Obedient Rebel

Born in a charity ward in Houston, Texas, raised by grandparents in a ghetto section of Houston, and an undisputed gang leader by age 16, Gage accepted Christ in a Dan Vestal, Sr. revival in 1951, at the Melrose Baptist Church, and was called that same night by God to preach. Toby Druin in The Baptist Standard says,

"He hit the sawdust trail five months later and today, after 1300 revivals and area- wide crusades, has preached to more Southern Baptists in a local church setting than any other evangelist in SBC history."

After preaching over 1,000 revivals, and speaking in 3,000 High School assembly programs, Gage experienced burnout and depression and was hospitalized for depression and anxiety attacks in 1978. He then made an unbelievable comeback and preached over 300 of the most God-anointed successful harvest crusades in the history of the Southern Baptist Convention.

In more than four decades since his conversion, he has become one of the SBC's premier evangelists, a legend among SBC churches and his peers in the ministry. Gage has spoken face-to- face to millions and to untold millions on radio and television. The first evangelist to be invited to speak in high school assembly programs in the Southland, Gage has spoken in over 3,000 high school assembly programs to more than two million young people.

As a direct result of his God-given ministry, more than one million people have professed faith in Jesus Christ.

Like David, Gage has not forgotten the pit from whence he came (Psalm 40:2). Dr. Don C. Berry, past President of the SBC Pastors' Conference, states: "His pulpit is a prison, a jail cell, death row, a high school assembly program, the sidewalk of the ghettos, teenage hangouts, a lonely hospital room where he hears the anguished cries of a youth who claws the air as he struggles from the pain of drug withdrawal, a crowded church, a football stadium, radio, television, or a funeral where he conducts the service for a youth who has died as a victim of drugs or alcohol." Gage's policy has led him to rescue missions and rural churches preaching to only a few.

Despite his laurels, Gage focuses on wife, Barbara, and their four sons, Daniel, Paul, Rick and Rodney, " ...all of whom are ordained Southern Baptist ministers focusing on evangelism or church-related ministries" (Evangelism Today). Freddie and Barbara are proud of their sons' accomplishments especially in light of his feelings that "...there is a crisis facing evangelism and soul winning today."