DEREK PRINCE MINISTRIES - Key Persons
In 1946, Derek married his first wife, Lydia Christensen, a Danish missionary who ran a children's home near Jerusalem. In doing so, he became the father of eight adopted girls.
Derek and Lydia lived in Jerusalem until after the founding of the Jewish state of Israel in 1948. Caught between Arab and Israeli forces during the War of Independence, they were evacuated from their home and reluctantly migrated to England. Once settled in central London, Derek began preaching at Speaker's Corner in Hyde Park, often accompanied by Lydia and some of the girls. In time, attendees were invited to the family home for further ministry, and a new church was born. This continued until 1956 when the Prince's responded to the call of God and moved to Kenya as missionaries in January 1957.
In the ensuing years, Derek and Lydia saw much fruit as they ministered to the local people, including one girl who was raised from the dead through prayer.
By 1962, the couple had adopted an orphaned Kenyan infant and were on furlough in Canada. Lydia, 25 years Derek's senior, was in her early seventies and longed to settle close to friends and other believers. Spurred by this need, Derek accepted an invitation to become a Bible teacher at a Pentecostal church in Minneapolis.
Ruth passed away in Jerusalem on the 29th December 1998 following a relatively short illness that was never properly diagnosed. She was 68 and had ministered faithfully by Derek's side for over two decades.
In 1978, Derek married his second wife, Ruth Baker, an American single mother of three adopted children. They met in Jerusalem while Derek was visiting Israel with friends.
Together, a new phase of ministry emerged with the launch of a daily radio programme titled "Today with Derek Prince". Originally broadcast on eight radio stations, audiences quickly grew and the ministry's legacy solidified. Today, these recordings have been distributed across the globe and are available in a wide variety of languages.
Details of Derek and Ruth's love story is documented in the book "God is a Matchmaker" which they co-authored and published in 1986.