Long Time Ministry

I never heard of this guy, but the idea of a 50 year ministry is incredible. I copied this from the Dallas Paper.

The Rev. C.A.W. Clark Sr., a nationally famous Baptist pastor who spent more than half a century preaching at a South Dallas church, died Sunday at his Oak Cliff home.

Dr. C.A.W. CLARK SR. Dr. Clark, 93, was with his family, including wife Carolyn and grandchildren. "This is the passing of an era. We won't see his likes again," said the Rev. Gerald Britt Jr., vice president for public policy at Central Dallas Ministries. "He was a master of the pulpit. He influenced generations of preachers."

Services will be 11 a.m. Aug. 4 at Dr. Clark's Good Street Baptist Church. Funeral arrangements are being handled by the Sandra Clark Funeral Home. Viewing will be all day Saturday, followed by a celebration of his life Sunday during normal church services.

Born Caesar Arthur Walter Clark on Dec. 13, 1914, in Shreveport, La., Dr. Clark was ordained in 1933 and led his first pastorate at the Israelite Baptist Church in Longstreet, La., at the age of 19, according to his church Web site.

"Everybody who knows anything about black Baptist life is familiar with C.A.W. Clark," Cleophus LaRue, author of the book The Heart of Black Preaching, told The Dallas Morning News in 2006. "He was regarded as one of the great black preachers in the 20th century." He earned the nickname "Little Caesar" for his fiery sermons as a young minister. In September 1950, he joined Good Street, where he remained until his death.

Good Street became one of Dallas' first black megachurches, opening its doors to the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. in 1956. Dr. Clark was a friend of Dr. King's father and encouraged the younger King in his work. Good Street's many other high-profile visitors over the years have included the Rev. Jesse Jackson and Johnnie Cochran, whom Dr. Clark reportedly baptized. Current members include state Sen. Royce West, D-Dallas. At Good Street, he oversaw the opening of day-care centers, a credit union, low-income housing and a legal clinic.

"There is hardly a preacher anywhere who has not benefited from the work of C.A.W. Clark," the Rev. B.R. Daniels, pastor of Beth Eden Baptist Church in Fort Worth, said at a 2003 event honoring Dr. Clark's 74 years in the pulpit. His accomplishments as a church and civic leader earned him the respect and admiration of politicians, churchgoers and others who turned out to honor his service at various events in recent years. "He was one of the role models in terms of my development as a preacher and countless others," said Mr. Britt, former senior pastor for the New Mount Moriah Missionary Baptist Church. "He was someone who was a joy to watch and to listen to."