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W.A. Criswell
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Dr. W. A. Criswell
W. A. Criswell was born December 19, 1909 in Eldorado, Oklahoma. He received his
B.A. from Baylor University, and his Th.M. and Ph.D. degrees from Southern Baptist
Theological Seminary. He served as pastor of First Baptist Church Chickasha,
Oklahoma and First Baptist Church Muskogee, Oklahoma prior to being called as pastor
of First Baptist Church Dallas in October of 1944. He served for fifty
years as senior pastor of First Baptist Church, for many years the largest church in the
Southern Baptist Convention, and preached more than four thousand sermons from its
pulpit. He became Pastor Emeritus in 1995.
Dr. Criswell published fifty-four books and was awarded eight honorary doctorates. The
Criswell College, First Baptist Academy, and KCBI Radio were started under his leadership.
He served on the board of trustees of Baylor University, Baylor Health Care
System, Dallas Baptist University, and The Baptist Standard. He also served as a member of
the Annuity Board and as Chairman of the Trustees of the Baptist Sunday School Board (now LifeWay
Christian Resources). The Baptist Banner characterized his contribution to the
Southern Baptist Convention as "historic":
He is known as the patriarch of the "conservative resurgence," returning the
SBC to its Bible-believing roots. Twice elected president of the SBC, in 1968
and 1969, during the 20 years that followed he was perhaps the most popular
preacher at evangelism and pastors' conferences in America, while also preaching
extensively to mission fields worldwide.
As founder and chancellor of the Criswell College, Dr. Criswell gave his later years
to preparing young preachers to preach the Word of God, emphasizing that a sermon
should take God's truth and "make it flame, make it live!" "The word we preach from our pulpits,"
he declared, "ought to be like the Word of God itself--like a fire and like a hammer that breaketh
the rock in pieces (Jer 23:29)."
W. A. Criswell went home to be with the Lord January 10, 2002. His ministry continues through the
messages he preached and the lives he touched during seventy-five years of pastoral service.
For more information about Dr. Criswell's life and ministry, see:
10-05-75 - Documentary: "This I Know" (1975)
11-06-96 - Sermon Preparation & Library Tour (1996)
Also see the Southern Baptist Convention's multimedia Tribute to Dr. Criswell.
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