More than 400 people gathered April 10 in Anderson to pay tribute to 90-year-old Craig Neil, a long-serving pastor and former director of the city’s Haven of Rest Ministries.
Craig NeilCraig, who preached the gospel for 55 years and was a pastor for 42 years, was honored by family and friends at a celebration event at Homeland Park Baptist Church, where he formerly served as pastor for more than 16 years.
“Rev. Neil is truly a great man of God,” said Glenn Thomason, who became a Christian along with his wife after Neil shared the gospel with them in their home. Thomason later responded to a calling to preach and is now pastor of Dorchester Baptist Church in Belton. Thomason said several more “preacher boys” were called to ministry under Neil’s leadership.
Throughout his life, Neil “literally took the Great Commission and put it into practice,” Thomason said, leading many people to salvation. Thomason said Neil “has been humbled by what we have done in his honor and gives God all the glory.”
Neil was called to preach in 1955. He graduated from Anderson College and attended Erskine College. His first church was Martha Drive Baptist Church, a mission of Anderson First Baptist. He later served at Southside Baptist in Abbeville, Homeland Park Baptist in Anderson and Shiloh Baptist in Anderson before retiring.
In retirement, he served seven churches as interim pastor and was asked to take over Anderson’s Haven of Rest Ministries, which he led for more than four years. He is now legally blind, but he still preaches when his health permits.
At the event honoring Neil, speakers included the mayor of Anderson and John Dill, director of missions for Saluda Baptist Association. Also, video messages from South Carolina Baptist Convention executive director-treasurer Jim Austin and Southern Baptist Convention president Johnny Hunt were played.