Rev. B. R. Lakin was Pastor of the Irene Cole Memorial Baptist Church, Fort Gay, West Virginia,
he succeeded the Rev. C. H. Nicholls. B.R. Lakin was born on a farm near Fort Gay, West Virginia. He was converted to Christ at the age of sixteen, during a revival meeting. The preacher that baptized him was the nephew of Devil Anse Hatfield of the Hatfield-McKoy feud families. One week later he preached his first sermon and soon after that time became a circuit riding preacher. He rode a mule to country churches near the forks of the Big Sandy River.
Dr. Lakin attended Moody Bible Institute and pastored several churches. After doing so, he was called by E. Howard Cadle at the Cadle Tabernacle in Indianapolis, Indiana. After Mr. Cadle died, Dr. Lakin became the pastor. During the next fourteen years of ministry in that church, the ministry grew until he was preaching to ten thousand people each Sunday. The services were broadcast nationwide. He was given an honorary doctorate by Bob Jones University and Kletzing College.
In the early 1950's, Dr. Lakin began a thirty year itinerant ministry that included the largest churches in America. He traveled fifty thousand miles each year and preached to an average of four thousand people per week. He witnessed more than one hundred thousand conversions to Christ. His sermons were a combination of sanctified wit, good Bible teaching, and a strong appeal for people to come to Christ.
After more than sixty-five years of preaching, Dr. Lakin went home to his heavenly mansion on March 15, 1984. His funeral was conducted at the Thomas Road Baptist Church in Lynchburg, Virginia. Over five thousand people attended the memorial service.
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