The JDI recording artist grew up singing in the church and school of her hometown in Gainesville, Florida. The world began to take notice each week on Bobby Jones Gospel.
“I sang for six years and still sing with Bobby—he asked me to do the Tom Joyner Cruise this month.” Her high-spirited preaching style comes naturally as she comes from a long line of pastors and evangelists.
“Preaching is in my bones—from a little kid-that’s all I know. I’ve been evangelizing and now pastoring for over 20 years,” she shared. For the past eight years, the singing evangelist has shared the word in song as well as the pulpit where she’s co-pastor at Gainesville Worship Center. “They call us Pastor B and Pastor T,” said Crawford who serves with her husband and manager, Todd Crawford.
The powerful vocalist also spoke candidly about her new role in the ministry. “It has changed my life a whole lot—it is a lot of additional work, besides the work I already do. It causes you to dedicate yourself. Unlike an evangelist, you can’t drop the message and keep going, now you have to stay with the sheep. Now that burden and that blood is on your hands—it’s a higher calling,” she said.
In addition to the Stellar Award winner’s hectic performance schedule, which includes more than 200 concerts and speaking engagements each year, Crawford is excited to embark on a radio career with her husband. “We have our own local radio show weekday mornings from 7 a.m. to 9 a.m. ET. You can listen to praize1075.com for the Todd and Bev Show. My husband did radio in Dallas and we had a vision to do something like this and the Lord has opened that door for us. We are very excited. We are going to do talk, bring friends in from all over the country—it’s going to be awesome!”
To all of her fans and music lovers, get ready for Crawford to come “Sweeping Through the City” with her CD, which will be released in May. Crawford returned to her former home in Dallas to record the CD at Antioch Baptist Church with a 200-person choir. “My kids are on this album doing a We Are The World type song and there is lots of praise and worship as well,” she explained.
The gospel diva’s parting words were to encourage people. “Not to give up with what people are going through. The word through means—I’m coming out. If you can just hang in there as long as you have blood in your veins—you can make it.”