Craig Franklin was born on June 25, 1969. At the age of seven, he walked down an isle of a church where the preacher set him down on the first pew, had him fill out a card, and told him he was saved. A few weeks later, he was baptized and for years believed this was his “salvation” experience.

As he grew up, he was always active in church as his family attended services every time the doors were opened. In middle school, Craig, along with the other three Franklin children, sang gospel songs as a group in many churches. While attending high school, he along with one of his brothers, formed another group with some friends after Craig taught himself to play the guitar and his brother taught himself to play the bass guitar. They sang in many venues and following high school entered the recording studio to make their first tape.

Shortly thereafter, the group disbanded as Craig surrendered to the gospel ministry at Fellowship Baptist Church in Trout, Louisiana, under pastor Bill Robertson. He then moved to Delhi, Louisiana, where he served as youth minister at First Baptist Church under pastor Everett Geis, Sr. Some three years later, he moved to Olla, Louisiana, where he served as music and youth minister under pastor Harold Danley at Pine Hill Baptist Church. While serving with Bro. Harold, Craig had the opportunity to travel to many different churches leading music in revival meetings as Bro. Harold preached. They also led in many camps, retreats, conferences, and other services across the south.

One August night in 1994, while leading in revival meetings in Ouachita Parish, God revealed to Craig that the salvation experience he’d depended upon for all his life when he was seven years old was a lie. There had never been any true repentance, never been a total surrender to the Lordship of Christ, and despite all his “good” works and work in the church, he was nothing more than a hypocritical sinner who would bust hell wide open.

The passage of scripture the Holy Spirit used to change Craig’s life is found in Matthew 7:21-23: “Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in they name? And in thy name have cast out devils? And in they name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.”

That night he shared this insight with Bro. Harold as they drove home from the revival meeting and his pastor told him he would pray for him as God dealt with him about what to do. Sleep would not come for Craig that night as the Holy Spirit continued to convict him about his need for true salvation.

The following day, Bro. Harold picked him up to go eat lunch. Sitting in a stall at a Sonic Drive-In, the pastor asked if he come to some decision concerning what they discussed the previous night. After some discussion, Craig bowed his head, repented of his sin, and asked Jesus to save him. AND HE DID! Right there in that Sonic Drive-In stall, shortly after 11 a.m. on Friday, August 12, 1994, Craig Franklin was saved by the power of Jesus Christ. It was the first time in Craig’s life there was genuine peace in his heart concerning his salvation. Despite all that he’d done previously for the cause of Christ, he now knew that he was God’s child and life took on a whole new meaning.

Although there was peace in his heart, soon there would come devastation to his life. A few months after Craig and his wife had their first child, his wife left him following only five years of marriage. Depression set in as Craig tried to deal with his wife leaving so soon after he’d truly been born again and eventually that depression led to an animosity toward God. Shortly after, he resigned his positions at Pine Hill BC and entered the field of law enforcement where he worked as a deputy sheriff for over three years.

But in true Biblical fashion, as hard as Craig tried to run from God there was no place he could go. Eventually, God led him to the place where he repented of his attitude, feelings, and sin that were associated with his wife’s leaving and God in turn began to perform great miracles in his life.

Along with gaining custody of his son, God brought a beautiful woman named Kim Kitterlin into his life, and the two of them eventually married. Many years prior, Kim had played the piano for Craig and his brother with their high school gospel group. Although there were no feelings then, the two were brought together by God at the right time. Like Craig, Kim’s testimony nearly echoed his. Brought up in church and walking an isle at an early age, it wasn’t until a few months after they were married that she was truly born again.

With their marriage, Craig and Kim began to raise their two children, Tyler, from Craig’s first marriage, and Reagan, Kim’s daughter. Both were born in 1995 and are best friends. In 2001, the couple had their third child, Tanner Clay, and in 2005, their fourth child, Trace Conner, was born. In July 2007, Kassie Grace Franklin, the couple’s fifth child was born but died six hours after birth due to a rare birth defect called anencephaly.

In 1999, Craig quit the law enforcement sector and began serving as Assistant Editor at his father’s newspaper, The Jena Times. In 2000, he began serving at East Jena Baptist Church under Craig James as their music minister. It was a position he would hold until January 28, 2007, when he officially entered the field of music evangelism with his family. In June of 2009, Craig resigned his position at the newspaper and began walking by faith in FULL TIME evangelism.

“Jesus has been so good to me that there is no way I’ll ever be able to repay him,” Craig said. “He is truly the God of second-chances. While everyone else may have given up on me, God did not. He gave me a second opportunity for salvation, a second opportunity for a Godly family, and a second opportunity to have a small part in his kingdom work on this earth. I’ve committed to Him that I’ll serve him for the rest of my life no matter where He leads.”

In 2006, Tyler, made his profession of faith in Jesus Christ and in 2009 Reagan make her profession of faith with Craig having the honor of baptizing both of them. Also in 2009, Tyler surrendered his life to the Gospel ministry. The couple continues to pray for the rest of their children, that God will reveal himself to them at the right time, in order that they will also come to the saving faith in Jesus.

The Franklin Family travels across the nation sharing the Good News of Jesus through song, testimony, and preaching. They minister on a “love offering” basis only and do not turn down any opportunity to minister based on financial limitations of a church or group.