The Great C.A.W. Clark, pastor of Good Street Baptist Church, dies Sunday in Dallas (1914-2008)
Categories: African-American, Dallas, Religion and Faith
Written By: Shawn Williams
On Sunday one of God’s preaching greats left this Earth with the passing of Rev. C.A.W. Clark.
Pastor Clark began preaching in 1929 and was ordained four years later. He lead his first church, Israelite Baptist in Louisiana, at age 19. Clark was a graduate of Bishop College.
My earliest memories are of Pastor Clark on the cover of Ebony magazine in the early 80’s as one of America’s 15 Best Preachers. This was a big deal in my house because I had an aunt and uncle who attended his church.
As a matter of fact, the first time I met Pastor Clark was in my grandmother’s Paris, Texas living room. Clark was in town for a week long revival and Mt. Pisgah Baptist Church. I found Rev. Clark to be a quiet yet engaging figure with an unforgettable chuckle of a laugh.
Speaking of unforgettable, once you heard Rev. Clark preach God’s word, you could never forget it. Clark’s sermon’s began slow and deliberately. I wondered if his voice would ever rise above a whisper the first time I heard him. But by the end of the sermon, his whoop had the congregation on their feet shouting, lifting their hands, and praising Jesus.
Ceasar Arther Walter Clark began his service as pastor of the Good Street Baptist Church here in Dallas in 1950. His long and effective tenure saw Good Street rise to nationwide prominence and become major civic destination. Over the years many great figures graced the pulpit there, including Martin Luther King Jr. in 1956 (Dallas Morning News).
About 5 years ago at the Dawn of a New Day Conference here in Dallas, I had the opportunity to serve as an armor bearer of sorts for Rev. Clark. His body was slowed by age but his mind was still as sharp as ever.
As I took Clark around the room, we could not move more than 10 feet without someone stopping us so that they could reach out to him. I was amazed at how he recalled the names a story of everyone we bumped into. He would make a funny quip to each person which would get us all laughing.
The world has lost a preaching legend in Rev. C.A.W. Clark. Services for Clark will be held at 11 a.m. on Monday August 4, at Good Street Baptist Church, 3110 Bonnie View Road. Dallas, TX 75216
July 28th, 2008 at 6:01 pm
Pastor Clark was a great icon serving in official capacities at the National Baptist Congress for many years. I remember my brother and sister-in-law serving as his travel companions scheduling their vacations and making sure he was present. Pastor Clark was very quite and humble man who always knew I was Jimmy’s sister and always “wanted to know how is your mother?”
July 28th, 2008 at 7:56 pm
I grew up loving and admiring Dr. Clark. My Uncle George and Dr. Clark were Good friends who traveled the country side together. My youth memories are filled with many years of attending the City Wide Revival with all my family at Good Street. They shall forever linger in my mind. Just to see him take the pulpit was electrifying. We never knew what he was going to say, but we knew it was going to be great! I remember Him literally saying one word ,and bringing the house down. He was awesom the Black Pope of our Time.
July 29th, 2008 at 9:18 pm
I first saw and heard Dr. Clark as a revivalist in Atlanta (1980’s) at the Antioch Baptist Church, North - Rev. Cameron M. Alexander, Pastor. Rev. Clark was our revivalist for several years. Each year, he preached our souls happy for five consecutive nights. We shalll never forget how his sermons would begin…slow and deliberate. But, Glory Halleluhah…by the close of his sermon, the Heavens were rejoicing and so was our entire congregation! He was GREAT preacher / teacher and we already miss him dearly. Dr. Clark, I can’t wait to get to Heaven, because I know I will meet you and Jesus there!
…Till we meet, again!
July 31st, 2008 at 10:54 am
I was a Bishop College student and SGA Pres in 1988. That was when the sutdents raised over half a million dollars to help keep the school open. I had the priviledge of accepting two $100,000.00 checks. One check came from Dr. C. A. W. Clark and the other from the late Dr. M. L. Scott. Those are times that I shall never forget.
Stephen class of 1988
July 31st, 2008 at 7:36 pm
I have so many memories of Pastor Clark that it would take weeks to tell you all of them. I started attending church at Goodstreet in my Mother’s womb. When I accepted Jesus Christ into my life, Pastor Clark baptized me and my two sisters. He presided over my Mother,Grandmother,Uncle,Cousin funerals, he married my sister and I. He blessed my child and my nephew. He sent money to me when I was in college. I got to meet so many famous people while at Goodstreet, such as Aretha Franklin, Johnny Taylor, Jessie Jackson and everyone that was running for any elected office in the State of Texas that wanted to win! He was a Preacher’s, Preacher! My current Pastor, Rev. M.C. McGruder has pictures of him and Pastor Clark hanging in his study. His sermon’s where something to experience. He not only preach the word from the Holy Bible, he lived every verse. I will miss my former Pastor and family friend, but Heaven is better for it.
July 31st, 2008 at 9:00 pm
I am a resident of Oakland, CA.
I remember when Rev. Clark conducted the City Wide Revival for years.
The Kaiser Center complex would be filled from top to bottom five nights a week!
We would go to work and go to the revival at night. You would not think about missing a night.
He will be missed.
August 1st, 2008 at 7:00 am
I was born in Marshall, Texas when Bishop College was there, because moving to Dallas, Texas. My dad, Pastor Harrison Fields, Sr was a resource secretary for the late Dr. Sandy Fredrick Ray, my mother was expecting me to arrive and name me after Dr. Sandy Ray. When I was at Grambling State University I accept my call in the ministry and I first heard Dr Clark preach at the National Baptist Congress of Christian Education in Milwaukee,Wisconsin in 1981. He has been my mentor every since and through the yeas I would see him at the L. K. Williams Institute and around the country, he would always remember me. We will miss him greatly as he has help many over the years leave the Egypt of heir experiences, crossing the Red Seas and entering into the promise land of new vista in their lives. He was our Moses and I pray that in my ministry that God would bless me as he did Joshua when Moses had died to take up where Dr. Clark has left off in getting people to where they need to be. Dr. Clark has seen God for himself as he preached years ago in a powerful sermon, “Oh I want to see Him”. Until we meet again Dr. Clark, rest in peace. I remain,
In the Shadow of the Cross,
Sandy Ray Fields, Sr., Pastor
New Mount Zion Missionary Baptist Church
Topeka, Kansas
August 5th, 2008 at 9:08 pm
I remember Dr.Clark so vividly even as a child as he would conduct the city Wide Revival at West End Baptist Church in San Antonio Tx.Inever shall forget the message,Going to the other side,on a sunday night. as much as he was in a rush,he stopped to speak to the young ministers.What a man !!surely an era has passed.
December 6th, 2009 at 8:20 pm
I NEED CD’S OR TAPES OF DR.C.A.CLARK
March 6th, 2010 at 3:53 pm
Dr. Clark taught me to preach with a sense of urgency, as a dying man to dying men. It was a great blessing and inspiration to witness the preaching of Dr. Clark, because he had a passion for everything he preached. And it seemed to have sprung from a general spiritual burden for the souls of God’s people. He actually had what I would call a preaching formula and that is, begin low; continue slow; rise up higher; catch on fire; sit down the storm.