Beverly LaHaye was a conservative activist, author and founder of Concerned Women for America who became a powerful voice in opposition to the Equal Rights Amendment, gay rights, and other social issues.
- Died: April 14, 2024 (Who else died on April 14?)
- Details of death: Died in El Cajon, California at the age of 94.
- We invite you to share condolences for Beverly LaHaye in our Guest Book.
Beverly LaHaye’s legacy
Born in Detroit, Beverly Jean Davenport attended Bob Jones University for a year before meeting and marrying Tim LaHaye (1926–2016). The pair, who were married for 69 years and had four children together, began working in ministry together. The LaHayes wrote “The Act of Marriage: The Beauty of Sexual Love” in 1976, and Beverly LaHaye authored “The Spirit-Controlled Woman” that same year. She was also the author of “The Desires of a Woman’s Heart.”
In 1978, LaHaye saw National Organization for Women founder Betty Friedan (1921– 2006) on television and decided to form an organization opposed to what Friedan expressed. The Concerned Women for America was born. Through the CWA, LaHaye became a powerful voice in conservative politics, fighting against the Equal Rights Amendment, gay rights, abortion rights and other progressive social issues. The organization grew powerful enough that President Ronald Reagan (1911–2004) delivered its keynote address in 1987.
LaHaye and her organization also helped finance legal challenges to books found in schools, including science textbooks and works of fiction featuring magic. She retired as president of CWA in 2006. Her husband, Tim, was the co-author of the popular “Left Behind” series of novels about the Rapture. She was also the author of “I Am a Woman by God’s Design” and “How to Develop Your Child’s Temperament.”
On being a homemaker:
“Submission is God’s design for women … I wasn’t just picking up dirty socks for my husband; I was serving the Lord Jesus by doing this.” — a quote from her 1976 book, “The Spirit-Controlled Woman.”
Tributes to Beverly LaHaye
Full obituary: The Washington Post
