CRESTVIEW — If the future is anything like Paul Conrad’s past, the beloved First Baptist Church of Crestview’s music minister won’t be retired long.
Though Conrad officially retired after Sunday’s services, his fellow ministers say he’s threatened to retire before and just never does it.
“My ‘last Sunday’ was the last Sunday in December, but we had a revival coming up and they asked me to stay on for that, so then we thought I might as well stay through the month,” he said.
Conrad and his wife, Phyllis, plan to retire to their small farm in Georgia, where he’ll offer his service to local churches on a part-time or interim supply basis, he said.
RENOWNED CHOIR
Among his accomplishments, Conrad points to First Baptist's youth choir as one of his favorite achievements.
“We had a good adult choir, and we had kids, but they were nowhere as strong as they’ve become,” he said. “Our youth choir sings every Sunday night.”
The Rev. Randall Jenkins, education minister, said the youth choir’s summer performance tours are renowned, especially at a time when few youth choirs tour anymore.
“It’s just something we’ve morphed into over the years,” Conrad said. “They’re strong kids. They’re dedicated.”
For many of the kids, the tours have been their only opportunity to venture out of the Florida Panhandle, senior pastor the Rev. Alan Kilgore said.
“Through the choir ministry, the kids have seen a lot of national landmarks,” he said.
Some of the trips have left indelible memories, Conrad said.
“When we were in New York, we sang in Times Square,” he said. “It was spontaneous. I asked a policeman if we could sing and he said, ‘I’m not going to tell you you can’t.’ We got our pitch and we sang the spiritual, ‘Shut de Do’.’ We had about 500 people all around us cheering us on.”
GOOD PEOPLE
Conrad has been the church's longest-tenured minister in recent memory, Jenkins said.
“He’s stayed here longer than most pastors,” Jenkins said.
Conrad said the reality of retirement still hasn’t quite sunk in.
“I’ve caught myself saying, ‘I’ve got to get ready for Easter,’ then, oh, no I don’t,” he said. “I’ve got to do this or that. Oh, no I don’t. Sometimes I wonder if I’m really ready for this.”
Fellow pastors shared funny stories about their music minister.
“He has a habit of leaving the office with the lights on,” Kilgore said. “I started locking his door and turning up his thermostat. So he got even with me and took the lock out. It fell apart in his hand. We only just got it fixed.”
Kilgore and Jenkins said Conrad refuses to change his watch from standard time.
“If Jesus came back, Paul would be an hour late to the Rapture,” Kilgore said.
“Unless he came back on Daylight Savings Time,” Conrad responded.
Conrad said in retirement, he will miss the people of First Baptist most.
“This is the best church I’ve ever served, and the best choirs,” he said.
“He’s a good guy,” Jenkins said. “That’s an incredible legacy he’s leaving after a quarter-century.”
“It sounds like a long time if you say it that way,” Conrad said.
Then, as he left his office, he paused at the door and switched off the light.
Email News Bulletin Staff Writer Brian Hughes, follow him on Twitter or call 850-682-6524.
This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: 'Incredible legacy': First Baptist's music minister retires