When God measures a man, he does not estimate the elements of greatness as does man. God does not measure the greatness of a man by his physical prowess, though this may be an asset to the man; neither does God take into account the wealth that one possesses, though one may use wealth to the honor and the glory of God; nor does God base his estimate upon man from the patriotism that is attributed to man, though a love of one's country may help one to be great; nor does God reckon only the intellectual powers of man, though these may help him fill his mission in an acceptable way. God's measure of greatness of anyone is based upon the service that one renders in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. When measured according to this standard, R.L. Gillentine was a great man. Richard Leek Gillentine was born in Van Buren County, Tennessee, not far from Spencer, January 28, 1852. He was the youngest child of " Squire" John Gillentine. His father was one of the first settlers of the historic little town of Spencer. He figured largely in the affairs of his county. John Gillentine served as a justice of the peace for many years and was chairman of the county court for a long period of time. He was one of the promoters of Burritt College and the first president of the board of trustees of that college. He was a publicepirited man and did much to promote the civic affairs of his town and county. John Gillentine was reared in the Baptist faith. He belonged to that branch of the Baptists known in that country as "Hardshell Baptists." The Hardshell Baptist Church withdrew fellowship from him because he permitted the Separate Baptists to hold meetings in his house. After being dismissed from the Baptist Church he studied the Bible, and later became a member of the church of Christ. He reared his family in the fear of God and in the knowledge of his truth. The Gillentine family had left to it a rich legacy of a Christian father and mother. Young Gillentine inherited a deeply pious nature and strong intellectual powers of mind. There were but few advantages for mental development and soul culture among the mountain people where he grew up. However, these mountain folk were richly endowed with the simple elements of frugal industry and honesty. They had their code of honor, and they strictly followed it. R. L. Gillentine was reared among the simple folk of that mountain country and attended the schools of his county. His education was attained under great difficulty. His school days were interrupted much by nonattendance. He seldom had the advantage of more than three months of schooling at a time. He was eleven years old when the Civil War began. This deprived him of many school advantages. During the war he moved to Monroe County, Kentucky, and there attended school for two short terms. One of his teachers was William Sewell, a brother of the justly famous and lamented E. G. Sewell. In 1869 his father died, leaving the responsibility of caring for his mother and sisters upon his shoulders. He was seventeen years old when his father died, and the responsibilities of providing for the family were so great upon him that he never had an opportunity of attending school any more. No one is to infer from this that Brother Gillentine was an uneducated man. He was well informed and could discourse in conversation intelligently and profitably upon any topic of the day. Brother Gillentine became a Christian in early life. His was a rich, pious nature, and the stories revealed in the Bible made profound impressions on his heart and helped to mold and direct his life. While a child he often wept at hearing told the stories of the Bible, and especially the suffering of our Savior. Many times when he would hear read the New Testament, describing the sufferings and death of Jesus, he would go off in a secluded place and weep. His heart was kept tender by the memory of the sufferings of his Lord. He became familiar with the Bible and delighted in the study of the word of God. We may know that one who was so deeply impressed with the truth of God and one who had a tender conscience could not refrain from telling the old story of the cross with pathos and power. Brother Gillentine began preaching in his early twenties and continued throughout his life. There was a great need for preachers in that mountain country at that time, and Brother Gillentine met in a large measure the needs of his countrymen. He loved the truth of God and loved to preach the gospel. There is not a precinct in that mountain country that he did not visit and proclaim the gospel as God's power to save. He rode horseback thousands of miles and taught the people the plan of salvation and encouraged them to accept it. He taught God's people the way of the Lord more perfectly. He was a lover of peace and preached Jesus as the Prince of Peace. His labors were not confined to the sequestered county of , Van Buren, but his labors extended into Warren, De Kalb, Bledsoe, Overton, and Sequatchie counties, all in Tennessee. He preached extensively in Kentucky, Mississippi, Alabama, Texas, New Mexico, and Oklahoma. No preacher could preach the gospel with more clearness and tender pathos than could R. L. Gillentine. Often while preaching tears flowed down his cheeks and his hearers were moved to weeping. Few preachers could excel him in warm, fervent, earnest exhortation; and these appeals to aliens to obey the gospel were almost irresistible. He moved thousands of people to accept Christ by his simple, eloquent exhortations. In 1910 he moved from Spencer to, Hollis, Okla. His family had been reared at Spencer, and all of them had been educated in Burritt College. He had been one of the elders of the church at Spencer for many years, and through his efforts and guidance the church filled its mission well. Through his influence and teaching the entire citizenry of Spencer were either members of the church of Christ or very favorably inclined to it. So strong was the influence of the church at Spencer under his guidance that no denomination could get a foothold in the town. After moving to Oklahoma, he located on a farm and preached much of his time. The last years of his life he gave all that he received for preaching to other preachers to work in destitute places. Brother Gillentine died on January 29, 1920, at his home in Hollis. He was sixty-eight years and one day old when he died, No man has served his fellow man and honored God in his service more than R. L. Gillentine. He sacrificed much for the cause of Christ and rendered loving service in his name unto the journey's end. --- H. Leo Boles, Biographical Sketches of Gospel Preachers, 408-11. Additional bio in the Gospel Advocate, May 27, 1920, 535.

R. L. Gillentine
After having completed sixty-eight years and one day, R. L. Gillentine bid adieu to things material and crossed over to the other side. If I have any conception of success, then Brother Gillentine’s life was a rounded success. He was born on January 28, 1852, and died on January 30, 1920. At a very early age he formed the habit of reading the Bible, and, under the influence of the pathos of the stories, he told me that he would leave the presence of the family circle and when to himself would cry, all because of the persecutions of Christ and the apostles and early Christians. He was one of the later pioneer preachers of Middle Tennessee, and has ridden horseback thousands of miles to his appointments to teach the plan of salvation to those who had never heard it. His birth took place in Van Buren County, Tenn., and his death in Harmon County, Okla. Brother Gillentine never shirked hardship of duty and was loved by a great number of people. Peace to his ashes and blissful rest in the paradise of God. A. M. Clark. - Gospel Advocate, April 1, 1920, page 326.