Honoring Dr. Earl D. Edwards (13 April 1933 – 13 September 2025)

For ninety-two treasured years the Lord has richly blessed the world through his godly servant Earl D. Edwards. Missionary, gospel preacher, Bible teacher, evangelist, elder, professor, scholar, author, mentor; Christian husband, father, grandfather, great-grandfather. This gallant man of God departed from this temporal life following a day of door-knocking to set up Bible studies and less than a week after his last sermon. He kept a record of the sermons he preached over the years, from 2nd June 1952 to 7th September 2025, totaling 7,629.

Impact on My Life (and Countless Others!)

Bro. Edwards started teaching at Freed-Hardeman College when I was an undergraduate student in the Social Work program and developing an interest in missions. He invited me to participate in a Spring Break campaign to Toronto, Canada, working mainly in an Italian community. This was the first time I had ever been outside the United States, and it significantly broadened my horizons. We learned basic Italian phrases for door-knocking, inviting people to study the Bible and to attend a gospel meeting, which bro. Edwards preached in Italian. He asked me to lead the singing, in Italian, which I reluctantly did, strictly following the words on the page!

My interest in missions continued to grow, so my final semester I enrolled in bro. Edwards’ “World Missions” class, which I think was the only missions class offered at the time. My research project focused on the Lord’s work in New Zealand, and the things I learned coupled with bro. Edwards’ influence led me to make the decision on the last day of class to devote my life to full-time evangelistic work in New Zealand.

Years later bro. Edwards brought the first Freed-Hardeman campaign group to NZ while I was working with the church in Wellington, which instilled in me the inspiration to organize and coordinate future FHU-NZ campaigns. He then invited me to serve as Freed-Hardeman’s missionary-in-residence and offered a scholarship to study in the Graduate School of Theology. I got to take some of his classes and still treasure his class notes. When my thesis advisor got sick, bro. Edwards stepped in for a time to offer critiques and then served on the oral comps panel. He didn’t make it easy but was gracious!

Worthy of Honor

For years bro. Edwards has been affectionately referred to as the fifteenth apostle. Although spoken in jest, and I’m pretty sure he didn’t like the comparison, the admiration and respect he has earned from all who knew him made the comparison somewhat legitimate. He never seemed to slow down. He was always busy in the Lord’s work. Like the apostle Paul, he “labored more abundantly than they all” and would be the first to admit, “yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me” (1 Cor. 15:10).

While we are eternally grateful for his life, service, and the incredible impact he has made, we are also thankful that he has now entered his long-anticipated and well-deserved rest, joining Ms. Gwen, Ms. Lora, and a host of heroes and heroines of faith who have gone on before him. In fact, if the eleventh chapter of Hebrews were written today, I’m pretty sure Earl D. Edwards would be included.

--Kevin L. Moore

Related: Obituary: Earl D. Edwards 

 

Image credit: https://www.facebook.com/photo?fbid=10101267665306869&set=pcb.10101267666704069 

My Friend Dr. Stanley Mitchell (8 June 1956 – 19 February 2019)

Stan the Man: Assistant Professor of Bible in the College of Biblical Studies at Freed-Hardeman University; educated at Abilene Christian University (BA, MA), Pepperdine University (MDiv), and Regent University (PhD). The son of long-term missionaries Loy and Donna Mitchell, Stan grew up in Zimbabwe and never lost his distinctive accent. As an adult, having served about nine years as a missionary in Zimbabwe, Stan preached for N. American congregations in California, Texas, and Tennessee, most recently the Red Walnut church in Bath Springs, TN. Stan would describe himself as a West Texan, a West Tennessean, and an African American. 

The Freed-Hardeman Years

Stan has taught Bible and missions at FHU since 2005. For the past several years I have been blessed to occupy the office next to his. Every day I have gotten to hear his infectious laugh, a wide variety of music, affectionate phone conversations with his daughter and grandkids, and not a few corny jokes. Stan was the one who kept photocopier paper stocked in our office suite, delivered the mail, turned out the lights and locked the doors (usually the last one to leave). His absence is being felt in many ways.

Every student who entered the foyer of the 2nd-floor GC Bible offices could expect to hear, “Chocolate? Have a chocolate.” It never failed to bring a smile. I would sometimes jokingly say this is why Stan’s office is the most popular, but we all know that’s not the reason. The hundreds of students who frequented Stan’s office left with so much more than confectionery. You’d be hard pressed to find a more approachable, compassionate, encouraging soul than Stan Mitchell, or a professor loved more by FHU students. 

Stan and I shared much in common, including what we considered to be a “sophisticated” sense of humor. We had numerous conversations about biblical doctrine, the current state and future of the Lord’s church, and missions methodology, almost always landing on the same page. About the only thing we disagreed on was tri-nations rugby, particularly with respect to Stan’s SA Springboks and my NZ All Blacks!

Memorable Stanisms

Stan was wise, witty, and funny, always having something clever to say. When asked how he was doing, his typical response was, “Better than I deserve.” Other memorable Stanisms include: “I’ve never lost a beauty contest.” “I don’t take bribes, but I do take coffee: black, no sugar.” “I only like two kinds of coffee: the kind I make, and the kind someone else makes.” At a local hamburger joint Stan asked the waitress, “Do you have anything with cholesterol?” To students taking a make-up test, Stan would say, “Unfortunately, this one doesn’t have the answers.”

Stan’s Loves

Stan loved the Lord, the Lord’s church, and the word of the Lord. This was most obvious in how he lived, how he spoke, and how he invested his time. He dedicated his life to the Lord’s service. 

Stan adored his beloved wife Marj, whom he affectionately referred to as “the tall redhead.” He dearly loved and was enormously proud of the other redhead in his life, his daughter Tracy. But if you really wanted to see his face light up, just ask about his grandkids, Gideon and Gwen. In fact, you didn’t have to ask. He was always ready to share the latest story, photo, or video. In one of the last articles he published, he mentioned his “two grandchildren” and their “sweet lives,” observing: “I pray they will grow to know their grandfather and his faith.”¹

Stan also loved his siblings and extended family. He loved his students. He loved his job. He loved his brethren, both local and abroad. He loved to preach. He loved to sing. He loved to write. He authored four books and regularly contributed to brotherhood journals, including Forthright Magazine and their weekly “Reality Check” column <Link>. Since October 2016 Stan has posted weekly articles on his blog, Higher Grounds: Better Living Through Higher Thinking <Link>.²

Stan’s Destiny

Stan has often said, “You don’t have a soul. You are a soul. You have a body.” Earlier this year he reflected on that which survives physical death, viz. the soul, spirit, mind, conscience, heart, character, personality. Despite the transformation he has now undergone, I hope his personality hasn’t changed. He writes: “The part we cannot see, the eternal part, is that which we should feed, cultivate and develop. The paraplegic will not roll his wheel chair into heaven, he will be walking and leaping and praising God! No one will be warped and twisted by cancer or arthritis or aging. We will be eternal!”³

Concluding Thoughts

Stan Mitchell leaves behind a massive void that no one but God himself can fill. I’m thankful to have known him. I’m thankful for the impact he has made on this world. I’m sad but thankful he has gone to his eternal reward. About a year ago Stan posted five rules to happiness; the last one reads: “Cherish the people in your life; the day will come (perhaps quickly) when they will be gone.” My dear brother and friend, God bless you. Go with God.

--Kevin L. Moore

Endnotes:

     ¹ Stan Mitchell, “Welcome Home,” in Higher Grounds (5 Feb. 2019), <Web>. Last year, before Gwen was born, Stan wrote a letter to his grandson and said, “Dear Gideon, I don’t know if you will grow up to be a preacher, president or policeman. But I do hope, I hope with all my heart, that you grow up to be a Christian, that you will stand tall for what God desires” (Stan Mitchell, “Dear Gideon,” in Higher Grounds [16 Oct. 2018], <Web>).

     ² Stan’s stated purpose for these articles “is to build God’s church by spreading its borders (encouraging missions), strengthening its members and reaching out to those who are searching for a good God and a loving savior.” His published books are: (1) The Wise Get Wiser, the Foolish More Foolish: A Study of the Book of Proverbs, (2) Give the Winds a Mighty Voice: Our Worship in Song, (3) Equipping the Saints for Ministry, and (4) Will Our Faith Have Children. Some of Stan’s audio sermons are available here. You can also listen to his “Life of Paul” podcasts here.

     ³ Stan Mitchell, “What Happens to Us When We Die?,” in Higher Grounds (29 Jan. 2019), <Web>.

Related articles: Ryan Fraser's We've lost a friend, Tracy Watt's A God We Can Trust

Image credit: https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=2077827418937444&set=t.150801812&type=3&theater

A Tribute to My Friend Todd Walker (1962-2015)

     We’ve lost a friend. We’ve lost a brother. The passing of Todd Walker, whose battle with ALS ended on Tuesday May 19th, has left an emotional void in countless of lives along with an everlasting impression. Our hearts are hurting with Ms. Shirley, Shelia, Lauren, and Daniel.

     While Todd is remembered as an excellent song leader, several of us know where he developed that talent. If you’ve never had the privilege of worshiping with the Glendale church of Christ in Newbern, TN (Todd’s home congregation), you don’t know what really good singing is! And Todd’s gifts included more than singing. He was an outstanding student of God’s word and minister of the gospel, and heaven’s population will be significantly increased because of his short life on this earth. More than anything else, he was an exceptional Christian gentleman.

     After attending high school and college together, our lives took us in separate directions, but I’ve kept up with Todd over the years – marriage, kids, grad school, ministry, illness. I understand that his last sermon was aptly based on 2 Timothy 4:7-8, “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to me only but also to all who have loved His appearing.”

     This may seem quite trivial in comparison, but my fondest memories of Todd center around football. We played together for Coach Ab Davis’ Dyer County Choctaws. Then at Freed-Hardeman University we were in different social clubs and played against each other in intramurals. But nothing rivals our no-pads-full-contact football games as teenagers in Todd’s front yard. Sometimes there were others who joined in, but mostly it was Todd, Tim Carter, Mike McCullough, and me.

     Our “field” was a strip of land of about 40 x 30 yards, with a driveway and a ditch as end zones and a road and a shed as sidelines. Sometimes Mr. Bobby Joe (Todd’s dad) would come out and cheer us on, and in our minds we were Lynn Swann, Joe Greene, Franco Harris, and Jack Lambert. At the risk of sounding boastful with slight exaggeration, the UT Vols really missed out by not having a talent scout in the area when we played some of these thrilling, knock-down-drag-0ut competitions. I don’t recall any broken bones or major concussions, but we had about as much fun as teenage boys could have.

     I don’t know if we’ll be allowed to play football in heaven, but seeing that “there shall be no more pain” (Rev. 21:4), maybe the Lord will let Todd and the rest of us use our new, glorious, incorruptible bodies (1 Cor. 15:42-44) to relive some happy memories.

Thank you Todd for your life. Looking forward to the reunion.

--Kevin L. Moore

Image credit: http://hosting-20504.tributes.com/obituary/show/Todd-Walker--102489934