Now in his 65th year of ministry, Earl Hall, associate pastor of Heritage Baptist Church in Montgomery, rates ministry beyond age 80 as fulfilling as any in his life.
“It’s hard to beat what I’m doing right now,” Hall said, who will be 82 in March. “I’m doing what I call the best things of the ministry. I’m involved with the people, ministering to them in their crisis situations.”
As associate pastor of Heritage, Hall focuses on what he describes as pastoral ministry — visiting the sick, leading a Wednesday prayer meeting and continuing to preach and teach as needed.
He retired as pastor of Normandale Baptist Church in Montgomery at age 65 after 25 years, then promptly began a new career in ministry as an interim pastor and supplying pulpits.
He joined the Heritage staff in 1988, pleased to abandon the travel required for supply preaching. “I wanted day-to-day responsibility but didn’t want it to overload me.”
Such diligent efforts of an 81-year-old pastor have been duly noted and appreciated.
Hall’s age and longevity also allow him to serve a unique role as kind of a grandfather figure at Heritage.
For example, it is Hall who delivers gifts to first-time guests after each worship service. During the Christmas Eve service he reads the Christmas story from Luke to children gathered at his feet.
In some respects, Hall’s ministry has come full circle. He was ordained on Oct. 12, 1938, at age 17 and began serving as associate to his father, a bivocational pastor in Birmingham. Hall later served several small churches, then accepted a full-time position in 1947 as pastor of First Baptist Church, Winfield.
Hall, who obtained his bachelor’s degree from Howard College (now Samford University), tallied his most fruitful year in evangelism during his tenure at Winfield. He preached a 10-day revival at the church resulting in 72 conversions. He preached another the same year in Marks, Miss., where 48 conversions were recorded.
Hall left Winfield six years later to enroll in Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, Louisville, Ky.
In 1966, Samford University awarded him an honorary doctor of divinity degree for his contributions to denominational work. Hall has held numerous positions in state convention and association ministry.
When Hall left Alabama for seminary, he went without job prospects, although by then he was married to his wife, Ethel, and had children. “My wife said we moved on ignorance; I said we moved on faith.”
Three months later he was called as pastor to Campbellsburg Baptist Church, Ky., his only ministry outside of Alabama.
After graduating from seminary, Hall accepted a call, sight unseen, to First Baptist Church, Opp, which hired him solely through phone and mail interviews.
Four years later, comfortable in his position, but realizing that “I needed something that would challenge the utmost of me,” he accepted the pastorate of Normandale.
He found that challenge in Normandale. Although he stayed there 25 years it wasn’t because he was always comfortable.
During the 1961 Civil Rights movement Hall found himself trying to lead a church at odds with itself and their own pastor over the issue. “That was a very critical time,” Hall said. “That became a crisis time in my life and ministry. Could I pastor a church that would not welcome people of other color?”
The issue, narrowly decided by vote, resulted in people on both sides leaving the church. One member suggested that Hall should pack his bags, too, because he was out of step with his congregation. But Hall said every time he sought God, his answer was: “Someone’s got to pastor them, so why not you?”
Although he grieved the church’s unwillingness to follow him, Hall decided that persistent preaching and ministry would win over hearts.
“I was hoping that my staying, knowing the people and having been involved with them in crisis times, that I was in a better position to help them through it than someone coming in,” he said.
Therefore, he made it a point not to “allow their feelings toward me or the issue to make me hesitate to minister to them.” Eventually the same person who suggested that Hall resign, apologized. And in time, the church also reversed its stance.
These days Hall enjoys enough good health to play golf once or twice a week. Last summer he shot under his age three times, a desirable accomplishment for any golfer. Hall also acts as chaplain for a local golfing association and said he particularly values these friendships.
Yet like any other 81-year-old, Hall also faces the challenges that come with aging, including diabetes, arthritis and back pain. But it is ministry that helps him cope with the infirmities of age, according to Hall.
For example, a 5:30 a.m. alarm to meet a church member at a hospital before surgery gets him stirring on days when arthritis might tempt him to stay in bed.
The Halls have three children, James Howard Hall, Donna Kaye Mulcahy and John David Hall. They also have five grandchildren and three great grandchildren with a fourth great-grandchild on the way.
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