Dear Friends,
It is with deep, lonely sorrow and yet rejoicing that I tell you my darling husband and friend has gone home to be with the Lord whom he loved and served so long.
My husband fought a gallant battle with illness for many long difficult months and never complained, not even once about his painful condition. He simply said, “We all groan to be delivered- it's ok, Lace”.
Truly this well-loved man fought the good fight, finished the course, and kept the faith. 2 Timothy 4:7
His desire was to pass the “torch” to younger men who would continue in the battle and that Scofield Ministries would continue its outreach.
He named me as administrator. I shall with God’s help and to the best of my abilities do my greatest friend and companion good all the days of my life.
He will be greatly missed. If you wish to send a card, you may send it to: 120 CR 3222, Clifton, TX 76634
Thank you for your love, prayers, and financial support of my husband in this ministry.
In His service for His glory,
Dr. Lacy Couch
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Tribute To Dr. Couch
It is with mixed emotions that I announce tonight that Dr. Mal Couch early this morning around 2 AM on February 12th lost his battle with cancer and passed into the presence of his Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. The reason my emotions are mixed is because on the one hand I am happy since I now know that Mal Couch is in a better place. Paul indicated that to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord (2 Cor. 5:8) and to depart and be with Christ is far better (Philip. 1:21-23).
On the other hand my heart is heavy tonight with sadness knowing that I have temporarily lost the companionship of a mentor and even more important than that a very good, close, personal friend. The life of Dr. Mal Couch was nothing short of extraordinary. I hope to blog about it in more detail at a later time. God used him in so many strategic ways to touch many people, including myself. I've had the privilege of knowing him personally over the course of the last decade. Volumes could be written on the things that I have learned from this man philosophically, theologically, and professionally. He invited me to contribute to a plethora of journal issues, books, conferences, online resources, and CD interviews. Despite my busy schedule, only one time I remember did I ever turn him down. In many ways, he was a father-like figure to me. Outside of my immediate and extended family, there was probably no one who was a greater supporter, influencer, encourager, and cheerleader for my life and ministry than Dr. Mal Couch. I owe the current trajectory in my life largely to his positive influence. His passing certainly makes heaven richer and earth poorer.
Besides my mixed emotions of happiness and sadness, one other feeling strikes me very strongly this evening. That sensation is urgency or motivation! His passing reminds me of how brief life really is (Ps. 103:15-16; Jas. 4:14). It's imperative to all of us like-minded ministers and believers to invest what limited time we have left in this fleeting life into eternal things. Mal Couch seemed to understand that his time on earth was limited, and so he wanted to make every second count for Christ. We should follow his example. His passing is a reminder that the spiritual baton has now been formally passed to those of us that he influenced. Let us take that baton, consisting of the rich things that we learned from him, and pass it on to the next generation while there is still time and freedom to do so. His passing has personally awakened within me a desire to reconsecrate my life to God so that He can use me as His channel of blessing to others. I want to bless others the same way Mal blessed me.
The death of the giants of Mal's generation remind us that we can no longer count on these older Christians to disseminate what their generation stood for (Dispensationalism, pre-tribulationism, Zionism, literal interpretation, free grace, conservatism, and constitutionalism). It's our turn now to take the lead in these issues. Let run our race with boldness and endurance knowing that we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses (Heb. 12:1). May God strengthen us for the task ahead. Thank you again Dr. Mal Couch for what you have meant to so many and for the encouragement and training you have given us to follow your wonderful example.
During this difficult time, my thoughts and prayers go out to Mal's family, especially his wonderful wife Lacy.
Sincerely,
Dr. Andy Woods
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Memories of Mal
by Steven Ger
Mal was my patron, in the classic sense of the word. Back in December 1997, when I was just starting out on my own with Sojourner Ministries, I challenged the Pre-Trib Study Group (which at that time consisted of mostly grey-haired dudes) to look around the room and take the few of us younger guys present under their wings and build into the next generation of dispensational leaders.
That same day, Mal introduced himself to me and gave me some encouragement. The next year, he invited me to deliver a series of a dozen or so Sunday evening messages at his church. He even took out a full page advertisement spread in the local paper with my photo, inviting people to come hear a messianic "teacher and humorist." Further invitations to speak at his churches were always plentiful, as were opportunities to teach at Tyndale and work together on new projects, like "Drive-time Theology" and the like.
Mal always had ideas for new, often ambitious projects. He encouraged me to deliver two papers for the Pre-Trib Conference. I even taught the kids at Tyndale's summer camp for several years. Perhaps the most important project that Mal arranged for me to be involved with was the 21st Century Commentary Series books on Acts and on Hebrews. At a time when few editors would take a chance on an authorial unknown, Mal entrusted two whole books of the NT to my neophyte hands (and pulled me kicking and screaming as I serially missed multiple deadlines until both books were done). He must have liked them though, since he quoted freely from them in a few of his books (one of which was so heavily laden with quotations from me that I joked that I should receive half the royalties!) Mal was one of a kind and while his like will not be seen again this side of heaven, his memory lives on in my ministry undertakings.
---------------------------------------------------------------
One Year Later
By Dr. John Pappas
It is hard to believe it has been a year since our beloved Dr. Couch went home to be with the Lord. I first met Dr. Couch at Seminary Fellowship Bible Church where he was the pastor. Everything about the Church was unconventional. There were no pews, only tables and chairs because the small Church doubled as Tyndale Theological Seminary and Biblical Institute.
I was a new believer, where only two years earlier my wife led me to the Lord, and she, too, had only been a believer for a few years. I had just graduated from college with a bachelor’s degree in Physics and started working professionally in my career when this larger than life figure – Dr. Couch, entered into our family’s life. It was a time when the seminary was gaining recognition as a solid conservative school with the best conservative, dispensational teachers in the world. Many were invited to teach a week or weekend course in the subject of their unique specialty. These courses were recorded and formed the basis of the “correspondence” part of the school.
One thing that immediately struck me about Dr. Couch was the way in which he could identify a need and how to satisfy the need in the best possible way with excitement and enthusiasm. Whatever he took on was sure to become a success. What started as a small seminary and correspondence school, which he called the extension school, was some ten years before the technical capabilities of the popular modern “online” schools.
Dr. Couch’s teaching style was what he called “Old Dallas,” meaning, that was how he was taught under the old greats of Dallas Seminary: Dr. Walvoord, Unger, Ironside, and one of his favorite’s, the Greek scholar Dr. S. Lewis Johnson. When I started going to seminary at Tyndale, I wanted to go for the gold, the great ThM program that was patterned after Dallas Theological Seminary’s original program where the original languages served as the foundation, and as Dr. Couch would say, “was the foundation of early Dallas where men were trained to be expositors of the Word.”
Since I had no knowledge of Church or Christianity, not having grown up in Church, Dr. Couch defined Church for me. That meant, go to the only source of instruction – the Bible, and there find your direction for life, Church organization, and doctrine. In hermeneutics class, he would challenge everyone’s Christian “traditions.” Nothing was off limits. “Does what your Church teach and practice measure up to Scripture?” That question alone impressed upon his students that in this seminary, they would have to check their doctrine.
I had the opportunity to meet many of the extension students as they came to town for their mandatory seminars held on campus in my 15 years in seminary. All the students I met were deeply encouraged and motivated by Dr. Couch. Each one was stretched at the theological level they were at. Each student was challenged to reach higher for the fruit of the Word. Each student understood what was happening at Tyndale was something special. Whether male or female, all the students were special to him and each one was viewed as having a special mission to complete. Dr. Couch was there to encourage them in their service to God, training, discipling, and sending them out.
As a founding member of the Pre-Trib Study Group, Dr. Couch brought that cutting edge research excitement to his students, establishing the Conservative Theological Society and its Journal. He had a deep understanding that God is in control. When Tyndale seminary was sued by the State of Texas for not allowing the state to rule over them, his little seminary and two others counter sued and as the law suit dragged on for some ten years he had times of doubt, but he was determined to stay in the fight for the long run. It was during this period together with the revelation of his cancer that his walk with the Lord seemed to deepen. It is at this period of his life that what he preached and learned from the Word seemed to strengthened his love for the Lord. At the height of discouragement in ministry and health, Dr. Couch grew in the Lord moving forward faithfully sticking to his primary principles – no paradigm shift or watering down of truth. He told me during this period that he would never retire, he would continue until the end. Indeed, even when he was so sick that he had to move to a care facility, his Gathering Storm messages would continue. It was at this facility that in his last days he spent talking about Christ to his male Jewish care giver.
He was a great example of a teacher, pastor and discipler. Dr. Couch was a man who loved to gather around the word of God in fellowship. His curiosity was contagious, his ideas living, and his life inspired others to service. Some men like to get together and argue about the Word of God, others like to debate the Word, but Dr. Couch came together to fellowship around the Word. That is what he taught me – humility in fellowship around the Word of God – what does the Word say?
After almost 20 years under his teaching, I can identify several doctrines that were close to his heart. These doctrines were refined over time so that they moved from simple statements of fact to rhetorical questions. These simple sayings, in turn, have become close to my heart. Some of his favorite doctrines that stand out are:
It is with deep, lonely sorrow and yet rejoicing that I tell you my darling husband and friend has gone home to be with the Lord whom he loved and served so long.
My husband fought a gallant battle with illness for many long difficult months and never complained, not even once about his painful condition. He simply said, “We all groan to be delivered- it's ok, Lace”.
Truly this well-loved man fought the good fight, finished the course, and kept the faith. 2 Timothy 4:7
His desire was to pass the “torch” to younger men who would continue in the battle and that Scofield Ministries would continue its outreach.
He named me as administrator. I shall with God’s help and to the best of my abilities do my greatest friend and companion good all the days of my life.
He will be greatly missed. If you wish to send a card, you may send it to: 120 CR 3222, Clifton, TX 76634
Thank you for your love, prayers, and financial support of my husband in this ministry.
In His service for His glory,
Dr. Lacy Couch
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Tribute To Dr. Couch
It is with mixed emotions that I announce tonight that Dr. Mal Couch early this morning around 2 AM on February 12th lost his battle with cancer and passed into the presence of his Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. The reason my emotions are mixed is because on the one hand I am happy since I now know that Mal Couch is in a better place. Paul indicated that to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord (2 Cor. 5:8) and to depart and be with Christ is far better (Philip. 1:21-23).
On the other hand my heart is heavy tonight with sadness knowing that I have temporarily lost the companionship of a mentor and even more important than that a very good, close, personal friend. The life of Dr. Mal Couch was nothing short of extraordinary. I hope to blog about it in more detail at a later time. God used him in so many strategic ways to touch many people, including myself. I've had the privilege of knowing him personally over the course of the last decade. Volumes could be written on the things that I have learned from this man philosophically, theologically, and professionally. He invited me to contribute to a plethora of journal issues, books, conferences, online resources, and CD interviews. Despite my busy schedule, only one time I remember did I ever turn him down. In many ways, he was a father-like figure to me. Outside of my immediate and extended family, there was probably no one who was a greater supporter, influencer, encourager, and cheerleader for my life and ministry than Dr. Mal Couch. I owe the current trajectory in my life largely to his positive influence. His passing certainly makes heaven richer and earth poorer.
Besides my mixed emotions of happiness and sadness, one other feeling strikes me very strongly this evening. That sensation is urgency or motivation! His passing reminds me of how brief life really is (Ps. 103:15-16; Jas. 4:14). It's imperative to all of us like-minded ministers and believers to invest what limited time we have left in this fleeting life into eternal things. Mal Couch seemed to understand that his time on earth was limited, and so he wanted to make every second count for Christ. We should follow his example. His passing is a reminder that the spiritual baton has now been formally passed to those of us that he influenced. Let us take that baton, consisting of the rich things that we learned from him, and pass it on to the next generation while there is still time and freedom to do so. His passing has personally awakened within me a desire to reconsecrate my life to God so that He can use me as His channel of blessing to others. I want to bless others the same way Mal blessed me.
The death of the giants of Mal's generation remind us that we can no longer count on these older Christians to disseminate what their generation stood for (Dispensationalism, pre-tribulationism, Zionism, literal interpretation, free grace, conservatism, and constitutionalism). It's our turn now to take the lead in these issues. Let run our race with boldness and endurance knowing that we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses (Heb. 12:1). May God strengthen us for the task ahead. Thank you again Dr. Mal Couch for what you have meant to so many and for the encouragement and training you have given us to follow your wonderful example.
During this difficult time, my thoughts and prayers go out to Mal's family, especially his wonderful wife Lacy.
Sincerely,
Dr. Andy Woods
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Memories of Mal
by Steven Ger
Mal was my patron, in the classic sense of the word. Back in December 1997, when I was just starting out on my own with Sojourner Ministries, I challenged the Pre-Trib Study Group (which at that time consisted of mostly grey-haired dudes) to look around the room and take the few of us younger guys present under their wings and build into the next generation of dispensational leaders.
That same day, Mal introduced himself to me and gave me some encouragement. The next year, he invited me to deliver a series of a dozen or so Sunday evening messages at his church. He even took out a full page advertisement spread in the local paper with my photo, inviting people to come hear a messianic "teacher and humorist." Further invitations to speak at his churches were always plentiful, as were opportunities to teach at Tyndale and work together on new projects, like "Drive-time Theology" and the like.
Mal always had ideas for new, often ambitious projects. He encouraged me to deliver two papers for the Pre-Trib Conference. I even taught the kids at Tyndale's summer camp for several years. Perhaps the most important project that Mal arranged for me to be involved with was the 21st Century Commentary Series books on Acts and on Hebrews. At a time when few editors would take a chance on an authorial unknown, Mal entrusted two whole books of the NT to my neophyte hands (and pulled me kicking and screaming as I serially missed multiple deadlines until both books were done). He must have liked them though, since he quoted freely from them in a few of his books (one of which was so heavily laden with quotations from me that I joked that I should receive half the royalties!) Mal was one of a kind and while his like will not be seen again this side of heaven, his memory lives on in my ministry undertakings.
---------------------------------------------------------------
One Year Later
By Dr. John Pappas
It is hard to believe it has been a year since our beloved Dr. Couch went home to be with the Lord. I first met Dr. Couch at Seminary Fellowship Bible Church where he was the pastor. Everything about the Church was unconventional. There were no pews, only tables and chairs because the small Church doubled as Tyndale Theological Seminary and Biblical Institute.
I was a new believer, where only two years earlier my wife led me to the Lord, and she, too, had only been a believer for a few years. I had just graduated from college with a bachelor’s degree in Physics and started working professionally in my career when this larger than life figure – Dr. Couch, entered into our family’s life. It was a time when the seminary was gaining recognition as a solid conservative school with the best conservative, dispensational teachers in the world. Many were invited to teach a week or weekend course in the subject of their unique specialty. These courses were recorded and formed the basis of the “correspondence” part of the school.
One thing that immediately struck me about Dr. Couch was the way in which he could identify a need and how to satisfy the need in the best possible way with excitement and enthusiasm. Whatever he took on was sure to become a success. What started as a small seminary and correspondence school, which he called the extension school, was some ten years before the technical capabilities of the popular modern “online” schools.
Dr. Couch’s teaching style was what he called “Old Dallas,” meaning, that was how he was taught under the old greats of Dallas Seminary: Dr. Walvoord, Unger, Ironside, and one of his favorite’s, the Greek scholar Dr. S. Lewis Johnson. When I started going to seminary at Tyndale, I wanted to go for the gold, the great ThM program that was patterned after Dallas Theological Seminary’s original program where the original languages served as the foundation, and as Dr. Couch would say, “was the foundation of early Dallas where men were trained to be expositors of the Word.”
Since I had no knowledge of Church or Christianity, not having grown up in Church, Dr. Couch defined Church for me. That meant, go to the only source of instruction – the Bible, and there find your direction for life, Church organization, and doctrine. In hermeneutics class, he would challenge everyone’s Christian “traditions.” Nothing was off limits. “Does what your Church teach and practice measure up to Scripture?” That question alone impressed upon his students that in this seminary, they would have to check their doctrine.
I had the opportunity to meet many of the extension students as they came to town for their mandatory seminars held on campus in my 15 years in seminary. All the students I met were deeply encouraged and motivated by Dr. Couch. Each one was stretched at the theological level they were at. Each student was challenged to reach higher for the fruit of the Word. Each student understood what was happening at Tyndale was something special. Whether male or female, all the students were special to him and each one was viewed as having a special mission to complete. Dr. Couch was there to encourage them in their service to God, training, discipling, and sending them out.
As a founding member of the Pre-Trib Study Group, Dr. Couch brought that cutting edge research excitement to his students, establishing the Conservative Theological Society and its Journal. He had a deep understanding that God is in control. When Tyndale seminary was sued by the State of Texas for not allowing the state to rule over them, his little seminary and two others counter sued and as the law suit dragged on for some ten years he had times of doubt, but he was determined to stay in the fight for the long run. It was during this period together with the revelation of his cancer that his walk with the Lord seemed to deepen. It is at this period of his life that what he preached and learned from the Word seemed to strengthened his love for the Lord. At the height of discouragement in ministry and health, Dr. Couch grew in the Lord moving forward faithfully sticking to his primary principles – no paradigm shift or watering down of truth. He told me during this period that he would never retire, he would continue until the end. Indeed, even when he was so sick that he had to move to a care facility, his Gathering Storm messages would continue. It was at this facility that in his last days he spent talking about Christ to his male Jewish care giver.
He was a great example of a teacher, pastor and discipler. Dr. Couch was a man who loved to gather around the word of God in fellowship. His curiosity was contagious, his ideas living, and his life inspired others to service. Some men like to get together and argue about the Word of God, others like to debate the Word, but Dr. Couch came together to fellowship around the Word. That is what he taught me – humility in fellowship around the Word of God – what does the Word say?
After almost 20 years under his teaching, I can identify several doctrines that were close to his heart. These doctrines were refined over time so that they moved from simple statements of fact to rhetorical questions. These simple sayings, in turn, have become close to my heart. Some of his favorite doctrines that stand out are:
- Theology: Keep it simple!
- The sovereignty of God (Who do we think we are?).
- The doctrine of eternal security and salvation: The born again believer is saved (past tense and complete), but how is your walk? (this was one of the clearest teaching he professed as he distinguished salvation-positional with salvation-experiential).
- Conviction of the Holy Spirit (Was that the Spirit’s conviction or the chili you ate last night?).
- The doctrine of Elder/Pastor/Teacher (Did the early Church vote the elder into office? Can you imagine, the Apostle Paul voted into office?).
- The apostasy of the Church (Is the Church all there is? Is this it?).
- The millennium: (If this is the millennium, how’s it going?)
