On Thursday of this past week, a dear saint and beloved friend went home, unexpectedly and instantaneously, to be with Jesus. Curtis Crutchfield, a husband, father and grandfather died suddenly of a massive heart attack while at the basketball practice of his grandson.
Curtis was a pillar in our church. He was a man of audacious faith. He didn’t talk about audacious faith like a preacher; he prayed with it, in private, like a saint.
There is a faithful group of believers at the Summit Church that fewer and fewer people who come to our church (sadly) know about. This is a group of 300 that believed God with me, from the beginning, that God could use a traditional Baptist church to change our city. They stepped out on faith when we really had nothing to go on but the character of God. I did not show up at the Summit with flashy sermons and a hot band. What “I” had were 300 people who believed God and were ready to put the mission ahead of their personal preferences. Curtis was chief among them.
Here is the last letter I got from Curtis. It speaks for itself, and worth taking a moment to read…
“Pastor, J.D., as the Summit congregation continues to grow, there is, within that large number of people, some very blessed, unique folks, of which I am one. I go back to that time when a somewhat tattered and weary group of about 300 members of Homestead Heights Baptist Church called a young whipper-snapper of a preacher to lead them–they stepped out in faith and you became our shepherd. Not too much later, that same group agreed to step out in faith again, leaving their paid-for, comfortable, safe church building to move into a high school. Just a few years later, that same group again made a faith step, voluntarily splitting up and moving to different locations under the banner of The Summit Church. Unique, I believe, to that group is the fact that our faith has now become sight, as we have seen God’s blessings on each and every “faith step” we took. We don’t have to “hope” that our leadership is making God-led decisions, as we have seen and experienced first hand what God can and will do when His name is honored. We are not “blessed and unique” because of anything we have done, but because God, for whatever reason, placed us in this very special place during this very special time. Almost on a weekly basis, we become a smaller percentage of the Summit membership, but, that doesn’t minimize in any degree the blessings we have experienced during this amazing journey.
We were called to another faith-step some time back with the Believe project, and again just recently with the decision to purchase property—many of the current membership are making their first faith-step at the Summit, doing so on faith alone. For the group that was there when this journey began, we no longer make these decisions just on faith—we have seen! And, having seen, the decisions truly are “no brainers” for us. To not move forward would be as dishonoring to God as would have been the decisions to not call you as our pastor, to not move from Holt School Road, to not split up into multi-campuses. He has started a work that is bigger than any of us,but to which we all have a part.
Many who now call The Summit home have no real knowledge or appreciation for what God has done to and for this body of believers, nor could they. To many, we have always met in a warehouse or on Cole Mill Road or Club Blvd. To them, we have always had large budgets and huge crowds. I truly hope, though, we never lose our sense of when this journey began, of God pruning us and preparing us for what He had planned. As stated before, it has been an amazing journey, and will continue to be so as long as He leads us.
JD, I say all this to be able to say how much I appreciate you, how much I appreciate how you have grown these past years, and how much I appreciate God’s allowing me to be a part of this body. Having my faith become sight allows me to appreciate all these things even more!
Thank you for being my pastor – Curtis Crutchfield”
Curtis, you will be missed. Greatly. May God give us 100 to take your place. That’s how many it will probably take. And we desperately need them–people who will believe God, like you, for great things, labor tirelessly for them, and not be surprised at all when God answers.
Curtis’ life set an example of godliness that is being lived out in the lives of many of our students in our student ministry. This past weekend, many students were telling of his impact on their life, sharing stories about him and the way he loved them. He will be missed, but his legacy of faith has impacted hundreds!
Amen… Curtis you will be truly missed. A true servant of God. A disciple working in the shadows. Never needing personal recognition, but giving God all the praise!!!! Prayer Warrior and faithful to the cause of the Gospel. We will miss you but look forward to seeing you again.
Our prayers are now with Cathy and the family has they grieve the loss of Curtis.
Putterbud will be missed
I feel so saddened at the loss of a very wonderful friend, whom I will miss greatly! My heart goes out to Cathy and the entire family. I don’t feel there are any words that I can say that can possibly comfort such a big loss. I can only find comfort in knowing that someday we will be together again.
Through Curtis’ Prayer ministry and hospital visits he touched the lives of not only myself but my family and friends. When needs for prayer came up, I knew that all I had to do was email and through his Putterbud ministry, many would pray for our needs, and so many prayers were answered. Also because of Putterbud we were privileged to be united to pray for each others needs, as he was the channel that God used to unite us all. He willingly and tirelessly was obedient to what God chose for him to do. Even friends and family from other states would ask to have there requests put on Curtis’ Prayer list. His gentle demeanor and kind nature, were gifts that I am so blessed
to have experience and shared in. He was always available with words of encouragement, wisdom and faith. A smile as he greeted people coming into Cole Mill, like they were all his best friends. He by his walk, displayed what a true
Christian was like. always taking the time to listen, guide with scripture, and strong faith. Curtis and Cathy were always open to guiding me with prayer and believing along with me that God would work things out for his glory. Always being understanding,through whatever was happening, always reminding me of God’s timing, not mine.
Curtis was a person who loved as Christ would have us all do, with kind words, always willing to help when needed, loving, forgiving and faithful. He was an inspiration to not only myself, but to my granddaughters who were guided by his prayers and as a teacher with RT 56.
He touched lives with a grateful attitude, that indeed God was working in each of our lives, and he shared in our joy at seeing prayers answered. He loved Christ, and displayed it
cheerfully to every person who was fortunate to meet him.
I am so thankful for the time that God allowed him to be such an important part of our lives.
What a blessing it was to read Curtis Crutchfield’s letter. As the old saying goes ” Weep not for those who knew him rather weep for those who never did”. Surely this applied to Curtis. Thank you for sharing this letter JD.
Don Tyndall
Thank you Curtis for allowing God to use you and for showing me the kind of man I want to be when I am 65. You were the most faithful man of prayer I have ever known. Kathy and Andy, our family is praying for you.
Thanks for posting this letter and your response J.D. I too was honored to serve alongside of Curtis Crutchfield and will dearly miss him. I will cherish those memories of serving a cup of coffee to newcomers at The Summit which was the beginning of The Coffee Bar, the prayer closet on Holt School Rd., the prayer walks on the property on Cole Mill Rd., and saving the glass windows from the church in hopes of a prayer garden being build one day. May God’s grace be with the Crutchfield family and Curtis’s church family where he was so loved.
Praying and Believing
Ellen Tezai
Curtis was truly one of the most Godly men I have ever known. He had a quiet spirit and was mostly behind the scenes, but he was a big man in God’s eyes. His faith is a testimony to so many of what God can do when we pray and trust him. Gary and I will personally miss Curtis and we send our love to Kathy, Andy, Christy and the extended family.
As a relatively new Summit member, I only knew him for a little over a year. Curtis was one of the greatest prayer warriors I ever met. Why was he a great prayer warrior? He delighted in calling out to God in humility and weakness so that God could be strong for the literally countless others for whom he prayed.
And he delighted in seeing others join him in doing the same.
Yes, Curtis, we acutely feel your absence. As JD says, may our merciful Lord God raise up at least 100 more to take his place.
As brokenhearted as I am with the passing of our dear brother in Christ, Curtis (upon whom I have become so dependent for prayer needs), my heart rejoices that he is in the presence of the Lord that he loved and served so selflessly. As Paul stated, for him to live was Christ, but to die was gain. We that are left behind grieve the loss of this incredible man of God. May God comfort our aching hearts.
I am so glad that J.D. shared this letter that expresses just who Curtis Crutchfield was and how dedicated he was to the cause of Christ. No one in our church has more exemplified what it means to be a servant to the body of believers. When I heard of his untimely death, my first thought was that he went directly from service here to serving our Lord in Heaven. And I am comforted by the knowledge that I will one day be serving alongside him once again “when we meet up there.”
Authentic- this man was as authentic as it can get. His heart was clearly for the Father and his faithfulness to his calling was completely consistent. What an honor it was to receive his emails and know his passion for the impact our prayers would have.
Curtis and Bill Cutler together again. Heaven is rejoicing! May we follow the prayer legacy they left behind; it’s a sure road to see them again.
Mr. Curtis loved his God and loved talking to Him. He prayed more for our church, our members, and people he didn’t know more than he prayed for himself. To honor him wasn’t what he would have wanted, but it something that we needed to do. There was a huge celebration today in heaven because of what happen during his funeral. Pastor Rick, Pastor Danny and his son Andy presented the gospel so lovingly that six people gave their hearts to Jesus!! During a time that most people morn and feel sorry for themselves, the Crutchfield family embraced the fact that their husband and father was in heaven and wanted to make sure that everyone present heard and knew the gospel. This is a family of great faith; they comforted most of us instead of us comforting them. Mr. Curtis would have been proud of them, but most of all he wouldn’t have changed a thing because six people gave their hearts to Jesus during a funeral honoring him!!
I’m going to miss you so much Curtis….your love for God and His Word inspired me and built me up…….thank you my brother and mentor……we will continue to pray as you taught and loved……..see you there sir