Benefield, T.A.

Benefield, T.A.

T.A. Benefield, former director of missions (DOM) for Sand Mountain and Lookout Mountain associations, passed away April 25. He was 82. A native of DeKalb County and a member of Slackland Baptist Church, Leesburg, Benefield was involved in ministry for more than 50 years.

He served as DOM for Sand Mountain Association for nine years and Lookout Mountain Association for four years.

During his time as DOM at Sand Mountain, “Brother Benny” went on several missions tours, including Nigeria and Portugal. Benefield traveled to Alaska to preach revivals at the Greater Friendship Baptist Church, Anchorage, for three years.

He also helped start an associational scholarship fund while serving as DOM at Sand Mountain, and he was influential in raising the number of churches holding Vacation Bible Schools in the Sand Mountain area.

Benefield was interim pastor for several churches in both Cherokee and DeKalb counties and served as pastor of Hebron Baptist Church in Calhoun County. His longest term as pastor was with East Toledo Baptist Church in Ohio, where he served for 15 years. He was a pioneer, one of the first pastors of a Southern Baptist church in Ohio. East Toledo Church honored him by naming a building after him, the Thomas Aaron Benefield Education Building.

Benefield was a World War II veteran, serving in the U.S. Air Force from 1941 until 1946. He studied at Howard College (now Samford University) in Birmingham and received an honorary doctorate from Lenox University of Phoenix in Atlanta.

Benefield is survived by his wife, VeLara, one daughter and several adopted grandchildren. (TAB)