T.C. Cunningham

Funeral services for Thomas Cecil Cunningham of Springdale, Arkansas, will be held Saturday at 2:00 P.M. at Caudle-Rutledge Funeral Home, 206 W. South Street in Lindale, with burial following at Dover Cemetery. Tom Cunningham was born November 10, 1910, in Center, Texas, to Rev. James Henry Cunningham and Lucy Miles Cunningham. He died July 15, 2003, in a Springdale, Arkansas nursing facility. He was preceded in death by his wife, Jewell Cunningham, November10, 2000. He is survived by three children: Phyllis Griswold of Springdale, Arkansas; Loren Cunningham of Kona, Hawaii, and Janice Rogers of Lindale. Rev. Cunningham also leaves behind 7 grandchildren and 6 great-grandchildren. Cunningham began Christian ministry as an itinerant evangelist in his early 20's. He married Jewell Nicholson, also a young preacher, and together they pastored churches in Arkansas, Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, and California. In 1958, Rev. Cunningham was elected as Assistant Superintendent of the Southern California District of the Assemblies of God. In that position, he loved to help pastors start new churches--an average of 7 churches a year were begun in the 21 years he served. But his real love was missions. After his first trip overseas in 1950, he made missions his priority as a pastor, and later as a denominational leader. He was best known as "Mr. Missions" because of his great heart for the world and his desire for every person to know Jesus. He was thrilled that during his lifetime he was able to send out hundreds of missionaries, travel to more than 140 nations for the sake of the Gospel, and raise more than $60 million to assist missionaries in the field. When his son, Loren Cunningham began Youth With A Mission (YWAM), one of the largest mission agencies in the world, Tom and his wife Jewell were stalwart supporters in prayer and giving. The senior Cunninghams led the way by their lifestyle, giving one-third of their income to missionaries throughout most of their lives. The pallbearers will be David Cunningham, Kevin Griswold, Rick Humber, John Harris, Oren Neal Paris, and Jeff Rogers. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that memorials be made to the YWAM Heritage Center, which will house a missions museum, archives and research facilities for Christian writers. Donations made out to "YWAM" may be sent to YWAM Woodcrest, P.O. Box 1380, Lindale, Texas 75771. Please attach a separate note designating the gift for the YWAM Heritage Center. Visitation will be at Caudle-Rutledge Funeral Home, 206 W. South Street, Lindale, Friday from 7:00P.M. to 9:00 P.M.

T.C. Cunningham

November 10, 1910 - July 15, 2003