"Brother Calvin, a Hero of Mine"

Who is your favorite pastor?  I get that question from time to time.  I have had the privilege of flying with Dr. Adrian Rogers, sharing a dinner with Dr. James Draper, studying under Dr. Timothy George, Dr. Calvin Miller, Dr. Louis Drummond, and Dr. Robert Smith.  I have had many conversations with Dr. Chuck Kelly and Dr. Steve Gains.

I had the honor of spending time with Dr. Johnny Hunt, Dr. Ted Traylor, Dr. Bobby Welch, and Dr. Rick Warren.  I stayed in the same Atlanta hotel with Dr. Jerry Falwell.  He had too many bodyguards to approach, but we did exchange pleasantries.

I spent a wonderful moment under a canopy, in the rain, in Salt Lake City with Dr. Stephen Olford.  We talked as old friends would talk.  He was even more intriguing in person than on television or radio.  I loved his South African accent.

I had a memorable conversation with Dr. Herschel Hobbs at Alabama Baptists retreat for senior adults at Shocco Springs a couple of months before his death.  He had lived in Chilton County as a boy.  We had some mutual friends.

I thank God for Dr. Billy Graham.  I love to hear Dr. Chuck Swindoll preach and read his, Dr. Calvin Miller, Dr. Warren Wiersbe, and Dr. Max Lucado’s books.  When I wrote this article, I was reading a yearly devotion by Dr. Charles Stanley each morning.  Sounds like I am bragging does it not.  If you are a Southern Baptist, all these men are giants in ministry, but one of my favorite preachers is not well known.  He never pastored a large church and never had a formal education degree, but he did take some extension classes.  His name is Calvin Crocker.

Calvin, and his wife Ida Mae, are special to me.  He pastored my home church.  He grew up with my dad.  He was my first pastor.  He is one of the most humble and loving people that I have ever known.  I loved to hear him preach.  He was “ole timey” preaching in quick, short, spurts, and grasping for air.

He visited our home on several occasions.  He had a passion for lost souls and he knew my dad was lost and that mama, my brothers, sister, and I were not faithful.  In the last days of my Grandpaw Chapman’s life, Brother Calvin won him to the Lord. Brother Calvin preached Grandpaw’s funeral.

One time daddy and I were in the pea patch working on an old Farmall Cub tractor.  Brother Calving drove up in his old four-door 1957 Chevy.  Daddy did not like preachers.  Daddy said, “Watch this.”  I will never forget what he did.  It is one of those defining moments in my life.

Daddy placed his right hand in the grease and dust that collects on the side of a tractor engine.  Brother Calvin had on a white shirt and tie.  Remember, this is back with preachers never wore a golf shirt.  Instead of playing golf, they were praying to God and paying visits to lost daddies who were trying to impress young sons to be mean and disrespectful to God’s man.  It was too high of a calling for Brother Calvin to wear a golf shirt. 

Brother Calvin stretched forth his right hand to shake daddy’s hand.  Daddy rubbed that grease all into Brother Calvin’s hand.  Brother Calvin never blinked an eye.  He quietly took out his handkerchief and wiped the grease from his hand.  He told daddy how much he loved him, how much he wanted daddy to be saved, and how he did not him to spend an eternity in hell.

I was ashamed of what daddy did, but I learned that day both sides of the spiritual war in which we live.  I realized how a preacher should love and a Christian should respond.  You know for some reason Brother Calvin’s sermons took on a new revelation for me.  Brother Cocker accepted the call to another church, but he never stopped praying and talking with daddy.

Brother Calvin rejoiced when daddy accepted Christ.  Brother Crocker visited daddy and when daddy tried to apologize for all the things he had done, Brother Crocker just told daddy how proud he was of daddy’s salvation.

Daddy developed cancer and Brother Crocker would visit him.  When daddy died, Brother Calvin preached his funeral.  He shared how much he respected daddy and preached God’s Word. 

I saw Brother Calvin and Ms. Ida Mae at the 2006 Alabama Baptist State Convention in Birmingham.  I told them how much I love them and appreciate them.  They have been close friends for many years.

I just wanted to say how much I love and appreciate preachers.  You do the same.

“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, to preach the acceptable year of the Lord.” (Luke 4:19 KJV)

“And how shall they preach, except they be sent? As it is written, how beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things.” (Roman 10:13 KJV)

Who is your favorite preacher and tell why he is?

Have you ever treated a man of God with disrespect?  What did you do?

Take time to write a note to you favorite preacher or your pastor.  What would you say?

Prayer: Father, thank you for placing Brother Calvin in my life.  It was by divine appointment that he has been a mentor to me.  He taught me so much about humility and Christian response when sharing the Gospel.  Thank you for the opportunity to be one of his colleagues and co-laborers in the ministry.