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106 Year Old Preacher To Conduct Services In City of RadfordBy RONALD CARPENTER Special Writer The year was 1889, Benjamin Harrison was president 88 years ago when Rev. J. F. Aker started preaching. He was a young man then, not. old enough to vote for either Grover Cleveland or Benjamin Harrison when he became converted and decided that the ministry was to be his vocation instead of railroading.Today, at 106 years young, Reverend Aker is still preaching. He stated that he believed he is the oldest living preacher in the country and there are none to refute that statement,The aged preacher, who has been a resident of Radford for many, many years is claiming another first, so far as anyone can recall, he will be conducting his first series of evangelistic services in the City of Radford. The special week-long series of meetings are scheduled to begin Monday, October 17 in the First Baptist Church, Radford.Both Rev. Aker and his wife Louise havein those days. Walking, riding horseback, or whatever transportation was available he forded creek banks full of icy waters in the winter, struggled through snow drifts as he made his way to one-room country churches where he unleashed his attacks against the devil and the evil of man. He then as now, preached the simple message of redemption and salvation through the sacrificial message of the life of Jesus. His clothes were homespun, often threadbare for the pay of an evangelist in those days was pitifully small for those he preached to, had little of worldly goods. He moved through the mountain areas of Virginia.REV. J. F. AKERS 88 Years of Preachingbeen members of the church for many years, -but have been unable to attend except on special occasions. The reason has not been due to ill health, but rather to the vigorous schedule he maintains.“1 try to schedule at least three series of meetings each month,” he said. These meetings are not two or three evenings, but an entire week, starting on Monday evening as will the First Baptist series of services and running through the following Sunday evening.The schedule of activities which would put most men a third of his age to shame, has been the pattern of his life for almost his entire ministry. It started when he first began preaching. After seven years of serving as a, pastor of churches in Southwest Virginia, he decided that his calling by the Lord was for full-time revival meetings as they were calledNorth Carolina and even .into Kentucky. This meant being away from home and family for weeks on end, for with limited transportation he would move from one community to another, holding nightly meetings with little time between for either relaxation or family visits.Few men in the country have seen as much history as Aker. His recollection goes from thedays of tfteox-cart and yoke of oxen in the field to the space age. In -fact, there had been little change in .many customs and ways of life for centuries as he first knew life as a young preacher.. Throughout his life he has kept-abreast-oMhe-world-inrwhich-he-livesrthe-problems of mankind, but his answer to these problems has remained constant. Repent for the Kingdom of God is at hand. This statement could be one of the greatest motivations for this 106-year-old man,. He believes that he is being spared death at the time it comes to most people because the Second Coming of Christ is imminent.The venerable preacher is hale and hearty today. Doctors have told him that he has the heart of a thirty year'old with normal blood pressure, but it was not always so; Before the days of antibiotics, thirty-nine years of age, he was pronounced dead from double pneumonia and pleurisy. He literally came back from death to once again take up his ministry, although at that time he was long past the retirement age of most men. One lung was removed, but he insists that the other is as strong as a bellows. His strong voice shows no weakness as waving his Bible he moves about the pulpit, admonishing his audience as did the prophets of old, Repent For the Kingdom ofGod Is At Hand”’ ,Rev. James Baucom, pastor of the First Baptist Church of Radford, where Rev. Aker will be a prophet honored in his own city, stated, “We are extremely proud to have the honor of having this very special man of reknown with us for this series of evangelistic meetings. It was not easy to get on Rev. Aker’s busy schedule. We made the arrangements two years ago and he is now booking meetings twoyears ahead.” •Kev. Baucom expressed the hope that peoples of all faiths would attend the services each evening starting with a special song • service at 7 p.m. and the regular service with Rev. Aker starting at 7:30 p.m. on Monday evening, October 17 and continuing nightly through Sunday, October 23. All services will be conducted in the sanctuary of First Baptist Church, Third and Downey.
Newspaper Details
Radford Times Journal
Radford, Virginia, US
Sun, Oct 16, 1977
Page 28
Full Page
Clipped by
Sharon M.
USA 15 Feb 2025
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