Randy David Newman

Randy David Newman was born in Brooklyn, NY, to Marty and Rhoda Newman on March 25, 1956, and raised in a Jewish family on Long Island along with his brothers Barry and Brian. In college, he put his faith in Jesus as his Messiah. He received a BS in Music Education from Temple University and a Masters of Divinity from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School. After 20 years, he decided two degrees weren’t enough, so he started a PhD program in Intercultural Studies at Trinity International University which he completed in 2015.

Randy spent over 30 years in campus ministry with Campus Crusade for Christ, and for the past 10 years, he has been a Senior Fellow for Apologetics and Evangelism at the C.S. Lewis Institute in Washington, DC. He was a gifted teacher who taught in churches across the country, as a professor at several seminaries, and he established Connection Points, a ministry to help Christians engage people’s hearts the way Jesus did.

In addition to being a man of God, Randy was a man of Pam, his devoted wife of 43 years. Despite being an accomplished author of seven books, his greatest accomplishments were his three sons: Dan (Kelsey), David (Jenny), and Jon (Emily). They challenged him each day to write new rules he never could have predicted such as “no ramming your head into the wall,” but thanks to his above average parenting, they turned out alright. In fact, Randy was quite proud that in addition to loving his three sons, he actually liked them, too.

Many people considered Randy a close friend, and that’s because he was an exceptional friend. He was intentional, and for someone who loved to think years (and sometimes even decades) into the future, he was always present. If you were with him, you had his undivided attention, and that meant you had a front row seat to his incredible sense of humor.

Randy also had great taste and a true appreciation for the finer things in life. Great wine, great music (especially jazz and classical), great art, great food, traveling to great places, and great conversation. It was this appreciation of beauty that led him to pick up a camera and become a dedicated photographer. His favorite subjects were flowers and his five grandchildren: Rebekah, Caroline, Michael, Victoria, and Abigail. He was so fond of his grandchildren that he and Pam packed up their Northern Virginia home of thirty years to be right down the street from them in Austin, Texas. The heat bothered him, but his grandkids never did.

Randy passed away on May 23, 2024, from heart complications, surrounded by family. There will be a public memorial service on Saturday, July 13th at 1 pm at McLean Presbyterian Church in McLean, VA. All who loved Randy are welcome to attend, and based on the outpouring of love and support his family has received in the few days he’s been gone, Randy was loved by many.

In lieu of flowers, well-wishers are encouraged to donate to either the Carson Center for Theological Renewal or the Fellowship for Performing Arts in Randy’s memory.

“They that love beyond the world cannot be separated by it. Death cannot kill what never dies.” - C.S. Lewis