Ben Kinchlow

Who is Ben Kinchlow?

Benjamim "Ben" Kinchlow is an evangelist best known for being co-host of The 700 Club from 1975 to 1988 and again from 1992 to 1996. He also hosted other shows on the Christian Broadcasting Network such as Straight Talk and a radio talk show, Taking It To The Streets. Kinchlow, the son of a Methodist minister, came to Christianity in the 1970s after a period as a Black Nationalist influenced by Malcolm X and the Black Muslims.

Born and raised in Uvalde, Texas, young Ben received his elementary and secondary education in what was the Nicolas School, a tiny building which was located in the center of East Ulvade city park, which was last segregated campus for the city’s black students, operating exclusively for African-Americans from 1938 until 1955.

He then served in the United States Air Force for thirteen years and earned his MBA, later becoming a Born-Again Christian and then, soon thereafter, being ordained a African Methodist Episcopal Church minister in 1971.

Kinchlow became the executive director of a Christian drug and rehabilitation center and appeared as a guest on The 700 Club in order to speak about the people he saw coming to Christ through the center. He was asked back to host the show while Robertson was in Israel and later became The 700 Club's Director of Counseling in 1975, as well as 700 Club co-host and Christian Broadcasting Network vice-president for domestic ministries in 1982, then was promoted to executive vice-president in 1985. He left CBN and The 700 Club in 1996 to pursue an independent ministry.