This year’s Spring Commencement speaker and Alumni Achievement Award winner is Crawford Loritts, the senior pastor of Fellowship Bible Church in Roswell, Georgia. With extensive experience as a national evangelist, traveling speaker, and pastor, Crawford exemplifies the mission of Cairn University and is committed to his calling to preach the gospel, serving faithfully in a multitude of contexts.
A prolific speaker, Crawford has spoken at professional sports events, including three Super Bowls and the NCAA Final Four chapel, and at senior military officer gatherings at the Pentagon. He works closely with many Christian organizations, such as Promise Keepers and FamilyLife, speaking at men’s, marriage, and parenting conferences. He is also a visiting professor at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School and the host of Living a Legacy, a daily radio program.
At the age of thirteen, Crawford committed his life to Christ during a Sunday morning service. Since then, he has devoted his life to sharing God’s Word with others.
In 1968, he attended Cairn University, graduating with a BS in Bible with an emphasis in pastoral studies in 1972. In addition to a bachelor’s in Bible, he has been honored with a Doctor of Sacred Theology from Cairn University, a Doctor of Divinity from Biola University, a Doctor of Letters from Trinity International University, and a Doctor of Divinity from Moody Bible Institute.
Using his biblical knowledge from Cairn University and his passion to spread the gospel, Crawford has served in various ministries and organizations. Ordained by Christ Baptist Church in Philadelphia in 1972, he has served as a national evangelist with the American Missionary Fellowship (AMF); an evangelist and church planter with the Urban Evangelistic Mission; co-founder of Oak Cliff Bible Fellowship in Dallas, Texas; founder of Canton Bible Church in Canton, Mississippi; and staff for Campus Crusade for Christ (now CRU). In 2005, he took on a position as senior pastor at Fellowship Bible Church and serves there presently.
Crawford has also written numerous articles and seven books: A Passionate Commitment, Developing Character In Your Child (co-authored with his wife, Karen), For A Time We Cannot See, Leadership as an Identity, Lessons From A Life Coach, Make It Home Before Dark, and Never Walk Away. Through his preaching, teaching, speaking, and writing, he aims to integrate biblical teaching not only into his own life, but into the lives of others.
Crawford and his wife live in Georgia. They have four grown children.