Sewell, Cecil Sr.

Sewell, Cecil Sr.

Retired Alabama Baptist pastor Cecil Sewell Sr. died Sept. 17. He was 95.

An Alabama native, Sewell was ordained into the ministry Oct. 27, 1935, by his home church, Piper-Coleanor Baptist Church, Piper.

During Sewell’s ministry, he served as pastor of 13 churches — 11 in Alabama, one in North Carolina and one in Mississippi. He also served as interim pastor for several churches in Alabama, North Carolina and Ohio.

Ten years ago, Sewell returned to West End Baptist Church, Clanton, in Chilton Baptist Association — where he had previously served as pastor — as a church member and Sunday School teacher. The church honored him in 2005 by naming him pastor emeritus.

Sewell continued to teach until his death, teaching Sunday School and a Wednesday afternoon Bible class at Hatley Health Care nursing home in Clanton, where he lived for nine months prior to his death.

Sewell was preceded in death by his wife, Gladys Mae, and two daughters, Carol Humphrey and Martha Sue Browning. He is survived by three other children Betty Christensen, Darlene Brock and Cecil Sewell Jr., pastor of First Baptist Church, Saks, in Anniston. He is also survived by 12 grandchildren, 26 great-grandchildren and seven great-great-grandchildren.  (TAB)