Dr. John R. Bisagno was born on April 5,1934, in Augusta, Kansas. He married Uldine Beck and they have three children: Ginger Dodd, Anthony Bisagno, and Timothy Bisagno. John and Uldine have 7 grandchildren.
John Bisagno is currently the retired pastor of the 22,000-member First Baptist Church of Houston, Texas. He is the author of 25 books, including the best seller, "The Power of Positive Praying." He served as the President of the Southern Baptist Pastors Conference and has gained national attention as a dynamic and effective crusade evangelist and Bible teacher. He was the first preacher on the 5outhern Baptist ACTS Television Network.
He received a Doctor of Divinity degree from his alma mater Oklahoma Baptist University, as welt as a Doctor of Letters from Southwest Missouri Baptist University and a Doctor of Divinity degree from Houston Baptist University where a "Chair of Evangelism" is named in his honor.
Dr. Bisagno began his ministry in music evangelism by traveling extensively conducting crusades, and winning the lost to Christ. Soon afterward, he was called into the preaching ministry and traveled as an evangelist for several more years. In 1965, he was called to the pastorate at First Southern Baptist Church in Del City, Oklahoma. He pastored there until 1970. The First Southern Baptist Church experienced tremendous growth under Dr. Bisagno's leadership. In February 1970, Dr. Bisagno began his pastorate at First Baptist Church of Houston.
During Dr. Bisagno's ministry at Houston's First Baptist Church, the relocated from downtown, purchased property, and built new facilities. The church gave 250 million dollars; received an excess of 40.000 members. including 15,000 by baptism; Started 63 local missions and 3 schools, sent over 453 of its members into full time Christian service, including 101 to the foreign mission field.
Dr. Bisagno has spoken at the Southern Baptist Convention, the World Congress on Evangelism, and every major state convention and state evangelism conference, He has lectured at every Southern Baptist seminary and conducted 37 overseas evangelistic crusades.