Originally published in My Christian Daily
The Bible is composed of 66 books, 929 chapters, and 31 102 verses, amounting to 783 137 words in the King James version. Dr Shelvie Summerlin dedicates two to three hours a day to reading the Bible, a practice he has undertaken nearly every morning since he embarked on a church project in 1962.
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He has read the Bible over 1 025 times over the course of 63 years in walking with the Lord!
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Inspired by the knowledge that evangelist George Muller had read the Bible 200 times, Summerlin saiid: “I started out with that goal and I hit it pretty quick and just kept going.” He carefully recorded his readings in ledgers to keep track.
“I set out to lead my congregation through the Bible at least one time per year,” he explained. Although the congregation eventually moved on to other studies, Summerlin continued this practice.
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For Summerlin, the Bible never grows old. “It’s like a new book every time you start,” he said. His favourite passage is Romans 8:1: “There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.” This was the first chapter he ever memorised.
Now 95 years old, Summerlin no longer serves as a pastor but continues to speak in churches. Much of his Bible reading is spent searching for sermon topics. “You overlook those things unless you’re looking for them,” he said. “I call it looking for a nugget every day, and I’ve been able to find one.”
From military service to ministry
Summerlin joined the 7th Air Force towards the end of World War II. His eight years of military service included a tour in the South Pacific, where he was part of a support unit for a nuclear weapon test. During a leave, he became engaged to his childhood sweetheart, Myrtle, and they married in June 1949.
Summerlin’s gradual journey into faith was influenced by his older brother Ralph, who “got religion” in the mid-1940s. While stationed in Macon,GA in 1951, he served as a pastor and helped raise funds to build a church. Later, during his time in Newfoundland, where he served as personnel sergeant major for an Air Force wing, he took on unofficial chaplain duties for seven squadrons in Newfoundland, Labrador and Iceland. Two of their children were welcomed during his time in Newfoundland.
Upon leaving the military in 1954 Summerlin entered, and although his plan to go to Seminary did not materialize, he was ordained by the Assemblies of God and led multiple churches. While pastoring First Assembly of God in Adel he met Dr Charles Travis, president of Logos College in Jacksonville, Florida, and recognised the need for further education to lead his congregation effectively.
This led to his earning a Doctorate of Literature in Humane Letters from Logos College and later receiving an honorary degree from North Florida Seminary.
Summerlin and his brother Ralph, who passed away in 2015 at the age of 89, were both ministers. The Assemblies of God recognised them as the only two brothers to each pastor for 50 years in the denomination.
Supporting church building and financing
Since his early days in Macon, where he first became involved in church construction, Summerlin has understood the difficulties churches face in securing loans. In the early 1970s, he and his wife established Provident Church Ministries, a corporation aimed at financing church construction.
By 1978, the corporation encountered problems due to mismanagement, leading Summerlin to take over as chairman. The company had just $2 (R36) in the bank at the time, a low point commemorated by a framed $2 bill in his office.
It took seven years to turn the organisation around, but since then, Provident Church Ministries has financed over 300 churches. Despite the challenges, Summerlin noted that “churches have been very reliable at paying off their loans,” with only one foreclosure in 52 years.
A lifelong passion for tools
Upon returning to Moultrie in the 1950s, Summerlin entered the general contracting business and later purchased A&S Rents, a company that included one of the largest millworks shops in the Southeast. The business grew, with three stores eventually being sold to River City Rentals of Tennessee in 2022. Summerlin’s family remains involved in these businesses.
Over the years, Summerlin developed a deep interest in hammers, amassing a collection of over 3,000, which are displayed in his office. At one point, his collection was considered one of the largest in the U.S. He also has a significant collection of Case knives, which he started collecting in 1960.
Reflecting on his life’s journey, Summerlin said: “The whole thing is, I’ve had a good time. There’s a lot of work, but it’s been a joy.”
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