Perhaps the best evangelist who I have ever known personally, passed on this past week to be with his beloved Savior and Lord Jesus Christ. Words cannot fully express feelings for Clive, for all who knew him. One just had to meet him to understand. He lived to share Christ and love the lost.
We met Clive, Susan, Pamela, Nancy and Chappy in the early 80’s at Stafford Baptist Church. I can still hear Clive request hymn #475 “Victory in Jesus” on Sunday nights.
Clive preached two great revival services at churches where I later served as pastor. Before preaching at Cardinal Baptist Church, he brought several people there that he just met at McDonald’s, as he preached to the customers when he was in line for coffee and a snack. Clive truly lived the old axiom: “Don’t go to preach unless you preach while you go.” He was comfortable with one person, a group or a congregation. I have never met a man who was so natural and powerful with all three group sizes.
He was gifted in legal settings as well, and I remember him railing against pornography at Stafford County Courthouse. He bellowed: “Trash is trash and we throw it all out. Soft trash (porn) and hard trash (porn).” Not a citizen on the county board nor a soul in the audience took issue with him. We loved to see the Lord take charge through him!
While I was street witnessing with Clive a cynic asked Clive if he was selling religion. Without missing a beat he said: “No, the price is free and paid in full by Jesus Christ at Calvary.” He knew how to share the Gospel with one and all.
Clive was the church planter and founding pastor of Victory Baptist Church in Stafford, Virginia. I had the privilege to fill in for him in the early days – a modest municipal cinder block building. True believers always bear fruit and this was indeed the case at Victory Baptist Church. They got their piece of land, and when the edifice was finished, it became a soul winning station, with people attending who lived several counties away.
While I was fishing with Clive in Sebring, Florida, Clive was dropping his boat in the water and preaching to roughly 20 people who were within earshot of him. As you all know, Clive lived his whole life like this. I think of him often and he is my hero as the quintessential soul winner. He gave me a book by Stephen Olford on Soul Winning. I still have it and I think I will read it again. Clive is shining bright in heaven with his soul winner’s crown that he will lay at the feet of Jesus. I am a better man for having known him.
I often use Clive’s evangelism as sermon illustrations, in fact the last was just a couple of Sundays ago. When I ponder on his life and witness, I think of three words: Love, Boldness and Authority! When Clive shared the Gospel, he was always anointed with power, fervor, zeal and unction from the Holy Spirit! I can just see the joy as the Lord welcomes him home following his faithfulness to the Christian cause. What is the appropriate scripture on this occasion?
Psalm 116:15 King James Version
Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints.
Amen and amen!
In Christ, Pastor Steve <><
Even Steven 