Eugene Lawton, a longtime pastor and renowned evangelist among the Churches of Christ, died Saturday at age 85.

“He is now ‘sounding his trumpet’ in his new heavenly home,” said the website of the Congregation of Members of the Church of Christ of Newark in New Jersey, where Lawton served for nearly half a year. -century.

Lawton, known for his honest, “no frills” approach to preaching, loved the analogy of the trumpet to proclaiming the gospel – a term repeated in scripture throughout the Old and New Testaments. On Saturday, the phrase popped up several times on social media as friends shared their memories of Lawton.

“Let me sound the trumpet” are the words that ring in my head from a little girl to a woman of God! said Felicea Robinson. Lawton was “not just a soldier of the cross, but a man of God who was not afraid to tell it like it is and encouraged everyone to do the same.”

A native of St. Petersburg, Florida, Lawton was baptized by the late SJ Dudley and attended Southwestern Christian College in Terrell, Texas, the only historically black Christian college associated with the Churches of Christ. He earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Pepperdine University in California and a Doctor of Ministry degree from Trinity Seminary in Indiana.

A young Eugene Lawton, right, shakes hands with Nokomis Yeldell, Yeldell, who preached for Norris Road Church of Christ in Memphis, Tennessee, died in 2007 after more than 50 years of ministry,

He exercised his ministry for the East 7^and Street Church of Christ in Oklahoma City from 1959 to 1961 before moving to the Newark congregation. He served in many capacities for Southwestern Christian, including a two-year stint as academic dean. He was a regular speaker at the National Lectureship, an annual gathering of predominantly black Churches of Christ, in addition to youth conferences and gospel meetings in locations across the United States, the Caribbean and Africa. .

Eugene Lawton turns 85.

On January 28, his 85^and birthday, Lawton posted on Facebook, “After all I’ve been through, I thank God for His majestic grace and wonderful goodness to wake me up this morning.

“I am still dressed in my common sense, I have a roof over my head, I have food on my table, I have my members’ activity and I still preach every Sunday – oh praise his holy name.”

As recently as March 2, Lawton was on social media promoting an upcoming church growth seminar hosted by the Newark congregation and featuring Charlie McClendon, minister of Northside Church of Christ in Jacksonville, Washington. Florida. The theme: “No pandemic can lock up my soul!” ”

Funeral arrangements are pending. Check back for updates.

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