To see inside Randy's life and perspectives, visit his blog at www.randyalcorn.blogspot.com

When is Randy's birthday?
June 23, 1954

Where was Randy born and raised?
Portland, Oregon

What size family did Randy grow up in?
Randy grew up with one half-brother. He also has four older siblings from his dad's previous marriage, but since Randy was raised in Oregon and they were in Texas, he almost never saw them. He is now in email contact with all of them.

Though Randy wasn't raised in a Christian home, years later both of his parents became believers, though his mother placed her faith in Christ many years before his father did. See the article "My Father's Conversion to Christ."

When did Randy come to faith in Christ?
Randy writes, "I grew up without Christ and without the church. When I was in high school I attended a church for the wrong reason—to see a girl I'd met. But God can use even our wrong motives for his right purposes. (In fact, years later that girl became my wife!) At that church and in the youth group there, I heard the gospel for the first time, and after a few months or so of attending, I was reading the Bible regularly, at home in my bedroom. It fascinated me and it had the ring of truth. One day in 1969 I realized I believed what it said about Jesus and everything else. I dropped to my knees, by myself in our basement, confessed my sins and gave my life to Christ. I have never once regretted it."

What is one of Randy's favorite Bible verses?
2 Corinthians 4:18: "So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal." This is also the founding verse of Eternal Perspective Ministries.

How did Randy develop a love for reading?
As a boy, Randy enjoyed reading comic books and science fiction, anything that stimulated his imagination. After he became a Christian, his youth pastor gave him a key to his office and said he could read whatever he found on the shelves. Thus began Randy's love for Christian books. He was especially influenced by C. S. Lewis—an influence that continues today. In fact, he says that he's never written a book, fiction or nonfiction, in which he hasn't been influenced by Lewis in some way. In the spring of 2008 he was able to have an extended visit at the home of Douglas Gresham, C. S. Lewis' stepson.

What is Randy's educational background?
Randy attended Multnomah Bible College, where he earned his BA in Theology, and Western Seminary, where he earned his MA in Biblical Studies.

Does Randy have a family?
The Alcorns have two married daughters, Karina and Angela. Randy and Nanci are the proud grandparents of four grandsons: Jacob Gary Stump born August 3, 2004, Matthew James Franklin born November 12, 2004, Tyler Daniel Stump born March 10, 2006, and Jack Timothy Franklin born August 23, 2007.

Randy writes of his wife Nanci, "We met and had our first date when in high school, on December 7, 1968. So this coming December will be the fortieth anniversary. We saw the original Odd Couple in the theatre that night. Nanci's terrific. She's God's gift to me."

Is Randy related to Wallace Alcorn, or is Randy's wife Nancy Alcorn of Mercy Ministries?
Randy's father is not Wallace Alcorn, who taught at Moody Bible Institute, and his wife is not the Nancy Alcorn who heads Mercy Ministries and lives in Tennessee. Randy's wife spells her name Nanci.

Where does Randy live?
Randy and his wife Nanci live in Gresham, Oregon.

When and where was Randy a pastor?
Randy was a pastor at Good Shepherd Community Church in Boring, Oregon for 13 years. He left that position after a civil court judgment was found against a pro-life group—of which he was a participant—for peaceful, nonviolent civil disobedience at an abortion clinic. The judgment led him to resign as a pastor and start Eternal Perspective Ministries. See "How Did EPM Begin" for the complete story. See also "Do you remember when the Lord called you into ministry?"

Where does Randy attend church?
Randy and Nanci still attend Good Shepherd Community Church, in Boring, Oregon.

How long has Randy been an insulin-dependent diabetic?
In 1985, Randy was diagnosed with insulin-dependent diabetes. "God used this to remind me of my dependence on him, in a daily, concrete way," Randy says. "Before that, I knew intellectually that I was dependent on God for every breath. But I was really very independent and self-sufficient. Now I have a built-in reminder every single day when I take my five or six blood tests and insulin injections: 'Apart from me you can do nothing' (John 15:5b). The timing was perfect. Of all the months in my life when I could have gotten a serious disease it happened in the one month when my first book was published. That was a reminder that my writing isn't about me, it's about the Lord, and without his strength it will accomplish nothing."

Do Randy and Nanci have any pets?
The Alcorns love dogs and have one dog, a Dalmatian named Moses. Their Springer Spaniel, Champ, died a few years ago.

What are Randy's hobbies?
Randy enjoys hanging out with his wife Nanci and their kids and grandkids, reading fiction and non-fiction—including theology, playing tennis and riding bikes. He is a volunteer coach for a men's high school tennis team, which is a lot of fun and a great ministry.

Does Randy play sports?
Randy played baseball, basketball and football in junior high. He played basketball and football his freshman year in high school and tennis in high school and college. (He's a very good tennis player.)

What are Randy's favorite foods?
Randy writes, "Mexican. My wife Nanci makes a killer burrito with the works, and sour cream enchiladas. I'm also a fan of Nanci's steak salad, beef stew and cornbread muffins, and chili with cheddar cheese and onions and... cornbread muffins, with a tall glass of milk. The occasional pizza too. You didn't mention drinks, but I love dark strong coffee, preferably French Roast, with milk."

Where is Randy's ideal vacation spot?
Randy writes, "Anywhere Nanci's with me, it's warm, and I can snorkel for hours at a time, then read for hours at a time, then go out to eat and laugh and enjoy God's extravagant kindness with Nanci for hours at a time. If there are some dogs around, that's a real plus too."

Who are Randy's role models?
Hudson Taylor, Amy Carmichael, Dietrich Bonhoeffer, C. S. Lewis, Eric Liddell, John Piper, Joni Eareckson Tada, Doug Nichols, and a couple of men from his church, Good Shepherd Community Church, who are now with the Lord: Garland Gabbert and Daniel Brose.

Why doesn't Randy speak more?
Randy considers himself primarily a writer who sometimes speaks. Because he believes God has called him to write, he has to decline about 98% of all speaking requests in order to have the necessary time to write, as well as direct the ministry of EPM.

In light of his limited speaking availability (6-8 engagements annually), it has become necessary to accept invitations for events that will have the furthest reaching impact. Frequent requests come to him for men's retreats, family camps, fundraising events, banquets and church services and he must turn down virtually all of these. The reason isn't because he doesn't believe in the strategic kingdom value of these things, but it's because he feels others are more gifted in these arenas than he is. He's learned that he needs to say yes only to those things God has uniquely prepared and called him to do.

What books would Randy recommend?
Randy writes, "A. W. Tozer's The Knowledge of the Holy, J. I. Packer's Knowing God, John Piper's Desiring God, Francis Schaeffer's He is There and He is Not Silent, C. S. Lewis's Mere Christianity. For fiction, Lewis's Narnia and space trilogy, and The Atonement Child, by Francine Rivers. Oh, were you just asking for one book?" For a more complete list, see Randy's Favorite Books.

How many books has Randy written?
Randy has authored over 30 books.

How did Randy get started writing?
As a pastor in the 80s, Randy was burdened by the number of Christians he saw devastated by sexual immorality. He started writing a book addressing this huge problem and approached a publisher about it. In 1985, his first book, Christians in the Wake of the Sexual Revolution, was published.

Of the books Randy has written, which are his favorites?
Randy writes: "Of my novels, though in some ways I think Deception is the most fun and maybe the best written, I'd have to say Safely Home. The number of lives I've been told about that have changed through reading that novel amazes me.

"Of my nonfiction, it's a tough call, so I'll cheat and say The Grace and Truth Paradox and Heaven. The Heaven book has been a real surprise, with 400,000 in print just two-and-a-half years after it was released. We get an amazing number of letters from people who say they now look forward to Heaven and are excited about the New Earth, and that they've received great joy and comfort from the book. Churches and small groups everywhere are studying it, which blows me away.

"Okay, I'll also mention The Treasure Principle, which as of spring 2008 has sold over one million copies, and which God has graciously used to transform the way countless people give. It's another book that no one would have guessed would find eager readers. No publisher was saying a few years ago, 'Hey, to sell a million copies we need somebody to write a book about the joy of becoming a radical giver.'"

Has Randy co-authored any books?
Randy co-authored Women Under Stress (now out of print) with his wife, Nanci. He also wrote The Ishbane Conspiracy with his daughters Karina and Angela, the summer before both of them got married.

Randy has this to say about writing with his daughters: "My daughters Angela and Karina helped me write this book. It was my first collaboration since writing a book with my wife Nanci fifteen years prior, and it was a joy. The summer before they both got married I thought it would be great if they weren't working jobs that pulled the family apart. The book idea seemed a great way to do it. I asked them if they wanted to spend a summer writing a book with their dad. They said yes, and I'll always be glad.

"I can't think of two people more qualified and skilled, in both the spiritual and artistic senses, I could have worked with. We read and discussed books on fiction writing, brainstormed characters and plots, stimulated each other's thinking, prayed together, had lots of fun and shared the frustrations and mind-numbing hard work of disciplined writing. Angela and Karina are true co-authors, not token ones. This is their book as much as it's mine, and they have my deepest respect."

Are any of Randy's books going to be made into a movie?
There has been much interest in making Randy's book Deadline into a movie. In fact, the screenplay has already been written. However, it's been put on hold by the interested parties in order to secure the needed financing. But we have no idea when or if that will ever happen. And then we don't know how the casting would occur as we would not be involved in that process. But stay tuned to our website and if anything definite happens with the movie, we will be letting our readers know.

Does Randy plan on writing more books?
Yes. He is currently working on a book on the problem of evil and suffering. The manuscript is due December 15, 2008.

Why did Randy begin Eternal Perspective Ministries?
Please read the article "How Did Eternal Perspective Ministries begin?"

Does Randy receive a salary from EPM?
EPM is a 501C (3) and receives 100% of the royalties from Randy's books. Randy has never accepted the royalties. He is paid minimum wage from the ministry, along with some small benefits and his wife's supplemental salary at a secretary's wage for some part time work.

What happens to the royalties from Randy's books?
Until 2002, 10% of the royalties from Randy's books were used by EPM for its expenses, and 90% were given to worthy ministries, especially global missions. Since 2002 we have been able to donate 100% of all book royalties—and sometimes more—to worthy ministries, which has totaled over 3.5 million dollars as of spring 2008.We're grateful to the Lord for his provision. Learn more about EPM's finances.