2017 Lifetime Achievement Award
Ferdinand Schexnayder was born in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, in 1934, the eighth of nine children. At age of seven, he contacted polio and as a result of being confined, he picked up his brother-in-law’s guitar, turned it upside down being left-handed and taught himself to play the guitar. At age 17, he joined a French band in Arnaudville, Louisiana. At age 19, he formed his own band called “Peewee and the Country Playboys” playing in local nightclubs. The highlight of his playing was appearing with Hank Williams on TV in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.
He married Judy Munson in 1954 and received the Holy Ghost in 1955 in a revival in Melville, Louisiana, Reverend Joe Duke being the Evangelist and Reverend Floyd Majors the pastor.
He felt the call to preach and began evangelizing in 1961 and left the Evangelistic field in 1963 to Pastor the First United Pentecostal Church in Hattiesburg, Mississippi. He served as Served as Section 7, Youth Director for 8 years.
In 1969, he left Hattiesburg to Pastor the First United Pentecostal Church in Kosciusko, Mississippi. He served as Section 4, Secretary and Treasurer.
He resigned in 2000, after 30 years of pastoring, and moved to the MS UPCI Campgrounds in Raymond, Mississippi, attending the First Pentecostal Church in Jackson, pastored by T. L. Craft. He taught the adult Sunday School Class until his failing health confined him to his home.