Bishop Herman Crockett Jr.

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       Bishop Herman Crockett, Jr. is the oldest of eight brothers, born to the union of Eddie M. Crockett and the late Herman Crockett, Sr. in Houston, Mississippi. He was educated in the public schools of Marked Tree, Arkansas graduating in 1967. He graduated with honors in 1969 from the Delta Vocational Technical School in Marked Tree. After graduating from Delta, he was drafted into the United States Army and was honorably discharged in June of 1971 after serving his country for two years. 

      Bishop Crockett began his preaching ministry at the age of eighteen and has been in ministry for more than forty-five years, in response to the call of God upon his life. At the age of twenty-nine he was called to pastor Faith and Hope Temple Church of God in Christ in Petersburg, Virginia where he continues to be effective in ministry. His ministry has served and continues to serve as a training ground for men and women who are in the area to fulfill military responsibilities. This training has well equipped many in establishing their ministries throughout the United States and foreign countries. Bishop Crockett has begotten many sons and daughters in the Lord throughout his many years in ministry. He has mentored many who have gone on to become successful bishops, pastors, and great leaders in Christendom.

 

     God has truly used the life of Bishop Crockett since his ministry began many years ago through powerful preaching, teaching and prophetic ministries. He is a lover of people, a true humanitarian! He believes the composite of a man consists of body, soul, and spirit and every aspect of his life must be nurtured. This is why Bishop Crockett has never lost focus of his true purpose for ministry, “To Minister to the Total Person!” through pastoral care, prayer, training, outreach, and fellowship focusing on a common end the ministry of reconciliation as found in II Corinthians 5:18–20. With this strong conviction, Bishop Crockett has spent many years devising programs to meet these needs of the total person. Some of these programs include: providing services for AIDS victims and their families, feeding the hungry on a weekly basis, nursing home and prison ministries, working with and nurturing disadvantage youth, and assisting Social Services to provide programs to salvage drug addicted young individuals. 

     

     His love for people and their well-being continued in 2002 when he became heavily involved with the City of Petersburg’s Weed and Seed Program, a program with two prongs that support his ministry of the Total Person. The goal of the Weed and Seed program is to transform the city into a better place to live through the law enforcement agencies and prosecutors cooperating in weeding out violent crimes and drug abuse; and seeding in human services through prevention, intervention, treatment, and neighborhood revitalization. As a result of Bishop Crockett’s untiring effort in the tri-cities of Virginia, he was awarded the Certificate of Appreciation by the Petersburg Police Department in 2003 for dedication, performance, and involvement in the Weed and Seed Program; he was awarded the Martin Luther King, Jr. Award for Religious Affairs in 2004. Bishop Crockett is and has always been a servant, hard worker, and an educator. Before entering into full-time ministry, he was employed by Allied Chemical of Hopewell, Virginia for 15 years. He later worked as a substitute teacher in the Petersburg and Hopewell Public School Systems. He worked as an Adjunct Professor at St. Leo’s College, Fort Lee, Virginia. He has continued to educate people by establishing the Faith and Hope Temple Institute, where he trains and prepares men and women for the ministry. 

      He has a wealth of professional experience and has served in many capacities within the Church of God in Christ from the local to the national level. During the 80’s, Bishop Crockett served on the Credential Committee of the Church of God in Christ International, under the leadership of Bishop Nathaniel Wells. In 1981 he was appointed to the position of Superintendent of the Capital District, Virginia 3rd, a position he held until 2004. During that time, he chaired the Pastors’ and Elders’ Council (1998–2004), served on the Ordination Board for the 3rd Jurisdiction for more than 20 years, and served as the chairman of the Blue Ribbon Committee. 

      Locally, he has been a Volunteer Chaplain for Southside Regional Medical Center, Petersburg, Virginia; Volunteer Chaplain for the Federal Prison, Petersburg, Virginia; served on the Community Relations Board of Federal Prison, Petersburg, Virginia; President of Petersburg Area Clergy Association from 1993–1994; Wesley Westminster Board of Virginia State University; Director of the Community Choir; and he served as the off campus advisor to the United Pentecostal Organization at Virginia State University during the early 80’s. 

     

     Bishop Crockett has served as an Administrative Assistant to the Bishop of the Third Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction of Virginia, the late Bishop Levi E. Willis, Sr. Presently, he is the 1st Administrative Assistant to the Bishop of the Fourth Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction of Virginia, Bishop G. Wesley Hardy. He is a volunteer Chaplain for John Randolph Hospital. Additionally, he serves on the Steering Committee of The Petersburg Weed and Seed Program and is the chairperson of its Neighborhood Restoration Sub-Committee. 

    

     He has amassed many educational accomplishments to include; an Associate of Science degree in Business Administration from John Tyler Community College; a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration from Virginia State University; and a Master of Divinity from Virginia Union University School of Theology. In 2005, he graduated from the Ministers Police Academy of Petersburg Bureau of Police, and in 2006, The Trinity Bible College of Richmond, VA bestowed upon him the Honorary Doctorate of the Ministry. He also studied Computer Science from the College of William and Mary. 

    Bishop Crockett has been the Pastor of Faith and Hope Temple Church of God In Christ for more than 31 years. Since he became pastor in 1979, he has led the church in many capital projects such as the purchasing of real estate and making other profitable investments. In 1994, he moved the congregation from a building that seated a 150 people, which had no dining facility to another facility, which seated 150 people which also housed a dining facility and had the capacity to house a daycare of more than 50 children. In 2002, Bishop Crockett led the congregation in a capital drive and purchased a worship center which occupied 4.5 acre and can seat as many as 1000 people. 

    He is constantly expanding the ministry to include hurting women, disadvantaged youth, after school programs, training in computer literacy, and health related problems. All of these ministries and many more keeps in line with the Great Commission, as found in Matthew 28:19 where we are told to go into all the world and make disciples of all people. God has used Bishop Crockett not only to minister to people’s spirit by preaching and teaching, but also to minister to their physical, social, and emotional needs by other avenues that God has given him. 

    He is a true family man. He will have been married to his soul mate, the former Martha L. Jones, for 46 years on June 24, 1970. He is the father of three wonderful daughters: Tabitha, Sheree, and Mikela, all who work diligently in the ministry. Also, he has three sons-in-law, and a host of grandchildren. 

     Bishop Crockett is an extra ordinary man with an extra ordinary gift of humility. Though not impossible, but certainly seldom, can Satan throw something on him to cause him to get out of character. If you were to ask Bishop Crockett how does he maintain his joy in the midst of his most trying circumstances, he would say, “No matter what happens, I will continue to give God the glory due his name, because if He doesn’t do anything else for me, He has already done more than enough.”