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A servant's heart. That's what most people will remember about Rev. Dr. Dennis Eugene Clark, 68. Ever nurturing, full and warm, his loving heart embraced hundreds in and beyond the congregations he led.
On May 1, 2017, his big heart failed him. Ironic. Because it never failed any of us.
Always a pastor, Dennis embodied a ministry of presence. He showed up in joy, to celebrate the birth of a child or the union of a couple. He showed up when hearts were broken by fear or grief to speak a word of love and hope — from hospital rooms to gravesides. He showed up as living testimony that nothing can separate us from the love of God.
Loving and listening to people who were hurting was a gift he honed in 45-plus years of ministry. Dennis "listened" people into their best selves and graciously received what they had to share. He would learn a waitress' alma mater... what she dreamed of becoming... if she had a church home — all before she knew how he wanted his eggs cooked.
Born Aug. 28, 1948, in Effingham, Ill., the son of Louis Lindell and Alice Aileen Clark, "Denny" spent his earliest years in the Midwest, the big brother to Linda and Jeannette. His days were filled with time outdoors — especially in the happy company of his cousin Rhondal, who introduced him – a willing participant – to much mischief.
Those care-free years gave way to heartache when his baby sister was diagnosed with a rare liver condition. At the tender age of 12, he moved to his grandparents' farm while his parents faced the agony of Jeanette's illness, until her death. He spent those bittersweet pre-teen days surrounded by doting grandparents. He tended cows, horses and chickens as he began to learn what it meant to carry on the Clark farming legacy. But farming would have to wait. His parents decided to start over on the West Coast, with the support of family.
In California, Dennis made friends quickly, proving himself an asset on football and baseball teams. He found acceptance and love in the church as well. He led a group of boys from his youth group to attend Northwest Christian College in Eugene, OR. He would be a biology teacher and coach, he said. But on a recruiting trip for the school, he was asked to preach in a little church for the first time. The experience was one of many nudges he felt from the Holy Spirit, calling him into ministry.
He served as youth pastor in Jefferson, Oregon, until his NCC graduation. Seminary followed in Enid, Okla. at Phillips University. There he met a feisty music major, Cathy Jean Case from Kingfisher, in whom he discovered his soul mate. They celebrated 45 years of marriage.
In 1973, he graduated from seminary and was ordained in October 1974. He served churches in Midwest City and Pond Creek, Okla., before moving to Sac City, Iowa where he served as pastor of First Christian Church, where his children were born. Carmen Janell and Darin Elliott became the apples of his eye. "Carmen was the Honeycrisp. Darin was the green one with the worm."
In 1979, the Clarks moved to Guthrie, Oklahoma to be closer to family. First Christian Church thrived for 15 years under Dennis and Cathy's leadership. Dennis proved especially approachable to young families, whether preaching and teaching, or slapping a homer over the fence at a church league softball game. It was during this time that he earned his Doctorate from Phillips Seminary, though he was reticent to have anyone address him in that formal fashion.
Dr. Clark served the following seven years at Central Christian Church of Denver, Colorado. An avid sports fan, he was thrilled to live in a community with its own local professional sports teams. He became the biggest fan of Broncos, Rockies and Nuggets.
Dennis accepted the unusual call from the Guthrie church to return to his former position, where he served the last 15 years of his ministry. The congregation prospered a second time.
The family added two new members when Carmen married Donnie Bond in 1999 and Darin married Holly Anne Pankuch in 2003. He felt doubly blessed! While he welcomed the spouses, he could not wait to become "PaPa."
His grandchildren, Ellie Grace & Hattie Catherine Bond, of Edmond, introduced him to a whole new dimension of love. Harper Anne & Hayes William Clark multiplied his joy soon after in North Carolina.
When they retired in 2015 the couple began regularly attending Crossings Community Church in Oklahoma City. It was a time of prayer and discernment, as they waited on the Lord to guide the next steps in their journey. In June 2016, they moved to a farm near Darin's family in North Carolina, to be closer to the younger two grandchildren and to re-create Dennis' dream for The Clark Family Farm.
On May 1, 2017, Dennis put on his "Clark Family Farm" t-shirt. Heading outside to feed the livestock, he stopped to grin at Cathy. She showed him she had just written "May 1, 2017, Clark Family Farm" in the wet concrete on the patio.
He visited with the neighbor, fixed the tractor, and played with his Great Pyrenees dog, Charlee. Toward the end of the day, he headed out to his latest project: the grapevines near the apple orchard overlooking the pond. A big rain was on the way, but he had one last task for the preparation of the vineyard. He spread the fertilizer. Then something drew his attention to the fruit trees.
Dennis died in the shade of his apple tree that evening. But our faith affirms that he woke up in the presence of the Tree of Life.
Services will be held at 11 a.m. on Tuesday, May 9 at Crossings Community Church in Oklahoma City, OK and everyone is encouraged to wear bright colors, as this is a celebration of Dennis' life. A Celebratory Reception will be held at 1:30 p.m. at First Christian Church in Guthrie, OK, where friends and family will have a chance to share inspirational and humorous stories about how Dennis touched their life.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the Dennis Clark Memorial Fund at First Christian Church of Guthrie, 402 East Noble Avenue, Guthrie, OK 73044.
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