Our Shepherd
Ron Crawford
Pastor
Pastor Ron Crawford
Reverend Crawford, showing himself approved before God received his Bachelor of Arts degree in Pastoral Studies from the Washington Bible College. He has served at many levels during his walk with Christ.
In 1996, his heart was convicted that it was God’s will for him to plant a new church; one with a different look and feel, than traditional church ministries. He felt the need to move from a pastor-dominated environment to a pastor-facilitated environment that would be interactive – where people contribute to their own process of change; where contemporary praise and worship, real life stories and relevant preaching dominate the environment; and a place where people are motivated to run a better race for Christ.
Pastor Crawford looks for this kind of ministry to not only produce change and growth within the body of New Vision, but to also give birth to new churches in key communities across the Washington DC Metropolitan area.
He serves as the leader for a group of pastors in the Maryland area that promotes church planting. Pastor Crawford also has partnered with pastors in the Bowie area that seek to promote unity, diversity and the expansion of the gospel of Christ. New Vision is in partnership with a conference whose primary goal is to plant churches and spread the good news throughout all communities.
Pastor Ron, believes that making scripture personal is key to one’s relationship with Christ. One of his personal favorites is Luke 6:38, “Give and it will be given to you…” He believes, if the church conveys the multifaceted grace of God in relevant ways to people, then ministries cannot help but receive God’s selective blessings and promote a kingdom where Christ reigns as king.
The ministry of New Vision is doing all that it can through God’s empowerment to make that a reality.
I grew up in my grandfather’s church; First Baptist Church of Highland Park. At age nine, I joined church and was baptized. I did so because my mother told me that I could not take communion unless I was baptized.
By the time I reached age 12, I stopped attending church and started hanging in the streets.
A great deal of my pursuit for solace in the streets was the separation of my parents. I was insecure and therefore open to being lead in the wrong direction. Between the ages of 12-15, I lived as far away from the church as possible. During this time of separation from the church I used alcohol, marijuana and hung around with the wrong type of crowd.
Then one day my sister invited me to a revival. I told her that I was not dressed properly to attend. I had plaits in my hair and was wearing jeans. But finally I consented to attend and for the first time I heard a clear and convicting presentation of the gospel of Jesus Christ. It wasn’t that the gospel had never been presented to me before, but rather I was spiritually blind and deaf. But that night my blinders were lifted and my hearing restored and I accepted Jesus Christ as my personal savior.
For about a year afterwards, I floundered back and forth in my Christian walk. God then brought me to a point of making a decision, by circumstances. He allowed things to occur in my life that subsequently lead to my selling out to Jesus. When the decision was made real changes started to take place in my behavior. The insecurity that had plagued me seemed to be taken away. I learned that I was somebody in Christ alone; and didn’t have to prove myself to anyone. I contribute these changes to a Bible Class I joined and faithfully attended for five years.
The Lord is continuing to provide all I need to navigate through life. I am learning to trust Him no matter what the circumstances. I have now been saved for 23 years. I am active in the ministry, testifying about the provision of God. The word of God lights the pathway of my life and tells me that Jesus will never leave me or forsake me. How’s that for security? I also realize that my personal relationship with Jesus Christ and the grace He gives me daily is the impetus behind any past, present or future accomplishments. My aspiration is to be an effective steward of the spiritual gifts that God has given me, in order to fulfill the work of the ministry, in my life.
People often approach Pastor Crawford to seek guidance and to ask questions about the ministry here at New Vision. Some take the opportunity to share how the ministry has blessed them, while others share how they have experienced a fresh perspective of God’s word as preached and taught by Pastor Ron. Many say that the ministry has made a difference in the quality of life they choose to live.
Pastor Ron is very transparent in his personal relationship with Christ, and in his ministry calling. It encourages many to continue to seek God’s guidance and to faithfully accept God’s provision for their life.
Often, Pastor Ron will share personal life experiences as a husband, father and minister as an example of how God continually perfects our walk in Christ. He values his family and believes they are the proving ground God uses to evaluate whether or not his faith is genuine.
His wonderful wife, Brenda also loves the Lord; and she lives and depends on God’s faithfulness. Like Paul in Philippians 1:6, she feels”… confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ.”
Brenda, is Pastor’s helpmate. She brings to the body of New Vision a quiet yet intuitive spirit that compliments the teachings and vision of the ministry. As pastor’s wife, she is his friend and encourager in the myriad of responsibilities involved in leading such an exciting and vibrant ministry as New Vision. Brenda is most energized when being used by the Lord in building up of His kingdom. She ministers with her husband here at New Vision. She is also a discipleship leader and leads the women’s ministry, Jewels Anointed by God (TJAG), at New Vision.
While ministry and family are full time responsibilities and a top priority for Pastor and his wife, they do reserve time for relaxation. Pastor and Brenda enjoy many of the same sports, vacationing spots, and other outdoor activities.
Pastor Crawford firmly believes that trusting in the Lord to continually provide all that he needs to navigate through life is critical to his Christian walk and in leading others to Christ. He is very active in the ministry, testifying about the provision of God. And, how the word of God lights the pathway of his life. He makes it known all too well that it is through his personal relationship with Jesus Christ that he’s afforded the Father’s grace daily. It is the impetus behind any past, present or future accomplishments he will make. Pastor Ron’s aspiration is to be an effective steward of the spiritual gifts that God has given him, in order to fulfill the work of the ministry, in his life. He has an innovative and transparent style in teaching and preaching the gospel. It provides real life answers for real life circumstances that enable people to apply God’s principles to their life through practical application on a daily basis. The benefits of doing so can be heard in testimonials from New Vision members and guests as they share how Pastor Crawford’s teaching and preaching is empowering.
At New Vision, Faith is Truly Exciting and Lives Are Being Changed.