South Central Celebrates Years of Service of Carlton Byrd, D.Min.

By Roger R. Wade

John Nixon Sr., D.Min., and Sonja Crayton present Carlton Byrd, D.Min., with a commemorative crystal.

Roger R. Wade

Danielle and Carlton Byrd, D.Min.

Roger R. Wade

Elder Jones thanking Dr. Byrd for his ministry to Nothr rsdt

Roger R. Wade

Benjamin Jones Jr. (left) thanks Carlton Byrd, D.Min. (right), for his service to South Central Conference, while Sonja Crayton, Conference chief financial officer, and John Nixon Sr., D.Min., Conference executive secretary, look on.

Roger R. Wade

T he Oakwood University Church had the privilege to thank God for the leadership of their former senior pastor, Carlton R. Byrd, D.Min., on August 14, 2021. For nearly a decade, Byrd led the Oakwood University Church congregation, where the congregation saw spiritual, financial, and numeric growth. His leadership not only impacted the Oakwood University Church congregation, but also the South Central Conference.

Byrd’s pastoral leadership resulted in him receiving the South Central Conference’s “Pastor of the Year” award three times. His hunger for evangelism has allowed Byrd to lead the Conference in soul winning. During his previous time with South Central, he planted the South Nashville congregation and led the Conference in evangelism then. The Conference administration wanted to acknowledge the accomplishments of Byrd, and present him and his family with a token of appreciation.

“This is personal for me,” said Benjamin Jones Jr., South Central president, continuing, “People think the energy, passion, and the excitement they saw here started here, but I have been with you in SoSo, Miss., Tuscaloosa, Ala., and South Nashville, Tenn., and you have never stopped. The love for the Lord, the passion for evangelism, you brought with you in every place.” Jones thanked Byrd for the accomplishments achieved during his leadership of the Oakwood University Church, especially the completion of the Oakwood Academy, the erection of the Family Life Center, and the passion for evangelism demonstrated within the church. John Nixon Sr., Conference executive secretary, and Sonja Crayton, Conference chief financial officer, presented Byrd with a plaque to commemorate these accomplishments.

While serving as the senior pastor of the Oakwood University Church, Byrd also served as the Breath of Life Television Ministry speaker/director. Byrd was elected president of the Southwest Region Conference, headquartered in Dallas, Texas, on May 23, 2021. The Conference will miss Byrd and his family in South Central. They thank God for their ministry.

South Central | October 2021