Marilyn Hickey Celebrates 80th Birthday

Marilyn Hickey has turned 80—and she’s looking for a new beginning.

Hickey is the founder of Marilyn Hickey Ministries. In 1976, God gave her a verse of Scripture that defined her mission: “The earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea” (Isaiah 11:9, ESV). God called her to “cover the earth with is Word” and that’s just what she’s been faithfully doing for the past 35 years.

“I feel like in my 80th year my best years are ahead. And I am not retiring … What would I do? I don’t play golf, I don’t like television, shopping is not that big a deal,” Hickey said on her daily broadcast. “I’m telling you, people, souls, healings, miracles, nations are a big deal … In my 70s I had my biggest meetings, so I am saying, what’s going to happen at 80? We have so many people to reach, so much to do. God is so good to me. I just want to reach people with His Word. And again, living the Word will unlock the miraculous all around the world.”

Kenneth Copeland and Jerry Savelle were featured in an opening segment of Today With Marilyn and Sarah, in a lighthearted exchange about Hickey hitting the 80-year mark.

“I shouldn’t be surprised, at all, because if there’s anybody gonna make 120 it’ll be Marilyn Hickey,” Copeland said. “Marilyn, all kidding aside, happy birthday, dear. You have ministered to all of us. You have fed the Word of God to us. You’ve been an example to us. You’ve lived and walked by faith and your family is an example family to what God can do if people would just believe Him and take Him at His Word.”

Hickey has had audiences with government leaders and heads of state all over the world. She is the first woman to join the board of directors of the largest church in the world, Dr. David Yonggi’s Church Growth International in South Korea. She has traveled to nearly 130 countries and is believing to visit many more in the years to come. She ministers alongside her daughter, Sara Bowling.

As part of the celebration, Christians in the social media world are honoring Hickey.

“My mom is 80 years old today and you’d never know it; she acts like she’s 50 but has the wisdom of over 30 years of Bible memorization,”  Bowling tweeted this morning.

Others in the Twitterverse were also celebrating this major milestone. Dannetta Lynn Rivers tweeted, “Happy 80th Birthday to Marilyn Hickey! Still going hard for God.” And Beverly Powell tweeted, “I am reminiscing on a word that Marilyn Hickey spoke N2 my life 26 yrs. It has come to pass. God is faithful!”

Meanwhile, Daniel and Jessica King, missionary evangelists, took to YouTube to wish Hickey a happy 80th birthday. And dozens of Hickey’s followers expressed their appreciation on her Facebook fan page. Linda Lynn Pereff wrote, “You were the one that started me on a daily reading through the Bible 35 years ago. I thank God for you!!!!!! Happy Happy blessed birthday precious lady!”