Jacob Moses Creech, fondly known as “Jake” or “Jakey,” went to be with the Lord on Thursday, January 27. His passing is yet another in the ongoing departures of the Builder generation of modern Free Will Baptists.[1] Many of these giants hailed from the Carolinas, and we owe their churches a debt of gratitude for having produced such excellent and faithful servants of the Lord.
I too am from the Carolinas. I don’t mention this to include myself in the ranks of these luminaries, but to say that this is partly how the Lord providentially situated me to have known and been shaped by their ministries. There’s no clearer example of this influence than that of Bro. Jake, or “Jakie” (as I spelled it), Creech.
When I was in middle school Bro. Jakie came to pastor my home church, Horse Branch FWB in Turbeville, South Carolina. He served the church for around eight years, culminating in his retirement. I recall him coming to preach prior to becoming pastor. Those sermons impressed me greatly. He preached with power and passion that made me want to hear more. This was a formative time in my own life, and this beloved man contributed greatly to that formation.
Creech was no stranger to our community. His father-in-law, the late Wilburn Beasley, had pastored our church decades earlier. Many of his in-laws not only lived in Turbeville, but directly across the street from the church building. Yet his reputation extended throughout the denomination, having served churches in North Carolina, Georgia, Mississippi, and South Carolina. I later learned that he had maintained healthy relationships throughout these congregations and had often returned to preach. Moreover, Bro. Creech had served admirably on the state and national level, including an important tenure on the board of Welch College.
Bro. Jake is a physically imposing figure in my childhood memory. He was tall and stately, yet spoke with a certain sweet, North Carolina dialect that I still hear inside my head. He was full of a folksy humor that made him a welcoming presence. This picture is only augmented by Sister Betty right at his side—short, quiet but articulate, full of wisdom and a matter-of-fact wit. She preceded him in death by just a few months.
This mental portrait of Bro. Jake was embodied in real life in more than one sense. He was a real go-getter, always on the move. He visited a lot, traveled a lot, and talked a lot. Perhaps this is what drew so many people to him. Sometimes I think Mrs. Betty thought he was a little too active! I can remember his comments after retirement that he “sure was hoping to make it to the National Association this year,” with Sister Betty saying, “Now Jake, you need to slow down a bit.” Thank God for spouses who have the love to support their spouses, as well as the wisdom to know when to tell them to pace themselves.
My knowledge of Bro. Jakie grew more personal as I inched through high school. I was active in CTS, and so occasionally I participated in the worship services. He noticed and encouraged this. I’m sure when I began to mention that Free Will Baptist Bible College (Welch) was on my radar, he joined my youth pastor in praying about this, fanning the flame of interest when possible. When I decided to enroll at the very last minute, he provided opportunities to share about how the Lord had been leading me, and he encouraged the congregation to help financially.
After a semester at Welch I sensed a clear call to pastoral ministry, and Bro. Jakie was there to affirm and nurture that calling. He helped me through the licensure process through our local association. This process extended through 2004 when I had a disastrous car accident and spent much of the summer convalescing in a wheelchair. He came to see me often, encouraging me and trying to ensure this didn’t sidetrack my pursuit of my calling. I remember him helping load me into his pick-up truck and taking me to Bazen’s Restaurant in Florence to be examined by the Presbytery Board.
Later that summer he knew that I wanted to attend the National Association in Kansas City, but that I was still hobbled. He told me repeatedly, “If you want to go, we’ll help you go. I’ll make sure you don’t have any trouble getting around.” While I ultimately opted not to go, the generous offer moved me.
Even as I was back and forth from college, he continued to encourage me, give opportunities to preach and teach, and nudge the congregation to be generous. Once when I was home I recall feeling physically unwell on a Saturday. I remembered the sense of dread I felt as I phoned him from my couch, letting him know that I didn’t think I could preach the next day. He received the news graciously, but my mind was so anxious. I didn’t want to let him down.
Eventually I went to seminary and began serving a church in North Carolina. By this time he had retired, but certainly not from ministry. He continued to hold revivals, take missions trips, attend the National Association, and participate faithfully in the Horse Branch Church. I visited with him nearly every time I traveled home. He always wanted to know how I really was, what I knew about the well-being of ministries for which we shared a mutual concern, and what was happening in my love life. He and Mrs. Betty were so delighted when I found a lovely wife - one whose great-grandparents had been members of a church they once served!
I marveled as I watched Bro. Jakie staying busy for Jesus. Here’s a guy who could be fishing from his back deck most days, and yet he’s promoting the ministry of India to any church who will have him, no matter the size. Here’s a guy staying in touch with what’s happening around the denomination. Here’s a man who decided that part of his ministry in retirement was to be the best church member and supporter of the pastor at his former church that he could be.
This isn’t always the experience of pastors who retire. When they retire, they’re “done.” “Done” wasn’t in Bro. Jakie’s vocabulary, except for perhaps, “Well done, good and faithful servant.”
Of the many things that I’ll always remember about him are his love for the local church and his investment in me. Even until the last year of his life, he was still working the phones, trying to see that good churches could find pastors. I know because he phoned me more than once about the prospects of returning to the Carolinas to serve! He was never pushy, just passionate to help Christ’s church. Whether it was ministering to the senior saints at Horse Branch, reminding people to pray for Free Will Baptists in India, or staying in touch with members of former congregations, he loved Christ’s body.
Indeed, Bro. Jakie saw the entire denomination as this body. In recent years he would say with a tone of resignation, “I don’t reckon I’ll be able to go to the National Association this year.” Even he knew his health was too poor. And more than once he lamented that his name no longer appeared in the print edition of the Free Will Baptist Yearbook. He felt strongly that he belonged to something bigger—the special fraternity of preachers whom he loved, but also a great national movement that was birthed out of his home state.
But Bro. Jakie and Sis. Betty never lost sight of the particulars, like me. Here was a young man in whom they had invested significantly. Even during our last visit this past August, they pointed to a house furnishing they wanted to give to me and my wife when we could take it with us. Always giving!
Bro. Jakie and I never had a weekly meeting, or even read through a book together. But he loved me. He prayed for me. He mentored me. That mentorship is part of the work that must be done if we’re to stem the tide of membership declines and pastoral shortages. We aren’t without examples.
Praise God for the Creeches, their life, their family, and their legacy. It endures.
[1] I’ve written about some of the others elsewhere. See https://www.fwbtheology.com/charles-and-laura-thigpen-in-memoriam/
Jackson, thank you for your reflections on this special pastor and man.
Jackson, thanks for taking time to honor Brother "Jakie". My parents loved him deeply. And all the times I was around him, I came away with a greater passion for life, ministry, and a new chuckle in my spirit. To me, in a very good way, we was a "spellbinder". I thoroughly enjoyed listening to him. I didn't know of your connection with him. Thanks for giving me more understanding and perspective for this choice servant. And Miss Betty. I wasn't around her much, but I learned quickly she was a person of sweet grace, depth and a quiet confidence.