Remembering Tom Logue

This post comes to us from Ray Higgins, coordinator of CBF of Arkansas.

DR. TOM LOGUE—1919-2010

Former CBF of Arkansas Coordinator Tom Logue

When Tom Logue died at the age of 89 on March 6, thousands of Arkansas college students, spanning five decades, said goodbye, some in person and many in spirit, to a dear friend and ministry legend.

I was one of them.  And, so was the Presbyterian pastor I met for lunch the day of Tom’s memorial service.  He introduced himself to me by saying, “I graduated from Ouachita and Southern Seminary, and I know Tom Logue.”  I told him I was going straight from lunch to Tom’s service.  He had not heard.  He caught his breath, and began telling me how Tom helped him discover his calling.

Tom brought his Waco, Texas-Baylor University culture and his doctorate in Christian ethics under the humbly famous T. B. Maston to Arkansas in 1955 as the director of Baptist Student work for the Arkansas Baptist State Convention.  He invested 32 years in BSU college students throughout the state.  Then, in 1991, he became the founding coordinator of the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship of Arkansas where he served for 14 years.

Through collegiate ministry, Tom created a family throughout Arkansas, the nation, and the world.

Tom influenced us personally and through the BSU directors he hired on Arkansas campuses.  Before the invention of email and cell phones, Tom had ways of meeting you and staying in touch.  On trips, he would stop and use a pay phone to call someone.  He cranked out letters like emails.  And he was always willing to his lunch, a tuna fish sandwich, with you.

I remember the first time I met Tom.  It was 1975, and Tom was the speaker at B.A.S.I.C. (Brothers and Sisters in Christ), the University of Arkansas BSU’s Thursday night worship time.  I remember he was small physically, had an interesting voice, and talked with us about his son Tommy, who had died at the age of 17 with muscular dystrophy.

Why was Tom such a beloved role model in the lives of college students?

He took a real interest in you—in college and beyond.

He brought you into his family—his wife, Ethel, daughter, Louise, and sons, Tommy, Tim and John.

He affirmed and respected all people.

He was a creative and progressive thinker and leader.

He had as many questions as answers.  He published his journal about Tommy and called it, God, Could You Talk A Little Louder?

He was relevant to the issues of the day.

He lived a simple lifestyle.

His sermons were twelve minutes.

He was the presence of Christ to all people wherever he went.

Best of all, Terry Minchow-Proffitt described Tom at Ethel’s funeral as a cross between Mahatma Gandhi and Barney Fife.

When Tom called me in December to tell me he had been diagnosed with cancer, he said and I’m paraphrasing, we know we won’t live forever, but we always want more time than we will get. He taught us how to live and die.

A BSU reunion gathered for Tom’s service.  Some in the room had “looked up” to him for 55 years.  We came together to honor the one who helped make us who we are, guide us to where we are, and brought us together in one big, grace-giving, Spirit-filled, Christ-honoring, Jesus-following family.

An era came to an end.  A unique leader and dear friend passed from earthly life to eternal life.  And, in the poignant moments of the service, the tears flowed because we felt so blessed and such a loss.

Yet, Tom’s legacy lives on, and there’s another great college reunion ahead of us.

Memorial contributions can be made to …

• Second Baptist Church, 222 East 8th St. Little Rock, Arkansas 72202
• UAMS Family Home, 4300 W. Markham, Little Rock, Arkansas 72205
• Central Arkansas Chapter of Muscular Dystrophy Association, 204 Executive Court, Suite 208, Little Rock, Arkansas 72205
• Heifer International, 1 World Avenue, Little Rock, Arkansas 72202