William Hickle was born on this day in 1807. When quite young he put his faith in Christ and soon joined the Little Flat Creek Baptist Church in Tennessee. When he was twenty, and newly married, he surrendered to the Lord’s call to preach the gospel, and he faithfully carried out his duties as one of Christ’s servants for about sixty years. For the most part throughout his life, he would preach on the Lord’s Day – primarily at the Cedar Ford or the Prospect Baptist Church with once in a while traveling to minister to other congregations. But during the spring, summer and fall months, he would spend Monday to Friday farming some rather unproductive soil in order to feed his family of eleven children. One historian remarked, “Uncle Billy Hickle did more as a preacher and received less pay than any man in Tennessee.” It is said that Brother Hickle could hold the attention of an audience better than most. During a meeting at the Lyon’s Creek Baptist Church, a known Methodist sat in the audience. As pastor Hickle was brilliantly sharing the gospel truth, the elderly Methodist was getting more and more blessed. He finally blurted out, “Hold on, Brother Hickle, hold on! I don’t want to interrupt you! But I can’t stand any more,” and he began publicly praising the Lord. Pastor William Hickle died at his home on June 23, 1891.
