Retired pastor and director of missions Richard Garland Crowe died April 11. He was 94. Crowe, a Southern Baptist pastor for 75 years, was a native of Courtland and grew up in Tuscumbia. He was baptized at First Baptist Church, Tuscumbia, where he was ordained and preached his first sermon. He later served there as interim pastor.
He was director of missions for Coffee Baptist Association and interim director of missions for Colbert Lauderdale Baptist Association. Crowe served as pastor of many churches in Alabama, including First Baptist Church, Albertville, Montevallo Baptist Church and Central Baptist Church, Florence, and as associate pastor of Woodward Avenue Baptist Church, Muscle Shoals.
He also served churches in Kentucky, Iowa and Kansas and as interim pastor in Colombia and Peru. At the time of his death, Crowe was a member of Shades Crest Baptist Church, Bluff Park.
He graduated from Howard College (now Samford University) and earned a master of theology degree from Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Ky. Samford conferred upon him the honorary doctor of divinity in 1958 for his volunteer work in the Howard College Extension Division.
He was preceded in death by his wife of 62 years, Margaret Speake Crowe, and one daughter. He is survived by three daughters, five grandchildren and 12 great-grandchildren.
(TAB)
Share with others: