The Truth About Jan Crouch
I grew up as a minister’s kid. My mom, Karen Wheaton, was singing with Jimmy Swaggart when she found out she was pregnant with me. All I have ever known is ministry. And so I had the incredible honor of growing up around different ministers and seeing the way they interacted with people not only from the platform, but off the stage, in greenrooms and in their homes.
When I was 16, my mom began working with the youth group at our church. That’s where The Ramp was born. For many years, she led a dance and drama team called Chosen, and I was blessed to be on it. God opened doors for us, and we were able to travel and minister in many different churches and ministries across the nation. One of those places was TBN. Almost every year, Chosen was invited to be a part of TBN’s Praise-a-Thon. But unlike other ministry dates, we were not there primarily to dance or perform, we were there to pray. We were there at the invitation of one person: Mrs. Jan Crouch.
The Lady With Pink Hair
My mom has ministered on TBN for as long as I can remember. When I was too young to travel to California with her, I would watch her on TV at my grandmother’s house. We had a little secret sign that let me know she was thinking of me: While she would sing, she would pull at her ear a couple of times. Mrs. Jan always loved my mom, and my mom deeply loved her.
When people from school would ask me about being on TBN, they would ask, “Is that the channel with the lady with pink hair?” It was. For some, perhaps their own conclusions are drawn there. But my perception of Jan Crouch was built on something much deeper than the color of her hair, which we could now easily say was just a demonstration of her being ahead of her time.
Praise-a-Thon
It was Mrs. Jan who invited our team to Praise-a-Thon year after year. She wanted us behind her to pray, and that’s all. Prayer has always been the core of our DNA at The Ramp, and Mrs. Jan knew that. When she first discovered she had cancer around 2003, she called us. She needed us to pray, and we did. Jesus miraculously healed her. I always loved hearing her share her story. Her heart and love for Jesus was so pure and real. She believed in and valued the power of prayer. That is why she brought us in every year to pray. My mom made sure we always took that responsibility very seriously. I’m thankful for that.
One year at Praise-a-Thon, there was a group of protestors that stayed outside the TBN studio holding signs day after day. They said horrible things about Mrs. Jan and the TBN family. Mrs. Jan responded with kindness. She saw to it that her staff provided water and boxed lunches for them, showing them the love of Jesus. On the last day of the week, Chosen devised their own plan. We made signs before we went to the studio that said different things about how much we loved Mrs. Jan and TBN. When she drove in, she made an extra circle around the parking lot, waving and blowing kisses at us. It’s one of my favorite TBN memories.
Mrs. Jan taught us what generosity looks like. Almost every year after the last taping of the Praise-a-Thon, she turned around to all 30 of us on Chosen and gave us a gift, individually and from her personally. All of us were impacted by her love. One year, she wanted us to be able to sow into the offering. She knew we were young and didn’t have money, so she gave each one of us a gift to be able to sow. That seed has continued to produce a harvest in each of our lives.
The Truth About Jan
When I received word of her stroke this week, I began to think of the incredible impact she has had on my life, my mom’s life and the lives of everyone who ministered with me on Chosen. When I think of Mrs. Jan, I think of the truths that make up the woman of God she is: a pure, genuine love for her Jesus, the value and belief she has in the power of prayer, and her loving, generous heart. That is the truth about Jan Crouch.
Mrs. Jan, you are loved and honored, and I am thankful to have the example of love you set for us. Thank you so much.
