Wednesday, Dec. 20, 2023, will be a day of mourning in the Powell community as residents and others impacted by the Rev. Dr. Clarence Sexton reflect on the vision of the man who literally changed the face of Powell.
Dr. Sexton died Tuesday, Dec. 12, at age 75. He leaves his wife, Evelyn Rogers Sexton, their sons, Shannon and Matt, and their families. The full obituary is here.
Clarence and Evelyn Sexton arrived in Powell on August 17, 1988, as he accepted the call to pastor the Temple Baptist Church on Beaver Creek Drive. He told the congregation that their call was also a vote to establish a Bible college.
When the Powell Levi plant closed in 2002, Temple Baptist moved quickly to purchase the property and start renovations for The Crown College. Construction underway by Knox County will unite the church and college with sidewalks along Beaver Creek Drive and the new roundabout at the intersection with Brickyard Road to enhance safety.
Dr. Sexton’s vision included retail and possibly restaurants in the area to give college students hands-on experience in the world of work. He already has a vocational component at the college, saying when his graduates go out into the world as missionaries, they should also be able to do something – construction, welding, etc.
It is sad that Clarence Sexton has left us, but it is a blessing that he passed this way. In 20 years, The Crown College has trained and dispatched over 5,000 missionaries who have planted churches in all 50 states and on every continent.
Friends may come to The Crown College, 2307 W. Beaver Creek Dr., between 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 20, to pay respects. The family will receive friends from 3-5 p.m. and 5:30-6:45 at Temple Baptist Church, 1700 W. Beaver Creek Dr., with the funeral at 7 p.m. Memorials may be directed to The Crown College Scholarship Fund.