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Dr. L. D. Kramer, an International Evangelist, has been called "Mr. Challenge." For 40 years. His first sermon was preached over fifty years ago when he was a boy of 12 or 13 from the pulpit of his Father's Church in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Kramer recalls his first sermon was on the subject of "Faith." He has been challenging people to exercise faith in God ever since that first sermon.
L. D., as he likes to be called, preached his first one-week revival at the age of 15 and continued conducting revivals in a number of churches in Iowa. He had grown up in the parsonage of the church In Cedar Rapids, Iowa Reveand and Mrs. Ivan Kramer L.D. parents pastured for more than 15 years where L.D. grew up in a modest parsonage .
At the age of 20 he was married to Ruth Bonstrom, of Minneapolis, and they took their first pastorate in Springfield, Minnesota, where they found the church deep in debt. They left the church with a new building, debt free, after nearly three years. While there, their two sons, Dale, and Tim, were born.
While pastor of a Church in Glenwood, Minnesota, L. D. became concerned for the needs of the elderly, and with borrowed money took over the old Hospital building to form a 14-bed Nursing Home. He soon was able to build a modern nursing home on the shores of Lake Minnewaska - the first of a rapidly increasing number of nursing homes, in Minnesota and nine other neighboring states, which finally grew to 70 homes, that he named "Challenge Homes, Inc."
While carrying on this remarkable ministry, L.D. also began to minister over radio, and television. In fact, in the early days of radio, he had what was called a "Carrier Current Radio Station" of his own, which sent the radio sounds over the power lines of the city of Springfield. Later, he began a regular radio program from the commercial radio station in Alexandria, which is near Glenwood. Eventually he went on television, and for 18 years was heard over 134 television outlets throughout the nation.
L.D. has carried his "challenge" to a number of interesting groups of people. While in Glenwood, he was featured at the annual "Waterama," when he carried on a preaching service from the deck of a large boat anchored at the shore of the Lake. Eventually this "Galilean Service," as it was called, drew crowds of up to 6,000 people, and was one of the most popular features of the celebration. Also in Alexandria, Minnesota, he was featured at the Horsemen's Holidays, when several hundred horsemen ended their ride through the country with a service conducted by Kramer, who was called "The Circuit Riding' Preacher."
Dr. Kramer also was an avid flyer, and as the "Flying Parson," conducted a Civil Air Patrol Fly-in Breakfast at Alexandria each year. For years he used his private airplane to fulfill his preaching engagements all over the nation.
God has indeed given an international ministry to Dr. Kramer, for his message of Salvation and Healing has been heard in the lands of Korea, India, Japan, Philippines, Canada, Central America, South America, Europe, and in a number of countries in Africa. City-Wide revivals, which have been undertaken in many locations, have drawn large crowds into great auditoriums or outdoor stadiums. The Lord always has manifested His power and mercy by many miraculous healings, and by remarkable response with multitudes of people coming forward to accept Christ as Savior and Lord.
Dr. Kramer has had the privilege of meeting and working with a number of the rulers of various nations overseas, and also of fellowship and cooperation with spiritual leaders of religious groups and church organizations. These remarkable experiences have added depth and understanding to his ministry.
Today, Dr. Kramer is the Director for the North Central Region of World Bible Way Fellowship, Inc., that includes the five states of Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota, Wisconsin, and Iowa. World Bible Way Fellowship is an associated Fellowship of Ministers, Missionaries, Christian Workers and Churches throughout the world. It was first organized in District of Columbia shortly after June 1943, and later incorporated in Texas.
Dr. Kramer is also the Chairman of the Board of Bishops for Ministerial Network International. MNI was established in 1998 and is an interdenominational fellowship of ministers, missionaries, Christian workers, churches and fellowships with a Pentecostal Charismatic distinctive throughout the world. It was organized to network together those of like spirit and provide encouragement, support, friendship, and fellowship in a safe environment. Today, burn out, discouragement, and loneliness are common problems within the ministry. MNI is designed to unite us and allow support and help within the Body of Christ in such a way as to save and minimize casualties among us and strengthen and lend support in any way possible to ministers and churches.
Thus it could well be said that in the over fifty years Dr. Kramer has preached, his prime burden and purpose has been to "challenge his hearers" to have faith in God. So he is well named, "Mr. Challenge."
"So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God." Romans 10:17
"The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly" (John 10:10).