My three hours at Criswell College turned into quite an ordeal in Dallas... but also a blessing as I had the chance to spend some time with college President Jerry Johnson and to learn more about a hero of mine, W.A. Criswell.

The Visit

I preached at the Criswell College chapel for their Great Commission Week. They had a great group of students and a passion for the gospel.

After that, the president and I went to the Petroleum Club. Now, this is a pretty fancy place for a working class New Yorker like me. The club explains, "Founded in 1934, The Dallas Petroleum Club has evolved from a fraternity of prominent oil men into one of the finest private city clubs in the country." Well, let's just say that I wished I had worn a shirt that “tucks” before we went.

Spending some time with Jerry Johnson was great. We actually were at Southern Seminary together but this was the first time we had the chance to visit and talk-- and talk we did. About the denomination, the school, and mutual friends.

Jerry has a radio program and he gets some great people to join him for interviews. Yesterday, he spoke with Lee Strobel. You can download and listen to podcasts of his insightful interviews here.

Criswell has some ambitious and exciting plans for the future.

The Storm and Its Damage

When we got back from the club, things were not good at the school (or in Dallas in general). American Airlines canceled all Dallas flights and, I found out later, thousands of people spent the night in cots. (They were still there this morning.) At one point they actaully evacuated the air traffic control tower due to 100 mph winds.

When Jerry and I returned from lunch, there was at least two feet of standing water against the wall on the outside of the school, and the lower floor of the library was flooding. Not good.

Pray for the school, and consider donating, to help them with the damage.

The School and Its Founder

Well, since I was not going home, I had some time to tour... and what a tour it was. Jerry showed me around a few not-yet-public things.

Now, if the name "Criswell" means nothing to you, stop reading now. Or, better yet, read on and learn.

First, as any Baptist worth his/her friend chicken knows, Criswell is ground zero for the Southern Baptist Conservative Resurgence. The pictures are on the wall and the names are mentioned regularly. (They call them “Criswell Men,” always uttered with hushed and respectful tones.) So, I am honored they would invite me to a place with such history.

Second, W.A. Criswell is a legend. Wikipedia’s article on Wally Amos Criswell explains:

Wallie Amos Criswell, Ph.D. (December 19, 1909 – January 10, 2002), was an American pastor, author, and a two-term elected president of the Southern Baptist Convention from 1968 to 1969. Supporters have described him as the patriarch of the "Conservative Resurgence" within the SBC.

Criswell was born in Eldorado, Oklahoma, and felt a divine call to enter the Christian ministry as a teenager. Criswell was licensed to preach at the age of seventeen and soon thereafter held student pastorates at Devil's Bend and Pulltight, Texas. He would also serve as pastor of First Baptist Church Mt. Washington (near Louisville, KY), First Baptist Church of Chickasha, Oklahoma, and First Baptist Church of Muskogee.

In 1944, he became the senior pastor of the First Baptist Church in Dallas, where he remained until semiretirement in 1995. During this period, the church's membership grew from 7,800 to 25,000. The church expanded to multiple buildings in downtown Dallas, and becoming a well-known Southern Baptist megachurch. The popular evangelist Billy Graham has been a member of the Dallas congregation.

Criswell was instrumental in the rightward shift of the Southern Baptist convention that began in the late 1970s. He published fifty-four books, including an annotated Criswell Study Bible. He received eight honorary doctorates. He founded Criswell College, First Baptist Academy, and KCBI Radio.

Sermons and Videos

Upon his death, a site was endowed to preserve his sermons, well, until Jesus comes back. You can download his sermons in multiple forms here. Don’t let the front page fool you; it is a technological wonder from over 5 decades of expository preaching to one congregation.

The www.wacriswell.com site has a full bio with two video documentaries at the end of the bio page.

W.A. Criswell

No, at the risk of going over the top, I am a big fan of W.A. Criswell. So, I was excited when Jerry took me into a new memorabilia room in honor of Dr. Criswell. It is an EXACT replica of his home study reproduced exactly as it was on the day he died on January 10, 2002. For example, the items on his desk are still on his desk from that day, it is just now in a locked room). The details are, well, a little freaky. For example, they took pictures of all the books and stacked them right where they were that day. (When I die, please clean up the place and straighten my books before taking any pictures.)

But, since it was exactly placed, I had an opportunity that few have:

His famous goggle glasses... I touched them (a free book to anyone who can find a photo of him preaching in those glasses).

His chair... sat in it.

His kneeler... prayed a quick prayer in it.

And, I even took home a piece of his stationary (real stuff from his desk).

Amazing.

I thought day was redeemed and could not have been made any better... but wait, there is more! I found out later that they picked me up from the airport in Mrs. Criswell's car, donated to the school upon her death. So, that was a little extra bonus.

A Prayer

So, thank you God for the rain. Sorry you had to strand 10,000 people in the Dallas airport so I could see W.A. Criswell's study, but I am grateful.

There are great preachers today. There are great leaders today. But, there are few W.A. Criswells to be found. May his tribe increase and may the college that bears his name produce leaders committed to his cause!

Weather aside, all and all a good time… and, I owe Luke Britt for taking me to the airport at 5a.m. this morning…