Douglas Coe facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Douglas Coe
|
|
|---|---|
| Born | October 20, 1928 Medford, Oregon, U.S.
|
| Died | February 17, 2017 (aged 88) Annapolis, Maryland, U.S.
|
| Education | Willamette University (BS) |
| Occupation | Associate director of The Fellowship |
| Spouse(s) | Janice |
| Children | 6 |
Douglas Evans Coe (born October 20, 1928 – died February 17, 2017) was an American leader. He was known for his work with The Fellowship. This group is famous for hosting the yearly National Prayer Breakfast. Many people saw him as a very important religious leader. In 2005, Time magazine called him one of the most influential Christian leaders in the U.S.
Contents
Early Life and School
Douglas Coe was born in Medford, Oregon, on October 20, 1928. He went to Willamette University in Salem. He earned a science degree there in 1953.
While in college, Douglas Coe met Mark Hatfield, who later became a senator. Coe joined a youth group called Young Life in Salem. He also helped start a chapter of InterVarsity Christian Fellowship at his university. He and his friend Roy Cook also helped set up a "Navigator house" in Salem. They met Abraham Vereide, who inspired them with his ideas about leadership guided by faith.
His Work and Impact
In 1958, Douglas Coe began working for Abraham Vereide. He joined the International Christian Leadership group in Washington, D.C.. By 1963, Coe became an assistant director there. He learned a lot from leaders like Jim Rayburn and Lorne Sanny. They taught him how to study and teach the Bible. Vereide also had Billy Graham, a famous youth minister, mentor Coe.
Coe also helped plan the National Student Leadership Forum. This event focused on faith and values for young people.
Helping with Important Discussions
Douglas Coe was known for his "quiet diplomacy." This means he worked behind the scenes to help solve problems. President George H. W. Bush praised him for this work.
The Fellowship group, where Coe worked, played a role in the Camp David Accords in 1978. This was a peace agreement between Israel and Egypt. Coe worked with President Jimmy Carter to ask for worldwide prayer for peace.
Coe also met with leaders from other countries. For example, he met with officials from Pakistan in 2000. He also helped arrange a meeting between the presidents of Congo and Rwanda in 2001. These meetings helped lead to a peace agreement between the two countries.
Coe was part of a group that went with Hillary Clinton to Mother Teresa's funeral in 1997. He also helped start Military Community Youth Ministries (MCYM). This program helps children of military families around the world.
Personal Life
Douglas Coe lived in Arlington, Virginia, with his wife, Janice. Their home was called the Cedars. They had six children and 21 grandchildren.
Coe did not like to speak in public very much. He usually said no to requests for interviews or big speeches.
Douglas Coe passed away on February 17, 2017, in Annapolis, Maryland. He was 88 years old.
About Douglas Coe in Media
In 2019, Netflix released a documentary series called The Family. This series showed Douglas Coe as a main figure in a Christian group. It talked about how this group had a lot of influence in Washington, D.C. An actor named James Cromwell played him in the series.
In 1978, Douglas Coe was also shown in a movie called Born Again. This film was about his work in helping Charles Colson become a Christian. Colson was involved in the Watergate scandal.
Images for kids
-
Grave of Coe at Columbia Gardens Cemetery, Arlington, Virginia
