Arthur Blessitt
| Arthur Blessitt | |
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Blessitt in 1983
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| Born |
Arthur Owen Blessitt October 27, 1940 Greenville, Mississippi, US |
| Occupation | Minister, author, evangelist |
| Spouse(s) | 1. Sherry Simmons (19??-1990) 2. Denise Irja Blessitt (1990–present) |
| Children | To Sherry: Gina, Joel, Joy, Joshua, Joseph, Jerusalem To Denise: Sophia |
| Parent(s) | Arthur Blessitt Sr. (father) Mary Virginia Blessitt (mother) |
| Website | blessitt.com |
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Offices held
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Arthur Blessitt Evangelistic Association Denver, Colorado |
Arthur Owen Blessitt (born October 27, 1940 in Greenville, Mississippi, United States) is a traveling Christian preacher, most known for carrying a cross through every nation of the world.
Blessitt was born in Greenville, Mississippi, and grew up in northeast Louisiana, where his father managed a large cotton farm. At the age of 7 he accepted Christ at a revival meeting. In the late 1960s Blessitt began evangelizing to the youth of Hollywood, California. There he became known as the "Minister of Sunset Strip." Blessitt preached to hippies, Hells Angels, runaways, drug addicts, teen prostitutes, flower children, would-be actors, and rock stars. In March 1968, he opened a coffee house called His Place in a rented building next door to a topless go-go club. It was there that he first made a big cross to hang on the wall of the building on the inside. He started carrying the cross on Sunset Strip from time to time.
His first marriage was to Sherry Anne Simmons, whom he married within three weeks of dating. Together they had six children: Gina, Joel, Joy, Joshua, Joseph and Jerusalem. All his sons are named Arthur, and go by their middle names.
In 1990 he married Denise. They have adopted one child, Sophia. As of the late 2000s, he lives in Denver, Colorado.
Arthur made the cross in 1968 to hang on the wall of 'His Place' on Sunset Strip, Hollywood. He made short cross-walks there. Then on Christmas morning in 1969, Blessitt began his journey with the cross, walking from Los Angeles to Washington, D.C. In August 1971, Blessitt made his first overseas cross-walk beginning in Northern Ireland.
He has carried the cross to all parts of the world including war-torn countries such as Lebanon and parts of Africa to pray for peace. During the Cold War, Blessitt carried his cross into the Soviet Union, through Russia, the Baltic States, Ukraine and other countries. He has carried the cross through such places as Iraq, North Korea, Iran, Afghanistan, Somalia, Sudan, China, South Africa, Lebanon, India, Antarctica, Palestine, Israel, Cuba, Libya, Northern and Southern Yemen, Vietnam and Mongolia.
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Wikipedia