A. Clark Scanlon

On Sunday, January 24, 2021, Clark Scanlon, 92, joyously arose to meet his Lord and Savior. Those who will deeply miss his cheerful ways include his sweetheart of almost 68 years, Sarah Martin Scanlon; son, Michael Clark Scanlon (Kent Reilly III) of Austin, TX; daughter, Sharon Estelle “Sherri” Spivey (Tom) and granddaughter, Annie of Richmond, VA; brother and sister in law Lewis Martin Jr. and Becky Martin; and many cherished nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents, brother John Scanlon, and sister Kathleen “Peggy” Jones. Clark was born in San Antonio, TX on Dec. 5, 1928 to Lena Yvonne and John Joseph Scanlon. An Eagle Scout, A. Clark graduated from Baylor University and received his doctorate from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth, Texas. In 1953 Clark and Sarah were appointed as Southern Baptist missionaries to Guatemala where they served for many years in education and church planting before Clark assumed administrative roles in Middle America and the Caribbean. Following 27 years in the field, the Scanlons relocated to Richmond, VA where Clark served at the home office of the Foreign Mission Board, SBC, retiring from global travel and leadership as Director of Research and Planning in 1995 after 41 years of service. Clark and Sarah were active in First Baptist Church, Richmond where he lovingly taught the Roundtable Sunday School Class for 14 years. They also served at Derbyshire Baptist; were founding members of Gayton Baptist; and interim pastor at Monte Calvario Baptist Mission. Clark’s great joy was serving as friend and prayer leader for his beloved Western Henrico Rotary Club. He was an avid neighborhood walker and member of Tuckahoe YMCA. In retirement, Dr. Scanlon helped in church growth strategy studies in Cambodia, Mexico, and Peru; served on the World Evangelization Strategy task force of the Baptist World Alliance; worked on a commentary on the book of Job in Spanish; started authoring 2 books; and served as a hospice volunteer and chaplain. In his words, “I did not choose to be a minister. I have a deep conviction that God chose me. The words of Jesus, ‘you did not choose me, but I chose you to go and bear fruit—a fruit that will last.’ (John 15:16, NIV) That conviction provides richness and satisfaction in my life.” In early mornings, Clark prayed, read his Bible aloud, and quoted as his mother before him: “The world is so full of a number of things, I’m sure we should all be as happy as kings!” (Robert Louis Stevenson) Warm thanks to Tasha, Celia, Barbra, Latoyoa, and Sunrise of Richmond for their loving care. A private visitation and burial will be held February 4, 2021 with a celebration of life to follow at a later date. The family would like to thank Hospice Community Care (now Traditions) for their care over the past year. Special appreciation to Krystal, Mary, and Ivette. Memorial donations can be made to the following First Baptist Church, Richmond for community or international missions offerings. https://www.fbcrichmond.org/ways-to-give/give-online/ Western Henrico Rotary Club (Global Humanitarian projects) c/o Doug Westmoreland 9791 Old Country Trce Richmond, VA 23238 Baptist Theological Seminary of Guatemala (Faculty) c/o Ted Lindwall 3601 Rolling Hills Drive McKinney, TX 75071 ____________________________________________________________________________________ The Life of Clark Scanlon, My Father By Michael Clark Scanlon, Austin, Texas, January, 2021 Early Sunday morning, 24 January 2021, Clark Scanlon slipped his earthly bonds, at age 92, in Henrico, Va., to embrace his eternal future. Clark and his beloved steadfast wife, Sarah, answered the call of their Lord to serve as Southern Baptist foreign missionaries in Guatemala, Costa Rica and the Caribbean for 27 years. Clark then animated a visionary world planning tenure at the Foreign Mission Board (now IMB) in Richmond, retiring in1995. He is survived by wife Sarah Martin Scanlon, daughter and son-in-law Sherri and Tom Spivey and precious granddaughter Annie Spivey, all members of First Baptist Church, Richmond. He also is survived by son Michael Clark Scanlon and husband Frank Kent Reilly III, of Austin, Texas. Sarah’s brother, Lewis W. Martin, Jr. (Irving, Tex.) and sister Becky Martin (Nashville, Tenn.) also survive as well as nieces and nephews from the Scanlon, Jones, Martin, and Dillard families. Alton Clark Scanlon was born 5 December 1928 to John Joseph and Lena Yvonne Clark Scanlon in San Antonio, Tex. His father immigrated from Ballymote, Co. Sligo, Ireland, and his mother was born on a ranch near Mason, in the Texas Hill Country. He was preceded in death by his parents, his brother John F. Scanlon (Virginia) of Canyon Lake, Tex., and sister Kathleen “Peggy” Scanlon Jones (David) of Santa Barbara, Ca. As an Eagle Scout, based from his home church of Riverside Baptist, Clark achieved the Order of the Arrow. He graduated Brackenridge High School, where was a student leader, youth golf champion and active in ROTC. After completing San Antonio College, he was offered an appointment to West Point Military Academy. But his life was about to change. Drawn to the post-WWII powerful spiritual movement spearheaded at Baylor University & Waco evangelistic Youth Revivals , Clark said: “In 1947, I had recently decided God was calling me to ministry…deeply impressed with the commitment, love of life and wholesome attitude of Baylor students I’d met.” After completing his bachelor’s at Baylor, participating in the second wave of youth revivals, Clark and his roommate Doug Dillard made their way to Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary (SWBTS) in Fort Worth. There they met the Martin twins from Georgia, Clark marrying Sarah and Doug, Marah. Clark and Sarah married on 22 May, 1953, at First Baptist Church, Decatur, Ga., were appointed missionaries later that year. After language school in Costa Rica, they began service in Guatemala. Initially Clark practiced field evangelism in highlands, in humid lowlands and around stunning Lake Atitlán, as well as in churches in the capital. Completing doctoral course work 1959-61, at SWBTS, during their second term Clark researched and wrote his dissertation on church growth in Latin American, while teaching and serving as rector of the Seminario Teológico Bautista de Guatemala, focusing on training national clergy and church workers. Sarah also taught at the Seminario and continued church work. Instrumental in the foundation of the Librería Bautista and a book depository, he worked closely with the Casa Bautista de Publicaciones in El Paso, Tex. In 1963 he earned his doctorate. Later he began Baptist television work and fostered continuing radio work. He began working with FMB survey teams studying church growth throughout Latin America. During these years his expertise and artistry in photography flourished as a means of expression and witnessing. In 1971 assumed the role of Field, then Area, Representative for Southern Baptist missionaries in Mexico and Central America, initially living in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republi., and later based again in Guatemala. His experience with the relief work during the severe 1972 Managua, Nicaragua, earthquake led him to study and motivate church members and others in disaster response, skills and networks that became desperately needed in 1976 Guatemala earthquakes and other catastrophes. In 1980, Clark and Sarah left the mission field for Richmond, Va., where he moved into strategic research and planning for global endeavors of the mission board. He visited a myriad of countries, joking “I have been lost in cities all over the world!” He always found his way home. From 1987 to 1993, he directed the Research and Planning Department “giving creative leadership to identifying goals and objectives and guiding missions and FMB administration in strategic planning.” He served as chair of the World Evangelization Strategic Work Group of the Baptist World Alliance. At his retirement in 1995 the organization observed “It would be difficult to overstate the contribution Clark has made to keeping our planning in touch with the future and our missions strategy on the cutting edge. After subtropical San Antonio, temperate Guatemala, and the Caribbean, Clark and Sarah reveled in the Eastern cycle of seasons and the rich history of the Eastern seaboard. They found church home at Derbyshire and First Baptist churches in Richmond. He threw himself enthusiastically into volunteer work as Hospice chaplain, with International Rotary, and mentoring young people. By temperament he was a happy, optimistic brave man. An excellent writer, singer, preacher, teacher, initially reluctant administrator, he was visionary futurist, an avid reader in English and Spanish, and a joyous athlete. Occasional pastor, which he said was where his heart was, he had fun! In early morning, he chanted prayer, read the Bible before everyone was up. Favorite poems: “The world is so full of a number of things, I'm sure we should all be as happy as kings.” Robert Louis Stevenson The year's at the spring, And day's at the morn; Morning's at seven; The hill-side's dew-pearl'd; The lark's on the wing; The snail's on the thorn; God's in His heaven— All’s right with the world! Robert Browning, "Song from Pippa Passes” The early morning quiet was his time to pray and meditate. Now he dwells in the land of the unclouded day. -- Michael Clark Scanlon