A traveling minister, 86, is hosting a revival at a Litchfield church.
By Daniel Hartill
Staff Writer

LITCHFIELD – Dr. Joe Boyd raised a brawny hand from the rail of his wheelchair and pointed upward.

Up there – in heaven – angels will ask why you’re not baptized, the preacher said. Without the water, you might still make it in, though.

“God is no fish,” said the 86-year-old Baptist minister and author, who holds a doctorate of divinity degree. “You don’t meet God in the water.”

But the full dip, an all-the-way-in-the-water baptism, is a sign of obedience, he said, an acknowledgment of God’s commandment, though not one of his Top 10.

“Tonight, people will be baptized,” Boyd began Tuesday, the second night of a weeklong faith revival. “People will be saved.” A moment later, the little white church in the woods rocked with amens.

Before the night ended, three men would be dipped in the water, professing to be saved. They joined Boyd’s still-growing list that numbers in the thousands.

“All I’ve done for 60 years is teach people how to be saved,” said Boyd, who travels the country holding revival meetings.

Despite his age and health – an attack of gout put him in the wheelchair – Boyd has the schedule of a 20-something rock ‘n’ roller. Last year, he spent six months on the road, preaching to little churches and big ones.

This year looks just as busy. He’s planning a trip to Mexico and Panama, where he’s scheduled to speak to 5,000 people. And he’s learning Spanish.

“I can do all things through Christ,” Boyd said, waving a hand in the air as though brushing aside any suggestion of retirement.

Boyd has cultivated the persona of a hard-charging preacher.

Storefront fliers announcing his appearance at the Cornerstone Baptist Church in Litchfield show two pictures of him. One is a recent head shot. The other is from 1940, when Boyd played tackle for the Texas A&M football team.

In 1940, he became an All-American and was drafted by the Washington Redskins.

He never joined the team, though. He had suffered too many injuries. Doctors worried about damage to his neck and back. So he became an accountant. Three years later, he entered the seminary.

He has titled his memoirs “From the Gridiron to the Gospel.”

Boyd still talks about his football days. He uses it as a way of talking about excellence and perseverance, he said. His college team won the national championship.

“I am the only preacher off that team,” Boyd said Tuesday night. His timeworn football frame seemed squeezed by the wheelchair. His body curled in the seat as the three men rose for their baptism.

“Most of the churches don’t dip you,” he said. “And they’ve got the same Bible.”

The Rev. Bob Daley, the Litchfield church’s pastor, pulled a wooden lid away from a hole in the stage. Inside, an aluminum tub sat filled with water. A churchgoer had filled it prior to the service, running a garden hose down the center aisle.

As he worked, the men began rising for their baptisms. Meanwhile, Boyd talked about other churches’ habit of sprinkling people.

“I want a proper dipping,” said one of the three, echoing Boyd’s contempt for christenings.

“I’ll give you $100 if you can find that in the Bible,” Boyd challenged.

The man paused.

“I don’t read that good,” the man replied. Then he left to change his clothes. A few minutes later, he emerged wearing a blue smock.

Daley waited, standing beside the tub with an open Bible in his left hand.

“I baptize you, my brother,” Daley said, guiding the man into the water until he was submerged completely. Then, the minister pulled him out.

“Breathe,” he said quietly.

The 40 people who filled the church applauded. Sitting in his chair about eight feet away, Boyd gave a hearty “amen.”

Though the service was over, he looked ready for more. His brown suit still appeared crisp. Then he moved one of his stockinged feet and his face wrinkled in pain.

“It’s a miracle he’s able to preach,” Daley said.

dhartill@sunjournal.com

Copy the Story Link