today, InterComm is involved in producing additional language versions of many of the Ken Anderson Films international productions.

Anderson flew around the world several times, traveling to nearly 100 countries. In 1975, he was invited by Dr. John Haggai to teach audiovisual evangelism and journalism to national Christian leaders from around the world at training centers in Singapore, Maui and Bogata, Columbia. Thousands of leaders have been challenged, and today InterComm continues to equip such men and women with tools to assist their evangelism vision for their countries.

Anderson's writing career spanned seven decades, publishing seventy-seven books, including "Where to Find it in the Bible," published in 1996 by Thomas Nelson. Over four million copies are in print.

Anderson loved living in the Warsaw community, having first visited during the YFC conferences in the 1950's in Winona Lake. He and Doris were members of the Winona Lake Presbyterian Church, and he was a life member of the Gideons International Bible Ministry. The Andersons purchased property near Claypool, Indiana to establish Treehouse Farm, which has been made available for Christian groups and served as a special camping outreach to area kids

Surviving with Doris are the couple's seven children: Naoma Clark (Larry), Waldport, Oregon; Margaret Mauzy (Lanny) Warsaw; Donn (Diane), Maui, HI; Lane (Jill), Warsaw; Max (Claudia) Rockford, Il; Ken D. (Beth) Warsaw; and Melody Anderson, San Diego, Ca., thirteen grandchildren and eight great grandchildren.

Memorials may be sent to InterComm, Inc., P.O. Box 6l8, Winona Lake, IN 46590.