On February 20, 2005, in Folkston, GA, my father was honored for fifty years of preaching the gospel. At age 15, in Butler, OK, he preached his first sermon entitled, "Why I Am A Member of the Church of Christ." From that time forward he was invited to preach by appointment on a regular basis in Oklahoma and Texas. Being too young to drive, he had to depend upon relatives and brethren to drive him to and from his preaching appointments. To mark the occasion of his 50th anniversary, he preached the same sermon as he had preached at the very beginning. Afterwards, the Folkston brethren presented him with a plaque.

Daddy was born in the heart of Texas on November 10, 1939, in the ranching town of Burnet. He married his high school sweetheart, Loretta Crow, in 1958. Mama died in 1994. He is the son, father, father-in-law, and brother of gospel preachers. His father, F.F. Conley, preached for 61 years. His brother, Frazier, has preached for over 45 years. His son-in-law, Robert Barcroft, for four. His oldest grandson, Kenny Barcroft, is a Bible major at Freed-Hardeman University and is an intern at Apologetics Press.

His first full-time work was with the Sixth Street church in Brownwood, TX. Since that time, he has preached for nine different congregations in four states. Chronologically, those churches are the church at Marble Falls, TX; the Northside church in Austin, TX; the church at Round Rock, TX; the Chestnut Drive church in Atlanta, GA; Hickory Knoll in New Orleans, LA; the church in Slidell, LA; and the Northern Oaks church in San Antonio, TX for 15 years. In 1987, the church there was meeting in a rented storefront next to a "honky tonk." Nonetheless, the Northern Oaks church grew from around 40 members to over 150, and went through two building programs in less than 7 years. In 2002, he moved to work with the Lord's church in Sullivan, MO. He has been with the Lord's church in Folkston, GA, for the past year and a half.

He has engaged in three public debates, two with Catholics in 1995 and 1996, both resulting in several baptisms. In the '95 debate he debated two opponents. He has written several books, one on 1 Corinthians and another on Occultism. Currently, he is writing a commentary on the book of Revelation. He attended UT (Austin), John Marshall Law School, and the U of the State of NY (BS). Teaching is his first love, and he can be seen teaching over the Internet for the "Online Academy of Biblical Studies."

He and his wife, Judy, presently make their home in Jacksonville, FL. He commutes every Lord's Day across the state line to preach.

It is my hope that he may have many more years in which to preach God's Word. The apostle Paul asks, "... and how shall they hear without a preacher?" (Romans 10:14) For over half a century, thousands have been blessed to hear a rare one, my father, Darrell Conley. -102 Laramie Rd., Marietta, OH 45750.

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