The death of James Kennedy on September 5 is marked by Al Mohler with more than the usual recollections about a leader's great achievements. There is the personal touch on Dr. Mohler’s life that adds the kind of thing we love to hear about a great leader:

My indebtedness to Dr. Kennedy is very personal.  I was a young Southern Baptist who as a teenager had serious questions about the big issues of the Christian faith.  Dr. Kennedy's ministry at Coral Ridge addressed those big questions.  He was unafraid to take on the intellectual challenges of the faith.  He was kind to a Baptist teenager, introducing me to Francis Schaeffer and dignifying my questions.  He clearly enjoyed talking theology and he was the first person I had ever met who demonstrated this joy.  He was kind.  I was hooked.  In no small way my own calling as a theologian can be traced to Dr. Kennedy's influence.  I was inspired by his intellectual engagement and motivated by his vision of excellence for God's glory.