Following his conversion, Charles began to exhort the congregation with encouragement from the church as did others in the revived Bush River congregation. "The church carefully encouraged any gift of exhortation and put forward Levi Pitts, Joseph Johnson, James Teague, Charles Crow, John Pitts, Bordiwine Roberts, and Brother Moses, 'a man of color,' . . . " About August 1803, almost a year after his conversion, Charles' ministerial duties were first mentioned in the Journal of the Bush River Church.
Others, who would play a role two decades later in the move of Bush River people to Perry County, Alabama, began to develop their church leadership skills at Bush River. On October 13, 1804, Stephen McCraw was appointed clerk of the church, and he would serve in that capacity for the next thirteen years. Charles Crow would one day marry a relative of Stephen McCraw after the death of Sarah Harlan.
Charles continued to grow in the faith until the church recognized his gifts. On April 13, 1805, he was allowed to preach his first sermon. He apparently made a favorable impression because five months later, the church issued him a license to preach on October 18, 1805. By August 8, 1807, Charles was no longer satisfied exhorting sinners to repentance as a layman. He heard the call of God to the work of the Gospel ministry and announced his calling to the church. The church agreed to ordain him, and a double ordination ceremony for Charles and James Teague was conducted on August 29, 1807. James Teague's descendants would later become prominent members of the Alabama clergy, thereby forging another connection between Bush River and the state of Alabama. Following the ordination, the ordaining clergy issued the following document to Charles:
"Whereas Charles Crow has been called to Ordination by the
Church of which he is a Member-(Being Baptist) There
Advertises All Concerned that We the subscribers have duly
set him apart by the Imposition of Hands to preach and
baptize wherever his Lot may be cast."
Done this 30th of August
A D 1807
Joshua Palmer
John Cole
Jacob King
Charles continued to reside and preach in Newberry County after his ordination. "It is known that he served a neighboring church" at Upper Duncan's Creek. For many years, the Bush River Church was the only Baptist congregation in Newberry County and probably was the oldest church in the upper country. The church's third pastor was John Cole, Sr., a church member who was made pastor in 1781. Cole served the church for thirty-five years until his death in 1816. Charles Crow succeed Cole as pastor, but he had to wait nine years after ordination for the opportunity.
