The consistent focus of the ministry of Lloyd Ogilvie through the years has been on the care, encouragement and support of business, political and community leaders. Beginning his ministry in Winnetka, Illinois, working with the business leaders of Chicago, he developed a deep appreciation for the impact of leaders on society and their need to receive sensitive pastoral care to live out their faith in the pressures, stresses and immense challenges of their work. During this time, Dr. Ogilvie developed a small group strategy to help men and women leaders and their families find mutual support and networking to face the problems and grasp the opportunities of their calling to serve in their personal relationships, at work, and in the community. This emphasis was continued in his ministry to leaders and their families in the steel industry when he served as Pastor of the First Presbyterian Church of Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. Then he pursued this calling for twenty-three years as Pastor of the historic First Presbyterian Church of Hollywood where he sought to enable leaders in the entertainment community, as well as business and community leaders in the greater Los Angeles basin. In addition to his responsibilities as Pastor of the Hollywood Church, Dr. Ogilvie was a media communicator, author and frequent speaker throughout the Nation. Dr. Ogilvie believes that listening is the key to effective communication. His speeches are in direct response to the most urgent questions and deepest needs of people throughout the Nation. Through being attentive in conversations, extensive correspondence, and personal surveys, he seeks to feel the pulse of what people are thinking and feeling. His messages, books and leadership speeches arise out of this careful listening to people's hopes and hurts. In his role as Chaplain of the Senate, Dr. Ogilvie continued to listen to the needs of those in our Nation's Capitol. He understands that the role of a leader is often a lonely one. Dr. Ogilvie believes that his calling is to be available, approachable and attentive. Then, the insight, guidance and encouragement he offers will be received. Most importantly, he utilizes the privilege of praying with and for leaders and standing with them as they seek to be faithful to God in their decisions and leadership.
As pastor of his large congregation in the communications capitol, Dr. Ogilvie developed the church's program in four major thrusts - as a worshiping congregation, a healing community, an equipping center for the ministry of the laity, and a deployment agency for evangelism and mission. His guiding conviction is that all Christians are called into ministry and that the role of the local church is to equip them to be a bold, articulate apostolate of hope in the structures of society. This equipping program was carried out in in-depth study of the Scriptures, small group meetings throughout the Los Angeles basin, and retreats and conferences. Dr. Ogilvie consistently monitored the effectiveness of the ministry with these questions: What kind of people are we called to deploy in the world?; What kind of church sets free that kind of people?; What kind of church officers enable that kind of church?; and, What kind of pastoral leadership inspires that quality of vision? Lloyd Ogilvie's strategy of leadership was to work with and through the lay Elders to shape the goals and program of the church. Along with a team of pastors and program staff people, Dr. Ogilvie sought to lead the church as a laboratory of experimentation with new forms of church life and innovative methods of meeting the needs of the members so that they could be contagious communicators of their faith and courageous witnesses in social issues. Located at the center of the population spread of the greater Los Angeles community, the urban Hollywood church ministered to its immediate community and to members who lived throughout the metropolitan and suburban areas. The vital program for members was coupled with a diversified outreach to meet the social needs of the community.
In February 1996, Dr. Ogilvie was recognized by Baylor University in a worldwide survey as one of the 12 most effective preachers in the English-speaking world. Included on the list, in which seven denominations are represented, are Rev. Billy Graham and Dr. John Stott.
Lloyd Ogilvie's former nationally syndicated radio and television ministry was called "Let God Love You." This weekly television ministry ran for seventeen years and the daily radio ministry spanned ten years. This media ministry was guided by the strong national Board of Directors of the Lloyd Ogilvie Ministries, an independent, non-profit organization. In 1982, the Directors adopted "Ten Commitments" for the development of the ministry and its financial accountability. Dr. Ogilvie brought to this media ministry the same commitment to listening he expressed as pastor of his church. His messages on the "Let God Love You" programs were his part of an ongoing dialogue with his listeners and viewers. On every program he encouraged them to write him about what was on their minds and hearts. His voluminous correspondence with people and a special yearly inventory of their deepest concerns provided the focus of this personal sharing of grace. The central purpose was to help people turn life's struggles into stepping stones by linking their problems to the promises and power of God. Beginning sixteen years ago with one television station in Los Angeles, the "Let God Love You" program expanded throughout the Nation on independent stations and cable networks. The media ministry was supported exclusively by viewer and listener contributions and all gifts were used only for costs of producing and airing the programs. Dr. Ogilvie received no salary from the media ministry.
On January 24, 1995, Dr. Ogilvie was elected the 61st Chaplain of the United States Senate. He began his responsibilities on March 13, 1995. In addition to opening the Senate each day in prayer, his duties as full-time Chaplain included counseling and spiritual care for the Senators, their families and their staffs, a combined constituency of six thousand people. Dr. Ogilvie's days were filled with meetings with Senators about spiritual and moral issues, assisting Senators' staffs with research on theological and biblical questions, speaking to five Senate Bible Study and Prayer groups, encouraging such groups as the weekly Senate Prayer Breakfast, and sharing in small discussion and reflection groups among the Senators. He defined the Chaplaincy as non-political, non-partisan and non-sectarian. In Dr. Ogilvie's words, "I saw my role as Chaplain to be an intercessor for the members of the Senate family, a trusted prayer partner, and a faithful counselor to them as they sought to know and do God's will in the monumental responsibilities entrusted to them."
Lloyd Ogilvie has begun a new phase in his life-long commitment to be an inspirational speaker. Working as President of Leadership Unlimited, Dr. Ogilvie is consistently on call as a speaker, writer and resource consultant. He is a motivational speaker at business and professional conferences, leads clergy conferences on the theme "Preaching With Passion," and is a frequent preacher and speaker at churches, retreats, and meetings. The basic intention of these activities is to impact the nation by enabling present and emerging leaders to press on with wisdom, vision, charisma, and courage. He believes that the great need of our time is for spiritually empowered, morally rooted, ethically focused, men and women who through creative introspection are able to lead with integrity, intentionality, imagination and impelling inspiration.
Recently, Fuller Theological Seminary in Pasadena, California established the Lloyd John Ogilvie Preaching Institute and the Lloyd John Ogilvie Chair of Preaching as part of the Brehm Center for Worship, Theology, and the Arts. Dr. Ogilvie will hold his Preaching With Passion Conferences at Fuller.