Who Is Morris Cerullo?
The late Dr. Morris Cerullo is recognized around the world for his dedication to spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ. Emboldened by the power of the Holy Spirit, he repeatedly brought the salvation message to more than 130 nations throughout his nearly seven decades in the ministry.
Because of Morris Cerullo’s tireless efforts, millions have come to Christ. Many of these received a transfer of the anointing on Dr. Cerullo’s life, and this transfer paved the way for them to become leaders. Some of these leaders built or expanded their own Christ-centered ministries and, like a ripple effect, carried the torch to win souls in their respective spheres of operation and influence.
During Morris’s nearly seventy years in the ministry, his spirit was unwavering in devotion and obedience to the call of God upon his life. Commissioned by the Father to build Him an army, Morris made it his life’s goal and priority to build that army by traveling more than 250,000 miles every year to train believers of multiple ethnicities, languages, and nations to work the works of God.
The power of God flowed through Brother Cerullo in a dynamic and powerful way. It brought salvation, deliverance, healing, and miracles to the masses, at home and abroad. He was in kings’ palaces and in the private rooms of presidents but was also in the presence of those of no reputation or status and ministered to them equally.
During Morris’s earthly life, the heartbeat of his ministry was always for SOULS. His vision for this ministry was that the heart for winning souls would continue to beat strongly and never die. That vision continues to grow. It is being stewarded and carried out by Nationals he trained and equipped over the years. Every one of the partners and supporters of his ministry are also enabling it to continue.
Our beloved apostle, evangelist, teacher, and prophet Morris Cerullo was promoted to glory on July 10, 2020, and is now among that great cloud of witnesses mentioned in Hebrews 12:1. His loving wife and partner in the ministry, Theresa, continues their growing ministry.
Morris Cerullo World Evangelism has offices in San Diego, California, USA; London, England, UK; and Concord, Ontario, Canada. In early 2020, the Legacy International Center opened its doors to the public to continue Morris’s everlasting mission to bring souls to Christ.
Brother Cerullo always said that every born-again believer is a minister. Not every person can go around the world preaching the gospel, but every person can do something to spread the gospel near and far. They may pray for the salvation of people everywhere. They may be able to share their finances or resources with those who are evangelizing. They may lead people to Christ themselves. We are all members of one Body, the Body of Christ, and we are all called to win the lost.
The Legacy International Center
The Legacy International Center opened its doors in July of 2020. It is an 18-acre complex that houses biblically themed attractions, spiritually educational opportunities, a resort hotel and spa, tranquil gardens, and quality restaurants. Located in the heart of San Diego’s Mission Valley, the Legacy International Center was created to train those who wish to deepen their knowledge of biblical truths and discover or deepen their relationship with Christ. It is a serene, Christ-centered haven of rest, where people from around the world may come to decompress from the stresses and burdens of life and renew and refresh their spirit, soul, mind, and body.
Commendations
In his lifetime, Dr. Cerullo received numerous accolades for his accomplishments. He was presented with a key to the City of San Diego, California, as well as the keys to a number of other cities. He received many letters from presidents, prime ministers, governors, mayors, and other high-ranking government leaders in various countries in recognition of his international work.
In May of 2015, Dr. Cerullo was awarded the prestigious Lifetime Global Impact Award. Dr. William Wilson, the president of Oral Roberts University, and Dr. George Wood, the general superintendent of the Assemblies of God, presented this award to him at the Empowered21 Global Congress in Jerusalem, Israel.
Early Life
Dr. Morris Cerullo spent his youth in a Jewish Orthodox orphanage in New Jersey, until he received salvation at the age of 14. After experiencing that life-changing event, he spent the next several years preaching four times a week at local churches.
While he was still a teenager, Morris received a scholarship to attend the New York Metropolitan Bible School, in Suffern, New York. He held two honorary doctorate degrees, one from Florida Beacon College and Seminary (Jacksonville, FL) and one from Oral Roberts University (Tulsa, OK).
Morris met his beloved wife Theresa at the Bible college they both attended. Their friendship grew into a lifelong partnership that continues to impact the world. Morris acknowledged, on many occasions, that the reason he was able to accomplish so much for God was his God-ordained union with Theresa. Their marriage, and their very lives, were always on the altar before God.
In 1955, God began to direct Morris’s attention to the nations. This started when he received a desperate letter asking him to minister in Athens, Greece. By then, Morris and Theresa were married with two children. They were saving to buy their first home. The plane ticket to Greece cost $865.50, but God amazingly provided the funds—down to the penny!—through a woman who had been healed in one of Brother Cerullo’s services!
When Morris arrived in Athens, he discovered that not only had there been no advertising for his meetings but that Greece did not allow evangelistic meetings to take place without special permits. Morris immediately locked himself in his hotel room to seek God until a breakthrough occurred.
After some time, Morris received a knock on the door. It was an influential person who had friends in very high places. After this meeting, the premier of Greece granted him the necessary permit. Being granted a permit for such an event was unheard of at that time.
Being dedicated to praying until something happened became one of the secrets that Morris discovered was the key to breaking open entire nations for the gospel.
God began to move in that first overseas meeting in Greece. Revival broke out. Lives were changed. Sick people were healed. However, the money ran out. Morris didn’t want to leave during the middle of such an explosion of miracles, but in order to continue renting the auditorium, more funds would be needed. Morris called Theresa about the problem. Together, they agreed to use the money that they had been saving for the down payment on their dream home (which they had already picked out) to extending the Greece miracle crusade and advancing the Kingdom of God.
The Cerullo family was able to reap an awesome harvest from that seed. They thought that they would lose that dream house to another buyer when they planted the funds into the gospel campaign in Greece. However, a strange thing happened. The builder told them that he had been able to sell every other home in that development except the one that they wanted. They were able to buy their exact dream home one year later and at the same price that they negotiated to buy it the year before.
Evangelical Outreaches
After eight years of ministering in the United States, Morris embarked on his first overseas missions trip to Greece (described above). That was the birth place of an international ministry that would eventually take him to more than 110 nations worldwide.
As these evangelical outreaches grew, Morris remembered his Jewish roots. Having been born to an Italian father and a Russian Jewish Orthodox mother, he always carried a passion for Israel with him. In 1967, God spoke to Morris, “Son, now is the time to turn your eyes to the Middle East, and begin to work for My people, Israel.” This was the beginning of his lifelong effort to reach the people of the Holy Land for their Messiah, Yeshua HaMashiach, Jesus, the Christ, the Anointed One.
From the late 1960s until the 1980s, Morris’s endeavors included launching a radio ministry, developing a three-time Golden-Globe-winning TV special, Masada, and airing several television specials from historic sites in Israel. He contributed to the construction of The Pavilion in Jerusalem.
Dr. Cerullo continued to travel to Israel every year, from 1955 to 2019. He preached the Good News of Jesus Christ and provided assistance to churches and ministries in Israel so that they could expand their faithful outreaches. There is still a lot of persecution in Israel by the Orthodox priests against conversion.
Humanitarian Care
Over the years, Morris Cerullo World Evangelism has provided aid to Ethiopia, medical assistance in East Africa, and helped to build multiple orphanages in Mexico. Morris and Theresa partnered with pastors Tommy and Matthew Barnett to build one floor of the Los Angeles Dream Center, in Los Angeles, California. This floor houses two hundred women to help them to escape a life of drug addiction, human trafficking, and prostitution.
The fruit of Dr. Cerullo’s efforts have circulated the globe. From evangelism to humanitarian care, thousands have been impacted by his dedication and generosity. He dared to ask God to give him the ability to take of the anointing that was upon his life and transfer it to others. In turn, God asked him to build Him an army. Brother Cerullo obeyed the Lord’s instruction, and the world has never been the same.