1859-1931
Now and then there appears upon the stage of life a man who
is so different, so strong, so earnest, so sincere and full of faith that he
draws and holds the hearts and affections of the people, with whom he comes in
contact, and is enabled to lead and constrain them to high and noble ideals and
life, such a man was Larkin Crumbley, the subject of this sketch.
Henry Locholin Crumbley was the second son of A. A. and Mary A. Crumbley. He was
born and reared on a farm within three miles of Cuthbert, Randolph County,
Georgia. At the time of his birth in that section there were but few schools and
little opportunity was afforded the youth of the country to become educated.
Young Larkin Crumbley grew up on the farm just as other country boys at that
time, plowing and cultivating the crops and attending to such duties as any
hired man would be required to perform in that day. He was energetic, and often
when a boy, dreamed of becoming a great leader in his country. In his late teens
he made arrangements to attend old Bethel College at Cuthbert, which was then
under the leadership of Professor McNulty. Mr. McNulty soon left Cuthbert and
removed to Dawson and young Crumbley followed him and attended school for a
while in Dawson under his teaching. It was his aim and desire at that time to
become a lawyer and his work was largely to that end. However, while attending
school at Cuthbert he became converted and joined the Cuthbert Baptist Church
and was baptized. He immediately became impressed with the idea that he was
called to the ministry, and began to exhort and preach as the opportunities
afforded themselves and was generally at that time known as "The Boy Preacher".
It is said that he preached his first sermon in the old Rocky Mount Church which
was then located a few miles South of Cuthbert on the Blakely Road, but which is
now extinct.
Early in the year of 1884 old New Hope Church, which was situated near Coleman
Station at that time called him as pastor and desired that the Cuthbert Church
ordain him. Accordingly on the 6th day of April 1884, he was ordained in the
Cuthbert Church by Wm. H. Cooper, Wm. H. McIntosh and Roy T. Goodman acting as
the Presbytery.
Not being satisfied with his limited education, although without money he made
arrangements to attend Mercer University. While at that Institution during his
first year the Bethel Association donated certain funds to help pay his
expenses, but during the second year other churches had called him as pastor and
from Mercer University he attended each Sunday his churches and preached to them
on Saturday and Sunday and with the salaries thus received he paid his own
expenses at Mercer.
After leaving Mercer he went back to the farm and made his home with his parents
and a single sister. His parents had become old and were unable to make expenses
on the farm. He took it over, paid it out of debt and took care of them for the
remainder of their lives. Going out from his home he preached at various
churches over the Bethel Association, mostly country churches until 1892 when he
bought a home in Cuthbert and moved his parents and sister there. By this time
he had grown and developed and become one of the strong preachers of the Bethel
Association. Among his pastorates was Blakely, Ft. Gaines, Arlington, Morgan,
Colquitt, Damascus, Edison, Dawson, Richland Sylvester, Shorterville and many
others and for forty seven years he preached and devoted unceasingly his life to
the pastorate of his churches. It is said of him that perhaps he baptized as
many as three thousand people during his ministry, and that many of his converts
became ministers of the Gospel. He was never without a pastorate for his full
time from the time, that as a school boy he began to preach until his death, at
the age of seventy two years.
During his pastorate at Richland Church which he served for sixteen consecutive
years, he began with two Sundays in each month, soon changed to three and in
1906 to full time, as the church grew in strength and members. During his period
of service, under his leadership, a handsome new brick building was erected.
This church was a member of the Summerhill Association and he was elected as
Moderator of that Association for three consecutive years 1908, 1909 and 1910.
After leaving the Richland Church, his parents having died, he returned to his
old home at Cuthbert and there remained until his death. After his return to
Cuthbert he continued to serve churches mostly in the Bethel Association. He was
often called upon to preach the Doctrinal Sermons at the Associations for he was
widely known for his strong and uncompromising Baptist principles.
He had become so widely and affectionately known by the people of Southwest
Georgia during his long service that the calls upon him to conduct funerals were
so numerous that he could not respond to all of them. The last service of this
great man was at a funeral of an old friend at Mt. Hebron Church just a few
weeks before his own death. The Bethel Association at its session in 1931 at
Fort Gaines soon after his death said of him among other things:
"The memory of his well spent and profitable life remains with us as a blessed
benediction and as to us on inspiration that we too may lead others into paths
of righteousness for his namesake. His godly life, his lovable personality, his
earnest and powerful proclaiming of the Gospel of Jesus Christ and his
magnificent portrayal of God and his goodness brought the hearts of many to
serve God as their own Personal Savior. Surely he could have said, "I have
fought a good fight. For me there is a crown of glory and rest eternal." We all
miss him. And thousands will mourn his loss, but they too can say without doubt,
that Larkin Crumbley, as he was called, is now at eternal rest with God in his
glory, for he was God's man. We shall miss him, but we shall not forget him. May
the glory of his rich life lead us on."
It was on the night of the 23rd day of April 1931 in the Patterson Hospital
within a few yards of where he joined the church, was baptized and ordained to
preach the Gospel of Christ in the Cuthbert Baptist Church that he received the
call from On High and passed over the river.
Tuesday, April 22, 2025