Over the next few weeks, I’ll take the liberty to share with you some of the preachers from the past. Though these men have gone on to heaven, they have made a lasting impact in my life. Each man just as important as the other, God is no respecter of persons, but He does use men and women in very particular ways. These men that I will feature are not perfect people, rather men who sold out to God with everything they had and let a perfect Lord use them for His glory! These men are the cream of the crop in America, we are blessed to have had them preach in our land.

Dr. B.R Lakin

On June 5, 1901, a baby boy was born to Mr. and Mrs. Richard Lakin in a farmhouse on Big Hurricane Creek in the hill country of Wayne County, West Virginia. Mrs. Lakin had prayed for a “preacher man” and had dedicated this baby to the Lord even before he was born.

Lakin was converted in a revival meeting at age 18. Following his conversion, he became a Baptist preacher. With a mule for transportation, he preached in small country churches in the mountains and hills of West Virginia and Kentucky. Over time, the transportation changed as well as the size of his congregations. In 1939, he became associate pastor of Cadle Tabernacle, Indianapolis, and upon the death of the founder, Lakin became pastor. Lakin preached to over 5,000 each Sunday morning. Cadle Tabernacle had was a radio-preaching center, broadcasting from coast to coast. In the thirteen years there, Lakin became a household word across America. In 1952, he entered full-time evangelism. His ministry carried him around the world, resulting in an estimated 100,000 conversions and thousands who entered the ministry under his influence.

He was the preacher’s friend, the church’s helper, the common man’s leader, and for sixty-five years, God’s mighty messenger. He was one of the most sought-after gospel preachers in America. On March 15, 1984, this great American evangelist took off for Glory. He would soon have been 83. You can find some of his sermons on YouTube, one of my favorite is “The Prerequisites of A Genuine Revival”