MESSAGES, TRIBUTES AND COMMENTS

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Mike Uriss, Charllottesville, VA
Dear Mrs. Clowney and family:
Hello. Recently, I sketched a pencil drawing of Doctor Clowney that I'd like to share with you. Please let me know if you're interested.

Thanks,
MU

Charlie Drew, Manhattan
The day I heard of Ed's death I wrote the following in my journal:

"Ed Clowney died last night--surrounded by family and friends. 'Blessed in the eyes of the Lord is the death of his saints.'

"Thank you for this faithful witness, who drew me by his love for the cross and his personal winsomeness to attend WTS, who turned my attention to biblical theology, who kindly reviewed my book and wrote its preface, who worked as a colleague at TPC [Trinity Presbyterian Church, Charlottesville], who cared for J.B. [an indigent man in Charlottesville who took enormous amounts of Ed's time], who interviewed my young son for membership and acted to receive him with joy to the Lord's Table, who graciously agreed to sleep in my dorm room at Harvard when he came to speak to us [during my undergraduate years]. Thank you for his work in the Scriptures to the end."

It is not possible for me to estimate the influence Ed has had on me, my family, and my ministry.

--Charlie Drew

Mel & Barbara Takahara, Escondido, CA
Dear Jean and all of the Clowney Family,

Barbara and I will ever cherish the memory of Ed teaching, leading, laughing, gently guiding, touching, loving and worshipping in our midst.

Here is a poem I have dedicated to Ed:


Waking to the Sanctuary

Suddenly found, I
quicken to his presence,
transparent
in his brightness, called
as one blameless
my shielding hands fallen
away.

Held,
I am
a child waking
to the sanctuary of his
embrace.

We are your family in Christ,
Mel & Barbara Takahara

George Petrella, Philadelphia PA
In 1973 I was a fairly new Christian and had been sent by my home OPC church in NJ to attend Urbana 73, as I had expressed an interest in missions. I saw that Dr. Clowney was speaking and vaguely knew he was president of Westminster Seminary. He spoke on the Lordship of Jesus Christ--my friends and I were deeply impressed by that message. Now I am a commissioned evangelist with Presbyterian Evangelistic Fellowship and I have greatly appreciated his books on preaching Jesus Christ with a sense of redemptive history. I have re-read that message in book form and it still impacts me. I recommend his books on preaching to everyone thinking about any sort of preaching ministry. Even though I later attended WTS from 86-88, I never had a chance to meet Dr. Clowney, but his influence on my speaking ability has been great. Thanks.

Paul Wells, Aix-en-Provence
I feel I have lost a father in the faith. In fact Ed Clowney played a leading part in some of the major decisions of my life.
At Westminster he introduced me to the green pastures of biblical theology. When he found out that Alison and I had studied French, he prodded us in the direction of France. "Ever thought about France?..." a tentative question he put during a coffee break. In fact it was the last thing I wanted to think about! All I wanted to do was to go back to Liverpool or at least Lancashire. "There is this evangelist in Aix-en-Provence, Eugene Boyer... why not visit him and see what's going on?" That was in 1971 and here we are today, still in Aix. There were also, I remember, discreet questions in his office, I felt him rather embarrassed to ask them, such as "where do you stand on baptism and church government now?" Meredith Kline had already produced an effect in that area...
When we arrived in Aix, we had the pleasure of many working visits from Ed, sometimes with Jean, once with Anne too. I remember driving him round Provence more than once, Avignon, Arles etc, in an ancient Peugeot. There used to be signs at the entrance to the villages saying Silence Prudence. "This girl Prudence must do a lot of talking" remarked Ed.
Most important were the encouragements, which were unfailing and the advice, which was invariably helpful. Once on a trip to Geneva, I was called on to translate a rather tedious lecture on Calvin for students from Westminster. I did a bad job. "The key in these situations, said Ed after, is to make the translation more interesting than the lecturer'!"
He sought to give hope to discouraged French pastors in the Cévennes by seeking to communicate the challenge of preaching biblically. His influence lives on today in the francophone world through the translation of his book on the Church, published by Excelsis (2000).
He knew how to keep his eyes on the Lord in spite of the waves, perhaps because of them, and that example was his greatest lesson for us all. Without it we wouldn't be here today.

Tony Wales, Lion Publishing
Sue and I join you in grieving your father's passing. We also hold him in some reverence as defined in the OED: ' to hold in deep and unusual affection '. Ed meant a lot to me in my early years of ministry at Ealing. It was his indirect tutelage and personal example that help this poor preacher take some steps forward during those years. I will be for ever thankful to God for that. I will always remember him for the combination of humor and seriousness with which he was able to deal with issues and people. His bon mot about 'doxological living' has been a watchword ever since I heard it. He lived it too.

Sue and I remember him with great affection not least for his love and care for you and your family, Paul. We are deeply thankful for you all and praise the Lord for Ed's good and wise life. May the grace and tangible presence of Jesus be with you as you mourn this separation.

with love from us both
Tony

Anthony Stileman, London
Paul, your Dad was a very special and remarkable bloke who you are going to miss big time, I know. So I'm sorry for your sake that he has died. But not for his sake. He's there - lucky man! And it is so great to have the certainty that that's the case.

Tim Bayly, Bloomington, Indiana
Dad occasionally spoke of "Ed Clowney" in our home when I was growing up, and I learned then that Dr. Clowney was president of Westminster Theological Seminary and that he was a man of honor.

Many years later, I came to know Dr. Clowney through his son-in-law and daughter, Peter and Rebecca Jones--friends in the work opposing the feminist heresy. And if you know a father through his children, Dr. Clowney was endeared to me by the character of his daughter. Cracker-jack smart, culturally incisive, able to keep ten balls in the air at a time without histrionics or vapors, and meek, I looked forward to meeting her Dad.

A few years later, I was privileged to do so while visiting Westminster's Escondido campus. At the time, a couple from our congregation here in Bloomington, Phil and Polly Henry, were in their middler year in Escondido and lived in an apartment in Peter and Rebecca's home. It pleased me greatly that Dr. Clowney was serving as Phil's mentor as he prepared for ordination.

May the love of the Lord Jesus Christ and His Bride, the Church, that characterized Dr. Clowney's life and work live on in his children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren; and also in us.

Psalms 87 A Psalm of the sons of Korah. A Song.

His foundation is in the holy mountains. The LORD loves the gates of Zion More than all the other dwelling places of Jacob. Glorious things are spoken of you, O city of God. Selah. “I shall mention Rahab and Babylon among those who know Me; Behold, Philistia and Tyre with Ethiopia: ‘This one was born there.’” But of Zion it shall be said, “This one and that one were born in her”; And the Most High Himself will establish her. The LORD will count when He registers the peoples, “This one was born there.” Selah. Then those who sing as well as those who play the flutes shall say, “All my springs of joy are in you.”

Jeremy R Baker, Maricopa, AZ
Even though I only had a handful of conversations with Ed Clowney (while enrolled at WSC 98-00), his preaching, writings, and who he was has impacted me deeply as a christian and possible future minister. I continue to be blessed by his life's work and teachings in the areas of redemptive historical preaching and teachings on doctrines of the church. I have purchased and loaned his book Unfolding Mystery to multiple people (I never seem to get it back and I have probably bought 3 or 4 copies). Just last month I re-read Called to the Ministry looking for guidance about my own possible call to ministry. To Myriam and the rest of the Jones family I express my heartfelt condolances and I look forward to any and all new publications that come to press by Ed Clowney.

Harry Reeder, Birmingham Ala.
I had the extraordinary privilege and blessing of knowing Dr. Edmund Clowney in multiple capacities; Pres. of WTS., professor of homiletics, friend and companion for an occasional round of golf. I believe Dr. Clowney has been one of the great giants of the faith in the Kingdom and a Blessed gift to the Church of His dear Saviour. What a glorious reception in Heaven for this servant who heard the affirmation, 'Well done thou good and faithful servant'. His teaching, modeling and encouragement to applying Biblical Theology and it's redemptive hermeneutic to produce gospel driven and Christ centered preaching was certainly one of the most significant and life changing blessings in my life and ministry. Transforming and motivational ...Thank you Lord for this man of God... and do please give us more like him...
Grace and Peace
Harry