Pastor Appreciation Day 2025

The second Sunday of October has been designated Pastor Appreciation Day.  The church where we have been members for the past thirty-three years is currently pastor-less, so I will just pay tribute to the list of wonderful pastors I have had from birth through Seminary student days.  I was born and spent my earliest years in Temple, Texas when my father was pastor of several small churches in Bell County, until he began to serve as a Chaplain during WW2.  During the time he was gone, I lived with my grandparents in Bellmead, Texas and went with my grandfather to the Central Christian Church in Waco, where he was a member.  Not sure who the pastor was.  When my Dad returned from Germany, he became Associate Pastor at the First Baptist Church in Paris, Texas and my pastor was Dr. L.B. Reavis (from whom I had received my middle name).  From there we moved to Houston, where my Dad became Associate Pastor of South Main Baptist Church and my pastor was Dr. E. Herman Westmoreland, until My Dad became Pastor of West End Baptist Church in Houston and once again became my pastor.  I was licensed to the ministry by West End, then ordained to the ministry by First Baptist Church in Nacogdoches, Texas where my Dad had become pastor.  During college, I was a member of Coggin Avenue Baptist Church in Brownwood, Texas.  I joined because of the pastor, Dr. H.H. Hargrove, but he soon retired, and my new pastor became Dr. George Slayton, who would again be my pastor at Calvary Baptist Church in McAllen, Texas.  During my Seminary student days, we lived in Irving, Texas and were members of First Baptist Church with Dr. Henry Kincade as pastor, before moving to Plymouth Park Baptist Church in Irving due to Joanne’s job location.  The Sunday morning, we joined, Pastor Dr. Don Dyer asked me to preach that evening service.  Then I became my own pastor until Seminary graduation. I appreciate each of these pastors and the impact they had on my life.  How about you?  Any pastors to appreciate today?  God said, “I will give you shepherds according to My heart, who will feed you with knowledge and understanding” (Jeremiah 3:15).

Dr. Dan R. Crawford, Senior Professor, Chair of Prayer Emeritus; Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, Fort Worth, Texas. Former Head of Task Force for the Teaching of Prayer in Theological Education for America’s National Prayer Committee.  Administrative Consultant for the Valley Baptist Missions Education Center. President of Disciple All Nations, Inc.