Still eager to preach and serve after 65 years at one church

PRAIRIE HILL—Fred Sain has filled the same pulpit 65 years. More importantly, he has been pastor of Prairie Hill Baptist Church in the truest sense of the word.

Sain grew up attending First Baptist Church in Slaton, where he father owned a cotton gin.

Prarie Hill Baptist Church draws worshippers from Mart, Waco, Groesbeck, Mexia, Mount Calm and other small communities in addition to Prairie Hill, population 125.“At about 14 years old, I began to feel an inclination that I needed to do something more for the Lord in my life. I surrendered to preach when I was 15,” he recalled.

Soon after he began attending Wayland Baptist College in Plainview at age 17, he was called to be the pastor of McClung Baptist Church near Lubbock.

“I preached there about a year and a half, and the Lord began to bless my ministry, and I began to learn what it was to preach,” he said. About the same time, however, he felt God leading him to attend Baylor University.

A trial sermon in 1949

In August 1949, Prairie Hill Baptist Church northeast of Waco invited him to preach a trial sermon. He already had committed to preach a revival for another congregation, but Sain preached his first sermon as pastor of the Prairie Hill congregation Sept. 25, 1949.

“From the time of my calling, I told the Lord I would serve wherever he had for me to serve, and evidently it has pleased him for me to stay here these years. I don’t know that I’ve been here longer than anyone else has, but I’ve been here more than half the life of the church, because it is 129 years old,” Sain said.

Church members helped celebrate with Pastor Fred Sain on his birthday in July. (Photo: Prairie Hill Facebook page)“This has always been a strong church. When I came here, there were eight to 10 churches around here in about a 10-mile radius, but they’re all gone. We’ve been the only one that’s stayed, and I believe it was because I was here preaching the word. I’ve almost given up several times, but in the last two years, we’ve had 20 new members come into our church.”

Not many people live in the rural community anymore, but Prairie Hill draws people from a wide area—Mart, Waco, Groesbeck, Mexia, Mount Calm and other small communities in addition to Prairie Hill, population 125.

In thinking of the several adults he has baptized in recent months, he said, “The Lord has been smiling on our work here, and I appreciate that.”

Continuing to learn

Even after all these years, God still teaches him new things from Scripture, Sain said.

“It’s been my habit for years to start my morning by spending an hour with the Lord and his word. I’m still finding things I didn’t know were there. It’s a blessing for me to continue to study,” he said.

While he has no plans to leave Prairie Hill, it has crossed his mind from time to time.

“I’ve thought several times I needed to step down. They had a big celebration here when I reached my 50th anniversary, and I think everybody thought I was about ready to retire, but here I’ve been another 15 years. As long as my strength holds out and the Lord affirms my ministry here, I’ll stay. But I’ll be the first one to leave when I see I’m encumbering the church,” he said.

“We have a very loving church. The two rules of my ministry have been to be faithful and magnify love. We don’t have squabbles and problems in our church—everyone seems to be happy and love one another, and they love their church. We’re not a great, huge church, but we are carrying on the Lord’s work.”

Prairie Hill Baptist Church has a large cemetery within yards of the its back door, and Pastor Sain has preached about 500 funerals. (Photo: George Henson)Prairie Hill Baptist Church has a large cemetery within yards of the its back door, and it has been a large part of Sain’s ministry.

“Since I’ve been here, I’ve preached in the neighborhood of 500 funerals,” he said.

He also has officiated at about same number of weddings. He has preached more than 5,000 times at Prairie Hill. And each preaching experience has been different, he added.

Even after all those sermons, Sain said, he comes to church each Sunday with a sense of excitement and expectation.

“Enthusiasm is something I think a pastor needs to have. If he’s not enthused in what he’s called to do, he needs to get in another line of work,” he said.

‘The best is yet to be’

He credits that positive outlook to his literature professor at Baylor University many years ago who began each class with a verse from Robert Browning: “Grow old along with me! The best is yet to be.”

That’s his prayer for Prairie Hill Baptist Church. “God hasn’t accidently kept us here. It’s been for a purpose,” Sain said.

At age 85, Sain looks forward to being reunited with many of the saints who have preceded him to heaven during his 65 years as pastor.

“I’ve told them many times, when I get to heaven, the first thing I’m going to do is ask permission to have a meeting of the Prairie Hill Baptist Church,” he said. “And I’m sure I’ll preach my best sermon when we all get together. And we’ll have a good time.”