The Rev. Bobby Land Sr. still gets teary-eyed when he remembers a promise he made to God. His oldest son, Michael, was 7 years old at the time and dying of spinal meningitis.

“If you heal him, I’ll preach,” Land said of his words to the Lord at the time. For a while, he had felt that the Lord was calling him to preach, but he hadn’t committed to go.

However, with his son’s life on the line, he prayed and asked God to heal him. God did, and Land followed through on his word.

That was more than half a lifetime ago. Today, Land, 81, celebrates 50 years in the ministry.

On this day in 1965, the Tyler resident preached his first sermon. The passage was Matthew 24:44 and the title was, “Are you ready for the coming of Christ?”

Since that time, Land has preached hundreds if not thousands of times. He still gets nervous, but that’s something he’s OK with. He said a friend once told him, “that’s the fear of God in you.”

Land spent his first few years as a pastor serving different churches — some in part time capacities — until 1989, when he founded the New Baptist Evangelistic Church on Willowbrook Avenue. He continues to serve there today.

Though Land has several degrees related to his religious education, including a doctor of divinity, he has never made enough to live off of his preaching, a fact that’s no problem for him.

“I don’t preach for money,” he said. “I preach for Jesus. I preach for the Lord.”

His paying job has been as a welder. He was certified in the trade in 1960 and had his own shop until two years ago when he sold it. He still has his welding equipment.

Land also served eight years in the U.S. Navy, including time in the Korean War.

He describes himself as an 81-year-old teenager. Part of that moniker comes from the fact that he has always enjoyed working with youth. But it’s also because he has a lot of energy and enthusiasm.

“I’m a people person, but mostly young people,” he said. “I’ve always wanted to try to guide them in a particular way.”

Some of the ways in which he connects with teens is through raps he creates and handouts that encourage them to get an education and make right choices.

On many of his handouts, he puts drawings of his “little man,” a cartoon character he’s been using for almost his entire ministry.

Land draws speech bubbles next to the character and writes his thoughts and advice.

“My goal is to have people to live better lives than what some of us are living now,” he said, adding that no one is perfect, but everyone can improve.

The Rev. Ralph Caraway Sr., pastor of St. Louis Baptist Church in Tyler, has known Land for more than 25 years.

“Pastor Land has, I think, a unique ability to share his experiences,” Caraway said.

“He has such a great understanding of the Bible, and he shares it in such a humble way.”

Caraway said Land was doing a lot of work in evangelism and training young Christians when he met him.

“When I first started, he was one of those people you could go to and get resources and information, guidance, direction and wisdom,” he said. “He always had time for me.”

Land said his joy in ministry is to help people get closer to where God wants them to be. He said he plans to continue serving in the ministry as long as God gives him.

“I feel that I’ve lived the best that I know how to try to imitate or emulate Jesus in my love life, my respect and my help of people,” he said.

Land is married to Mary, and he has two children, nine grandchildren, six great-grandchildren and two great-great grandchildren.

 

Twitter: @TMTEmily