I met with the Reverend Gary Beeler in early May when I had the pleasure of learning about his inspiring spiritual journey and career. Although he retired as pastor of Fairview Baptist Church some 15 years ago, his work for the Lord did not end there.
But let’s go back to the beginning.
Rev. Beeler grew up the son of a proprietor of a general store and service station, his family business dating back to 1905 in the area where Union County Boat Dock is today.
Preceding the construction of Norris Dam, TVA bought their land for the lake, giving families time to move out. Rev. Beeler’s grandfather and his sons tore down everything they had: two houses, three barns, every building, even pulled up the fences, and using a 1926 model Ford one-ton truck (bought new for $627) and farm wagon, and hauled it all to their new location on Tazewell Pike. After two years working day and night six days a week, they rebuilt everything on their new land in the area that is now Mountain View estates on Tazewell Pike.
Starting at the tender age of eight, Rev. Beeler helped his father by working at the Pit Stop back when Tazewell Pike was a gravel road. Electricity didn’t make it there until 1948 when, like many farmers, his father was subcontracted to help pave the road.
Pulling a packer with his tractor, the reverend’s father packed the paving materials down from Peters Road to the Knox County line. When he arrived home from school, Rev. Beeler got to jump on the tractor and work his first paying job—at eight years old—earning 50 cents per day! He later contracted out to other farms and worked at the family service station, Beeler’s Gulf and Grocery.
Rev. Beeler was saved at age eight at Clear Branch Baptist Church. During a Royal Ambassadors class, the teacher asked if anyone was feeling called into the ministry. He chuckled as he recalled that no one was more surprised than he when his arm shot up and he exclaimed, “I am!”
But as many people often do, as he got a little older he put that notion on the back burner. After completing grammar school at Plainview and graduating from Horace Maynard High School in 1958, he joined the Army and left for basic training that September. After completing his initial tour of duty, he served 12 years in the Army Reserves.
In 1961, Rev. Beeler married his high school sweetheart, Ruth Chesney; they have enjoyed 58 years of marriage, raising three sons, and currently have five grandchildren and five great-grandchildren. Beeler states emphatically “Family is the most precious thing on earth!”
After active duty, he began to support his family as a real estate broker, and then he and his wife began to acquire and run small businesses until they ultimately owned five. He was working hard toward his personal goal of becoming a millionaire by age 50.
His wife took the boys to church at Clear Branch for a revival, and he soon followed. He and his father were baptized together, and after joining the church served as a deacon for three years and then announced his call to enter the ministry.
When he answered the Lord’s call into ministry, Rev. Beeler’s vision and personal goals changed. He sold everything to serve as pastor full time. As the church where he served grew, so did his vision to see the lost come to a saving relationship with Jesus Christ.
He shared his vision and the Lord just kept leading people to pull together in what ultimately became the county-wide crusade at Wilson Park. The Lord’s hand could be seen working in extraordinary ways to provide all of the equipment for the first crusade in 1998, with funding appearing after the event.
The organizers had to step out in faith, and every need was supplied and every bill paid in full within 30 days without asking for an offering! They formed a 501(c)3 and named it “Crusade Ministries, Inc.”
Although Rev. Beeler retired from full-time pastoring at age 65, he is still actively following the Lord’s lead on his heart, which at the tender age of 80 is still an enlarging vision of seeing souls saved through crusades and showing love to others by providing handyman services such as fixing driveways, mowing yards or providing firewood for those in need.

Rev. Beeler shares that, like George Jones, he “don’t need no rocking chair!”
His closing advice is to pray and make yourself available, and God will use you. Submitting is the key.