The first series of ten messages was preached at a conference in the mid 1970s on the history of the church. Dr. Glover was greatly appreciated and highly respected among the Missionary Baptist community.
Many thanks to James M. Phillips for making these rare and wonderful recordings available.
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A Biographical and Historical Sketch of Conrad Nathan Glover
President 1941-1946, 1952
Vice President 1939-1940
(A full account of Bro. Glover’s life and ministry was given in Conrad N. Glover: Memoirs, published by Bogard Press, Texarkana).
C. N. Glover was born near Prattsville, AR on October 27, 1895. He was the son of Robert W. Glover and Mary Ann Young Glover. In the summer of 1913, when he was almost eighteen years of age, Conrad was received into Harmony Baptist Church and baptized on July 6, 1913.
During World War I, he was inducted into the Army on September 18, 1917. He was discharged from the military service on July 1, 1919, with the rank of sergeant.
On March 16, 1922 Bro. Glover announced his call to preach at Big Creek Baptist Church in Sheridan.
C. N. Glover and Gladys Rushing were married on May 3, 1925. They had one daughter, Mary Beth Glover Wilson, who was born Feb. 23, 1940.
When the Missionary Baptist College opened in 1919, he was one of the first eight students to enroll. Glover remained in the College for the next fourteen years, either as a student or as an instructor. He was awarded the Bachelor of Theology Degree in 1925, the Associate of Arts in Bible in 1930, the Associate of Arts in Secular Education in 1931, the Licentiate in Instruction in 1931, and the Doctor of Divinity in 1931. The Missionary Baptist Seminary conferred its first degrees on Dr. Glover in 1937, the degrees of Doctor of Church History and Doctor in Bible.108
Dr. Glover was Secretary of the Board of Trustees of the Missionary Baptist College from 1926 until 1934.109 Dr. Glover was elected Vice-President of the Missionary Baptist Seminary at its founding in 1934, and continued in that position until 1971.
When the American Baptist Association was organized on Dec. 10, 1924, Conrad Glover was a messenger from Big Creek Church in Sheridan. He had previously attended the “unification meeting” at Texarkana in March. During the years that followed, and until near his death, he had only missed two sessions of the ABA.
Brother Glover was licensed to preach in 1922 and he pastored more than thirteen churches in the central Arkansas area. He led in the organization of several churches and associations, preached over 14,000 sermons in thirty states and several foreign countries, and conducted over 4,000 funerals. He served as Moderator of the Pine Bluff Association for twenty-five years, beginning in 1939.110 He was moderator of the State Association for six years, from 1942 until 1948, and was President of the American Baptist Association from 1941 until 1946, and then by his request, for one session (1952), after the BMA split. After serving as President, he was honored as Parliamentarian for more than thirty years, and was moderator and parliamentarian emeritus at the time of his death. He was one of the cofounders of the Missionary Baptist Seminary and Institute and felt that his greatest accomplishments were in the field of Christian education.
He was elected a member of the Missionary Committee in 1925 and served until 1934. He was a member and chairman of the Planning and Building Committee that developed the Bookstore and Printing Complex in Texarkana.
His first pastorate was at Little Creek Church, beginning the first Sunday in November of 1924. In the fall of 1925 two other fourth time churches, Fairview and Smyrna in Lincoln Co., called him as pastor. Therefore, he was pastor of three churches at the same time–Little Creek at Sheridan, 1925-1926, Fairview, Saline Co., 1926-1927; Smyrna, Lin-coln Co., 1926-1927.
Bro. Glover led in the organization of what is now Olive Street Baptist Church in 1926, and continued as pastor for five years, until 1931. He was “…called and accepted the First Baptist Church in Sheri-dan in the fall of 1931. This church held services two Sunday Mornings and every Sunday Evening. He preached at Harmony Baptist Church in Prattsville the other two Sunday Mornings.
He was called by Oak Grove Baptist Church, near Rison to preach two Sunday Mornings and one Saturday Night each month, beginning in November of 1931. He continued as pastor there until Oct. 1947.
After leaving First Baptist in Sheridan, he was soon called by Philadelphia Church near Prattsville, where he pastored for eight years. He was also called to serve Sardis Church at Grapevine. He stayed at Sardis from 1939 until 1951. During the same period, he served Sweet Home Church near Prattsville, where he preached on Saturday and Sun-day afternoons. He pastored Springhill Church near Greenbrier in Faulkner Co. in 1945-1947.
Bro. Glover led in the organization of First Immanuel in Pine Bluff in 1939, and served as pastor in 1939-1940. He started what is now First Landmark in Gould and served as pastor from 1947-1953.
In 1953 Dr. Glover became pastor of Bethany Church, west of Pine Bluff. After serving at Bethany for twelve years, Dr. Glover intended to retire from the pastoral ministry. However, the Marlow Church, ten miles north of Sheridan called him and he pastored that church from 1963 until 1968.
He was a charter member of First Landmark Missionary Baptist Church of Sheridan, which was organized in 1951 as a result of the ABA-BMA split. Bro. Glover spent 44 years in pastoral work with sixteen different churches until 1968, when he determined to devote his late years in writing, lecturing and evangelism.
He was the author of the following books: The Marriage of the Lamb, Exposition of Revelation, Three Worlds, Glover’s Church Manual, Conrad N. Glover’s Memoirs and A History of the American Baptist Association, which he co-authored with Austin T. Powers.
Conrad N. Glover became a rural mail carrier by appointment on January 2, 1915. He held this position as a rural mail carrier for 36 years and 3 months. He was an agricultural and livestock farmer. Other organizations he has been active in were American Legion, Sheridan Rotary Club, Sheridan Soil and Water Conservation District and the Philadelphia Cemetery Association.
Brother Glover was deeply loved and respected by his friends, co-workers and fellow ministers. His wit, recollections and Bible knowledge endeared him to all those who had the privilege of knowing him. During his lengthy illness, he passed many hours writing thoughts of his life, historical happenings, devotionals, and poems. One of his poems, written just before his 90th birthday, was entitled “The Grace of God Amazes Me.” Brother John Sanders set this poem to music and it is now available in sheet music.
In addition to his work within the Pine Bluff Association, Bro. Glover traveled extensively. He was present and assisted in the founding of the Texas Baptist Institute, Henderson, TX; Florida Baptist Institute, Lakeland, FL; and the Oxford Baptist Institute, Oxford, MS. He traveled to Japan and Korea in 1972, and assisted Dr. Roy Reed in preaching in the missions and organizing a church in Korea.111
Gladys Rushing, his wife, preceded him in death on June 12, 1983. Dr. Glover died on April 3, 1986 and was buried in Philadelphia Cemetery, near his boyhood home.
Bro. Glover sent the following letter to the Association in 1983. (1983 Yearbook, p. 170-172)
LETTER FROM CONRAD GLOVER
President Dillard, Brothers and Sisters in Christ:
Greetings:
I am sad because I am unable to be present in this session of the ABA. I am suffering from a severe case of Herpes Zoster, commonly calledshingles. I have suffered from this malady since December 20. 1982 and am no better at present. It causes soreness and severe pain from which it is hard to find relief. Pray for me.
With me a generation will pass and become history. I am the last living messenger that voted to adjourn the General Association that was organized in 1905 sine die and permanently organized the ABA on December 10. 1924. I have outlived the messengers from 257 churches.
This is the third time during the 59 years of the life of the ABA that I have not attended. I missed the 1936 session because of a previous important commitment, part of the 1972 session because of illness, and 1981 session because of illness and illness is the cause of my absence at this session.
I have enjoyed the fellowship of my brothers and sisters in Christ longer than any other and I am thankful I have enjoyed this great privilege.
I am humbly thankful to the messengers of the annual session that are now history for the kindnesses shown and the honors they have conferred upon me. I will list some of these:
They elected me president of the association 7 years: 1941-1947 and
1952.
They voted to elect me as President Emeritus.
They appointed and elected me to be your parliamentarian for 26 years.
They elected me to membership on the Missionary Committee for 8 years and the committee elected me to be clerk of the committee for the 8 years.
They elected me to membership on the first youth encampment committee.
They elected me to membership on the building committee for the new publications building and the committee elected me to serve as chairman of the committee. Our fine building in Texarkana is the fruit of our labors.
They elected me to membership on the History and Archives Committee, a position I now hold,
They elected me to preach at annual sessions fifteen different years.
They elected me to membership on the committee to revise the Articles of Agreement. The committee met and was divided into two equal groups. My group elected me to be chairman.
They elected me to membership on a committee, with Dr. A. T.
Powers to assist me, to write the history of the ABA.
I deeply appreciate the fact that you have by your vote manifested your confidence in my integrity and ability to serve. I am thankful for the honors conferred, but I believe I am honest when I say that I have regarded the responsibilities far above the honors conferred. Others are to judge as to whether I have complied with your commitment.
I thank the Lord for His blessing me with a normal body and mind, and with long life and open doors of service. I also thank my brothers and sisters in Christ for their invitations and callings for me to preach the gospel in their churches in one-half or more of the states of our great country and in several foreign countries. I pastored 16 churches and have preached as an evangelist in many others. I estimate that I have preached about 14,000 sermons.
I have always regarded my preacher brethren with goodwill and kindness. If I have ever coveted any man’s work or mistreated him I have no knowledge of it and would be free to apologize to him if I have.
I have lived in Sheridan, Ark. during the full period of my gospel ministry. This has caused me to drive many, many miles. I have owned cars since 1916 and estimate that I have driven more than 1,000,000 miles. This is 40 times the distance around the world.
All of my pastorates and ministry, except the seven years I was pastor of the First Baptist Church here in Sheridan, have been away from home. This made it necessary for me to dine and lodge in other people’s homes. I am of the opinion that I have lodged in more homes and good women have cooked more meals for me than has been done for any preacher among us.
I was saved by the grace of God on September 23, 1909. I was baptized into the fellowship of Harmony Missionary Baptist Church in Prattsville on July 6, 1913. I was liberated to preach the gospel by Big Creek (now First Baptist) of Sheridan on March 16. 1922. I was ordained to the full work of the gospel ministry on November 2.1924. I have been saved 70 years and have been in the gospel ministry 61 years plus. I have pastored 16 churches. I have conducted more than 4,000 funerals, 35 of which took their own lives. I started three missions and stayed with these until they were organized into churches; and led in the organization of one more. I assisted in the organization of 13 other churches. One of these was in Seoul, Korea. I helped to organize four associations.
There are many more facets and events connected with my gospel ministry, but these are sufficient to let you know I have not had time to be lazy or slothful in my ministry.
In addition to my ministry I am a retired rural mail carrier with 36 years and three months service and have held membership in several other organizations too numerous to mention. I also served as chaplain of three state organizations. I will be praying for the 1983 session and hoping I will be able to attend the 1984 session.
Bless all of you. Please remember Mary Beth and me in your prayers
at this time.
Amen. C. N. Glover
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