I doubt if W. A.Criswell would have liked being called a legend. The Random
House College Dictionary defines legend: “A nonhistorical or unverifiable
story handed down by tradition from earlier times and popularly accepted as
historical” or “the person who is the center of such stories.”
I doubt if W. A.Criswell would have liked being called a legend. The Random
House College Dictionary defines legend: “A nonhistorical or unverifiable
story handed down by tradition from earlier times and popularly accepted as
historical” or “the person who is the center of such stories.”
There was nothing fictitious or unverifiable about W.A. Criswell, although
his life and ministry certainly took on legendary proportions. He served as
pastor of what was then the largest Baptist church in the world. He was always
on the record, frequently in Baptists collective face and openly calling
them to “the throne of grace.”
WA Criswell was part of our household conversation when I was growing up. My
father was a Baptist preacher – not minister; he preferred preacher – who idolized
WA Criswell. My fathers pastorates were never so far away from Dallas
that we did not have daily access to the Dallas Morning News, Dallas Times Herald
or Fort Worth Star Telegram. Dad frequently bought the Saturday papers or Monday
papers to see if “Dr. Criswell” was quoted. If he could not afford
the nickels for the papers, he would sneak-a-peek while standing at the paper
racks.
When Dad could get the money together, he went to the Baptist General Convention
of Texas Convention and state evangelism conference. More times than not, WA
Criswell was the featured speaker. I still remember the year Dad took my older
brother to the evangelism conference, and they returned talking about the remarkable
movement of God that occurred when WA Criswell spoke.
Little did I know that one day WA Criswell would step into my life, although
I never met him personally.
After seminary and serving as a student minister for First Baptist Church,
Waco, Texas, I became pastor of University Baptist, Wichita, Kan. Filled with
enthusiasm and zeal, the mission-type pastorate consumed me and blessed me during
the late 1960s.
WA Criswell was elected president of the Southern Baptist Convention in 1969.
He could have been president any time before that, but for whatever reason,
he waited until that year to allow the honor.
One day, a monarch-size envelope arrived on the worn desk of our small but
growing church. The return address said simply, “WA Criswell, First Baptist
Church,” the churchs address, and “Dallas, Texas.”
Wondering why on earth WA Criswell would be writing me, I carefully opened
the linen envelope. This was simple class.
The gist of the letter was that he was appointing me to the Southern Baptist
Conventions Committee on Committees. It said W.E. Thorn, pastor of Metropolitan
Baptist, Wichita, had recommended me. He wanted me to let him know if I could
be at the convention in Philadelphia and serve.
I would have walked.
Fortunately, the church budget had just enough money in the budget to get me
there and almost all the way back.
The next day, I saw Dr. Thorn and told him “Thank you” for whatever
role he played in the process.
“Dr. Criswell called me and said, Bill, Im looking for someone
to put on the Committee on Committees from the Kansas-Nebraska Convention of
Southern Baptists,” Bill Thron recalled with a smile. “I dont
know a soul up there but you, so, Im asking for some help. Can you give
me the name of some young preacher up there who is preaching the Word, saving
souls and growing a church who needs a little encouragement?
“I told him about you – and that you sure needed the encouragement,”
Bill Thorn said, laughing by this time.
Well, that letter encouraged me. I still have it as a remembrance of that really
big moment of my life.
Those were simpler days in the life of the Southern Baptist Convention. No
one called me to urge me to nominate any particular person to the Committee
on Nominations. I simply prayed about it and went to Philadelphia for my 30
seconds of fame as I nominated a pastor to serve and the layman on the committee
nominated a layman. The entire meeting took about 45 minutes. As far as I know,
we did no real damage to the convention by our nominations.
That was it. I wrote Dr. Criswell a thank you letter, and that was the total
of our correspondence. I never met him personally.
The appointment did encourage me. The most influential pastor of the Southern
Baptist Convention called my name and gave me a job. WA Criswells kindness
still encourages me. It also reminds me that one of the more important acts
we can perform is speaking an encouraging word and sharing an important task
with those who need them.
WA Criswells act reflected the act of my heavenly father when he called
my name and gave me a job. In the midst of all else that WA Criswell did, he
modeled for us the humble act of encouragement. Thanks, WA Criswell, and God
for giving him to us.