Tom Calhoun
Tom playing chess on a snow day in January 2026
Tom Calhoun is the father of Dan, Nat, and Phil, the founders of Purple Crow. This article is part of a series on faith and values. I interviewed Tom at Bermuda Village (he called it “living in the lap of luxury”) on Thursday afternoon on the 29th of January 2026. We talked while most folks were shut in from the recent snowstorm. His testimony is a powerful witness to how God calls us and loves us every step of the way.
I want Tom’s voice and words to tell his story, so I am providing clips from the interview. I will break these stories into smaller blog posts and along the way provide other links and resources in an effort to show how God’s love multiplies in families and in ministry.
Tom was born in 1928, so he has seen redepmtive love at work for nearly a century. I pray that as you read this, you hear his heart for how the Lord found him and compelled him to become a missionary. A missionary who longs to turn all men back from staggering towards death with the good news that life is found in Jesus Christ.
Listen to Tom’s joy in recounting that he was found by God’s love.
Redd Harper’s guitar and simple message still ring true today. The joy of following Jesus. I didn’t ask Tom if he ever sang any of Harper’s songs during his stint with the chorus at Piedmont but he was glad to tell of how he got to travel and sing with them.
Tom grew up in a caring Christian home, which is helpful to a point. He came to life in Christ in his twenties while serving in the Navy. You can hear how delighted he is in the fact that being stationed in Memphis put him in the path of revival preaching. He was invited to hear the famous Hyman Appleman, an old school gospel preacher. Tom learned about his personal need for repentance and salvation. Let’s listen to how Tom tells about that first night of many attending the revival…
Haymen Appleman’s work as an evangelist is well respected in Independent Baptist circles. He was a Russian Jew who immigrated to the USA as a child. Appleman then attended law school at Northwestern in Chicago, converted to Christianity through the hospitality work of the Young Men’s Christian Association (YMCA). This YouTube audio recording of one of his sermons in Cleveland, Ohio demostrates his command as an orator.
“Piedmont Divinity School (originally Piedmont Bible Institute) exists to equip men and women to serve Christ in a variety of ministries. Since its inception in 1945, this purpose has been founded on the primacy of teaching the truths of the inerrant Word of God.”
That night at the revival helped set Tom on a path to Piedmont Bible Institute in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, and later to Baptist Mid-Mission. Both Independent Baptist institutions known for their zeal for God’s word.
Tom met his wife, Muriel Kirks Calhoun, while studying at Piedmont. They married in 1958 and answered the call to the mission field in Mexico, all while starting a family. They raised their three sons, Dan, Nat, and Phil, on the mission field in Mexico, where they served for 30 years.
The whole Calhoun family learned to speak Spanish, love the food, and the people of Mexico. Piedmont Bible College meant so much to Tom that he encouraged all 3 of his sons to attend because he was sure they would be in good company.
At 97 years young, we still hear the gratitude in Tom’s voice for God’s love. He remembers his conversation with Dr. Charles Stevens, the founding President of Piedmont, clearly. He helped Tom make the connection of how the Good Shepherd is looking for us. Another interesting connection is that Dr. Stevens graduated from Wake Forest, which was a strong Baptist institution at its inception. What a wonder to hear Tom’s excitement to this day about the Good News of God’s love. Can you hear it?
Stay tuned to hear how he credits Muriel’s kindness in shaping their son’s character and stories from him his ministry. Learn about the humility it takes to learn Spanish at the age of 40 and how that struggle pays off in the lives of newly arriving Hispanics in North Carolina through his bilingual jail ministry.
Part 2 of this is here.