Bell, renewal leader, dies at Montreat The Presbyterian Layman Volume 33, Number 4 Posted August 4, 2000 MONTREAT, N.C. – B. Clayton Bell Sr., 67, pastor emeritus of Highland Park Presbyterian Church in Dallas and longtime renewal leader in the Presbyterian Church (USA), died in his sleep a few hours after a Fourth of July celebration at the home of his sister and brother-in-law, Ruth and evangelist Billy Graham. Bell, who served the 5,000-member Highland Park congregation for 26 years before retiring in January, had preached Sunday at the Montreat Conference Center. Born in China as the son of medical missionaries, Bell appeared to have become nearly full-blooded Texan, often wearing Western boots and a large belt buckle. In the pulpit, he was an acclaimed storyteller; in the denomination, he was a tireless leader for evangelical renewal. He was one of the founders of two ongoing renewal movements: Presbyterians for Renewal and the Presbyterian Coalition. The hallmark of his preaching was his devotion to Scripture. In a book titled Moorings, he said that the Bible, “because God inspired its writing, is a dynamic book. God stands behind its message, and that message reveals our sinfulness and remedy for sin.” More recently, Bell, in a contribution to a book titled A Passion for the Gospel, wrote, “Some Christians feel the Bible has to be defended … I want to suggest to you that the Bible doesn’t so much need to be defended, as it needs to be loosed.” He often lamented that membership losses in the denomination were the result of departure from a Christ-centered, Biblically-grounded faith. In comments posted on its website, the Presbyterian Coalition said, “Clayton’s love for his Lord and his Church were evident as he fought with intense determination and often at great personal cost for the peace, unity and purity of the Church.” Bell studied at Wheaton College and Columbia Theological Seminary. He received an honorary doctorate from Gordon Conwell Theological Seminary. Ordained in 1958, Bell served congregations in Alabama and Georgia before being called to Highland Park in 1973. An interim pastor led Highland Park until July 3 – the day before Bell’s death – when the Rev. Dr. Ronald Scates became pastor.

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