Pastor Crawford's Short Bio
Family:
- Native of Gastonia, NC
- Son of the late Bob and Margaret Crawford
- Married to Rosalind Nicole Easley Crawford
- Three Daughters Destiny, Charity, and Trinity
Ministry:
- Accepted Jesus Christ as personal Lord and Savior Sun. Dec. 19, 1993
- Baptized in the name of the Father, Son & Holy Ghost on Sun. Dec. 26, 1993, at Pleasant Grove Baptist Church in Bowling Green, SC
- Licensed to preach the Gospel on January 29, 1995, at Pillow of Truth Missionary Baptist Church on Sembach Air base Germany under his Pastor Reverend Maceo Freeman.
- Interim Pastor of Pleasant Grove Baptist Church and served in that position for ten months in 1996.
- Ordained a Baptist Minister at Pleasant Grove Baptist Church Bowling Green, SC under my Pastor Rev. Dr. Milton Key and the Sandy River Baptist Association Upper Division by Rev Dr. Osbey Roddey 1998.
- Ordained a Baptist Minister Gaston County Missionary Baptist Association in 2000 under Past Moderator Dr. Theodore Armstrong Jr. Pastor of Springfield Baptist Church Ordination Council President.
- Voted in as Pastor of Center Baptist Church Gastonia, NC in December of 1998. Began there in January 1999 and was installed in February 1999 were he still serves.
- Pastor Crawford was voted in as full-time Pastor of Center Baptist Church in Jan 2000. This milestone marked the first time in church history that it has had a full-time pastor (founded in 1876).
- Elected to the position of 4th Vice Moderator at the 52nd Annual Session of the Gaston County Missionary Baptist Association on July 13, 2006.
- In July of 2010 - 2014 elected the 18th Moderator of the Gaston County Missionary Baptist Association where he served as the Chief Servant of 27 churches within the Association over 7,000 members.
- Has served on the General Board of the GBSC for the past 11 years. 2010 - present.
Education:
- Ashbrook High School in Gastonia, NC class of 1981
- Graduate of Hood Theological Seminary in Salisbury, NC with a Certificate in Christian Ministry. 1997 - Honors
- Graduate of The Institute in Church Administration and Management Course sponsored by The
Interdenominational Theological Center Atlanta, GA 1997
- Bachelor’s Degree in Liberal Studies with two minors, one in Psychology and the other in Criminal Justice from Shaw University in Raleigh, NC. He graduated with Honors 2000
- Master of Divinity Degree from Shaw University Divinity School in Raleigh, NC class of 2004 Honors
- Honorary Doctor of Divinity degree on July 13, 2008, from Henderson
- Doctor of Theology in Christian Education Henderson Christian University 2010 Honors
Community Service:
- Commissioner for the African American Heritage Commission for NC - (North Carolina Senate and House confirmation approved by Governors Purdue, McCrory & Cooper 2010 - Present
- Citizen Advisory Board for the City of Gastonia, NC. 2012 – Present. Serving with the last three mayors of the city
- Recipient of the Gospel Image Award
- Recipient of the Citizen of the year award by Golden Rule Lodge #82 Gastonia NC
- Recommended by City of Gastonia Mayor, Walker Reid, and appointed by Governor Roy Cooper to serve on the Human Relations Commission as the new 5th Congressional District Representative
National Honors:
- Alpha Chi National Honor Society, Shaw University – North Carolina Eta, Chapter 128
- Recipient of the Presidential Lifetime Achievement Award 2021
- Citizen of the year Ancient and accepted Scottish Rite of Freemasonry George Washington Carver #172 recipient