Lloyd Cline Sears
1895-1986
Biographical Sketch On The Life Of Lloyd C. Sears
Lloyd Cline Sears was born near Odon, Indiana, May 13, 1895. At the age of fifteen he was baptized by R.C. Bell, May, 1910. Very early in life he came under the influence of J.N. Armstrong and his family. Armstrong's family is mentioned here because it was his daughter, Pattie Hathaway Armstrong that Lloyd married in 1917. This was a family of renown in the Lord's church, as Pattie's maternal grandparents were James A. and Pattie Harding, being named for her grandmother. They had two sons Jack Wood, and James Kern.
Sears began preaching in Cordell, Oklahoma in 1910. He later trained at Cordell Christian College and was conferred upon with the Bachelor of Arts degree in 1918. The following year he received another B.A. from the University of Oklahoma. Further studies brought about the M.A. degree from the University of Kansas in 1922. By 1935 he had received the PhD from the University of Chicago. This education set the stage for his work in Christian education for the remainder of his life.
He preached for various churches through the years. He served the Cornell Avenue Church of Christ, Chicago, Illinois from 1927-1928. While working on his doctorate he also served the North Side and W. Madison congregation in Chicago from 1934-1935. After moving back to Arkansas he preached for a number of churches through the years. He served the churches in Calico Rock and Melbourne, Arkansas. He preached for a number of churches in eastern Arkansas including the congregations in the towns of Wynne, Alicia, and Swifton. He also preached for the church in Henning, Tennessee from 1940-1965. Then there were a number of other congregations that he visited with upon request for gospel meetings and other invitations to preach. He also conducted mission campaigns in Glasgow, Scotland.
L.C. Sears wrote two very important contributions to the preservation of Restoration History. He wrote For Freedom, the biography of J.N. Armstrong, published by Sweet Publications in 1969. He authored The Eyes Of Jehovah, the biography of James Alexander Harding in 1970.
His greatest love was education. He served as Instructor of English at Cordell Christian College; At Harper College, Kansas he was Professor of English and Dean of the College, 1918-1924. When the college merged with Arkansas Christian and moved to Morrilton, Arkansas he continued as Dean of the newly formed Harding Christian College and Professor of English. He served Harding after the move to Searcy in 1934 in this capacity until 1960. In 1941 he served as a visiting Professor of English to the University of Arkansas. Through the years he served on boards of various education related associations in Arkansas. Some of these roles and organizations are as follows: Chairman of the Central Conference of Academic Deans; Member of the Arkansas Association of College Deans; the Arkansas Association of Colleges; the Arkansas Teachers of English Association; and The Arkansas Association of Teachers of Speech. He retired from his life-work in the field of education in 1968.
Lloyd C. Sears died in 1986 and was buried next to his wife who preceded his death in 1977, in the Armstrong plot at White County Memorial Cemetery, Searcy, Arkansas.
-by Scott Harp, Source: Much of the information above was taken from Preachers of Today, Vol. 4, c.1970, pages 283,284.
Directions To The Grave Of L.C. Sears
Lloyd Cline and Pattie Hathaway Sears are buried in the White County Memorial Gardens in Searcy, Arkansas. White County Memorial Gardens is located on the southeast side of Searcy. Enter the cemetery and dead end. Turn right, note statue of Jesus in center of section to your left. Go to the next left and go to the step-up entrance in the center of the section heading toward the statue of Jesus (west). Just a few sections in look to your left and travel in about halfway to the Sears/Armstrong plot. See Map Page Here!
GPS Coordinates
N35º 14' 539" x WO 91º 41' 351"
35.242306,-91.689189
Facing West
Garden Of Christus
Lot 87, Section C, Space 1
The Two Men In The Picture Are Friends, Wayne
Kendrick and Graham McDonald
Standing At The Graves Of L.C. Sears And J.N. Armstrong, October 1, 2004
Lloyd Cline Sears - 1895 - 1986
Pattie Hathaway Armstrong Sears - 1899 - 1977
Photo Taken 09.30.2019
