MESSAGES, TRIBUTES AND COMMENTS

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Don Taws, Hendersonville, NC
I was a student of Dr. Clowney at Westminster from 1955-58. What a blessing he was in our homiletics class, with his insight into the texts. I remember with fondness, our ping-pong games most lunchtimes in the nether regions of Machen Hall. I don't remember who won, but I know that when the Korean students began studying at the Seminary, that they beat all of us!
I look forward to continuing our friendship in the courts of Heaven.
Don Taws

Janice Baldwin, Family Friend, New Life Presbyterian, Escondido, CA
How can I express how special Ed Clowney was? Those who knew him understand. He was a man given exceptional gifts by God and he used them with the greatest humility. In the pulpit and with his family and friends, he was a man who did not draw attention to himself, but always to the Lord Jesus Christ. One of his gifts to me was to open my eyes to see Jesus in all of Scripture. I feel very privileged to have known this wonderful man of God. My love and prayers are with Jean and the family at this time.

Joy Hancock, Trinity Presbyterian Church, Charlottesville, VA
Although I have not known Dr. Clowney very long, I have had the pleasure of getting to know him while he's been back in Charlottesville as "Theologian-in-Residence" at Trinity. The memories that spring forth are the times that Dr. Clowney would take the long walk down the hall to my office and shyly say "Um, Joy, my ah computer..." at which point I'd walk back with him all the way back to his office to check out what was troubling him. (I never understood why he didn't just intercom my office and save himself the trek.) He always expressed awe that I could figure out what stray handstroke had gotten him in trouble and fix the damage. And then he'd offer me a cookie from the cookie jar on his desk. I'm so thankful that I had the honor of knowing Dr. Clowney. He will be missed.

Carol Stanway King, Stanley, NC
I knew Dr. Clowney from the time I was a small child, because he and my dad, W. J. Stanway, had roomed together at Westminster. Daddy was always so fond of Dr. Clowney, and loved to relive their great ping-pong tournaments and championships.

I last saw Dr. Clowney in Orlando at a Ligonier conference, shortly after my dad died. I remember that Dr. C was so kind and compassionate to me, although he didn't know me well.

We have lost a dear friend, as well as a bold and courageous crusader for the faith. But I hope he and Daddy have found each other and are rejoicing together before the throne of the One they loved and served so well.

God bless you during this time and in the days to come.

Carol S. King

Lori A. Richards, Charlottesville, Virginia
I will miss my dear, dear, friend, mentor, prayer warrior, and encourager. I will never forget the times that we shared praying for my children and talking about the love of the Lord as seen in all of scripture. It was because of his example that I wrote a Bible study for teenage girls and led a class called Rubies. He helped me to see that to give my life in service to Christ is the best life possible. One of the phrases that he often used in his sermons became my mantra. He would say,"You cannot know the Lord of the Word without knowing the Word of the Lord." That was the premise of the Bible study. Such a simple phrase, but yet so complex and filled with great truth. Dr. Clowney shared many such phrases with me and taught me to embrace the creator with great joy, discipline, and strength. Last year, he and Jean came to my graduation party. I picked them up and told Dr. Clowney that he looked very nice. He responded" Well, I put on my best bib and tucker for you." He was always quick witted and funny. They graced my dinner with their presence even though I only got my associates degree. He treated me with such honor as if I had just finished my doctorate.
Many of you know Dr. Clowney as a great man of scripture, a wonderful counselor, advisor and teacher. I knew a different side. I knew him as a man I met in the Division of Motor Vehicles. He had just come to Trinity and he and Jean were getting new registrations. I went up to them, not knowing who he really was, and said" Hi. my name is Lori Richards and welcome to Charlottesville and Trinity Church." From that day on, we had a kinship. And he shared many stories about his life as a child, life as a teacher, and life as a very proud father and grandfather. If I had one word that would sum up Dr. Clowney, albeit very hard to put him into one word, it would be compassionate. He was an incredibly humble and compassionate man who took on the cares of the people he was with. He never failed to pray right where he was for your needs.
A funny story that I have of Dr. Clowney was when I was in a class at the college and we were studying the Bible as literature. The professor by his own admission knew very little about the Bible. If fact his only real experience was from the Davinci Code. After I sat through enough of those classes I volunteered Dr. Clowney to come and speak. That was before I ask him to do this for me. I sat down beside him in church and ask him to help me out by setting my teacher straight. He said he would and that it would be his honor to do this for me. I proceeded to tell him that there were Agnostics, Jews, Muslims and Scientologists in the class. Dr. Clowney looked at me and said very matter of factly," Lori, I am not scared of them! Remember? We are not ashamed of the gospel for it is the power of salvation to all who believe!!" I never laughed as hard as I did that moment as he gently, (or not so gently) reminded me of whom I am in Christ, and who I am to be in Christ. He went to the class and shared in his loving engaging way. The class was captivated and many of the kids asked very difficult questions and he answered them with clarity and compassion. Although he was tired, he was patient and enthusiastic in his conversation with the class. I was so nervous, because I didn't want to overtire Dr. Clowney. He promptly rebuked me and said," That is why I am here." I laughed and gave him a hug. And he gave me a huge grin. That is how I will remember my friend. I look forward to seeing him again. What a spectacular day that will be! Moses, Paul, Abraham an Dr. Clowney all worshipping together the King of Kings. What a day to look forward to.
Lori A. Richards

Jenni Smith, Cayucos, CA
I met Dr. Clowney when he and Mrs. Clowney came to Christ the King Presbyterian Church in Houston, Texas. The excitement of their arrival was contagious and with excellent reason. Dr. Clowney was perhaps the most gifted teacher I have ever met, and Mrs. Clowney raised the bar for our already excellent musicians. She also pushed us to re-learn some of the great old hymns, and I thank her for that.

I remember one Sunday after the service, Dr. Clowney approached me and told me I had an encouraging face and that he always looked for me when he preached because he knew I would laugh at his jokes. His humility really touched me. I had not thought a man so brilliant, experienced, and credentialed would need encouragement (and maybe he didn't but he appreciated it). His kindness, generosity, mirth, and brokenness reflected Jesus so beautifully.

During that conversation, he also asked me to call him Ed, but I never could bring myself to do so. So perhaps it's fitting that I do now: Hey Ed, give Jesus a kiss for me.

Paul Duffin, Houston, TX
I first met Dr. Clowney when he was a Pastor here at Christ The King PCA in Houston, TX. I came to know him personally through various Church activities probably none better than when I took him to the airport so he could attend GA a few years ago. Here I am thinking about how much knowledge I can glean from him in 30 minutes. So, I start the conversation by saying "So I guess your looking forward to General Assembly, you must really enjoy this time of year." He replied with, "Yeah, you know with all the motioning and the formalities and it just goes on and on and on..." We had a good laugh on that trip to the airport, especially after he told me we needed to get there early because the metal detectors always went nuts because of his pacemaker.

The thing I remember the most though is when he preached one Good Friday at CTK. He focused mainly on the types of people who walked by Jesus hanging on the cross on their way into Jerusalem. There were some who didn't have time to stop and look, for they had business to do in the city. Others mocked him and spat on him. Still others stopped and went up to the cross and fell down before it saying "why, why is my life like this...why did this happen, etc." Yet, Dr. Clowney went on to say, they forgot in all of their crying out "why" that the Jesus too cried out "why" "Why Father have you forsaken me?"

His point was to get the congregation to examine themselves to see which of these people they were most like. I knew that I was the latter. Filled with disappointment and bitterness, I had forgotten that the Son cried out "why" when all the time I was crying out dissatisfied with my life. I am not the type of person to be moved by sermons, nor do I tend to react emotionally to things during worship for better or for worse. But, by God's grace, what Dr. Clowney said changed me. It changed how I viewed Jesus, what He has done and is doing now.

May God bless Dr. Clowney's family and may God rest his soul.

Hyung Yong Park, Hapdong Theological Seminary, Korea
Ed was a theologian with pastor's mind. He was the president of WTS when I studied Th.M. program. Whenever I met him on the campus, he showed tender-lovely concern on the foreign students and their studies. He was the person to make others comfortable. I might say that his balanced and wonderful personality stayed in my mind for a long long time and will stay even after he was called home to be with the Lord.

David Duke, Burbank, CA
I attended Westminster in 1975 and had the privilege of learning from Dr. Clowney. That makes me one more of the thousands of disciples that benefited from his ministry and life. I was twiced blessed when I met Dr. Clowney again in Escondido. There I attended his home church at the time and got to know his extended family, even visiting with him in his daughter's home. My memory of this servant of God will always be that he was sweet, extremely funny and a listener. He would never cut me off when I wrangled on about trivia important to me. What a man, what a friend, what a life! Praise be to God.

Ron Standiford, Kingsville, MD
Upon entering Westminster Seminary in 1977, I ended up in Dr. Clowney's first year preaching class. What a treat that was! I'd never heard anybody preach "redemptive historical" before, and I was always blown away. Every course I had with him was so fruitful in my spiritual growth, because Ed Clowney exalted Jesus. He taught us grace, forgiveness, redemption - constantly without fail, just like our Savior.
Brainy creative entrepreneurial types aren't usually humble. He was. He also gave us simple conclusions and structure of thought that not only helped us remember the point, but were a springboard for further thinking and application.
God sure blessed me. Now, besides pastoring, I teach rhetoric; somedays smiling inside when a "Clowney saying" pops in my head...and they still do. Thank you, Lord.
I send prayers for comfort to Mrs. Clowney and his family.