Florida Baptist Witness Article About Evangelist's Recent Election

3-foot-10 evangelist returns to county office returns after 24-year hiatus

 

‘Miraculous’ election seen in overcoming health scare, well-funded incumbent

Dec 6, 2012
By JAMES A. SMITH SR.

OLUSTEE (FBW)—Evangelist James Croft stands only 3-feet, 10-inches tall, but he has big plans for the Baker County Commission, returning to office seeking to fix the county’s budget problems after a more than two-decade hiatus.

Croft, a vocational evangelist widely known in north Florida and south Georgia for his unique ministry, was elected during the August primary, edging out the Republican incumbent with 53 percent of the vote. With no general election opposition, Croft was officially elected in November, taking the oath of office in a Nov. 20 ceremony.

After regularly attending the County Commission meetings in the last two years and concerned about deficit spending, Croft said citizens began to urge him to seek reelection to the body that he first served 1984-1988 before losing a reelection bid. In 1992, he failed in an attempt to return to office.

Although initially resisting the idea of returning to politics, Croft, 54, prayed about the matter and in April decided to seek election, for which he quickly qualified. In May, however, he almost died during gall bladder surgery.

NOTE: Read the entire article at GoFBW.com.