Tomahawk Baptist Church

Rev. Clay Thornton
December 4, 1946 - June 24, 2009

About Clay
On Wednesday June, 24 while vacationing with his family in the Outer Banks, Clay's life was unexpectedly cut short at the age of 62. He will be missed by his family as well as his church family at Tomahawk Baptist Church where he served for 34 years.

Clay came to Tomahawk as Senior Pastor in May of 1975. He was a 1969 graduate of the University of Richmond with a degree in Sociology. In 1972 he graduated from Crozer/Colgate Rochester/Bexley Hall seminary in Rochester, New York, where he received his Master of Divinity. He was ordained to the ministry in June, 1970, by Beaver Dam Baptist Church, Franklin, Virginia, where his father served as pastor for 32 years.

Clay was active in the community around Tomahawk throughout his tenure as pastor. He served as a volunteer chaplain at Chippenham Medical center for 20 years. He was an active part of the athletic programs at Clover Hill (1975-2006) and Cosby (2006-present) High Schools as a contributor and coach.

Clay married Astra in 1968 and together they had two sons, Kevin and Andy, a daughter-in-law, Heather (Kevin's wife), and three grandsons, Samuel, Nicholas and Jackson (Kevin and Heather's sons). His entire family continues to remain active in Tomahawk Baptist Church.

As previously mentioned, Clay served as senior pastor of Tomahawk for 34 years. During that time he helped Tomahawk grow from a small country church of 60 members to a thriving suburban church of over 350 members. Not only did the church see growth under his leadership he helped lead the church to major milestones in its history: ordaining Tomahawk's first female deacon (1981), hiring of the church's first associate (1987) and hiring of the church's first female associate (1991). As a pastor, Clay was committed to traditional Baptist doctrine and was willing to take a stand for those Baptist ideals. However, he did this in such a way that he never used the pulpit as a billyclub or a political soap box.

Memorial Gifts
Memorial gifts and donations may be made to Tomahawk Baptist Church in memory of Clay Thornton. If you have any questions or need further information please contact the office: 804-744-2044.

Obituary
Obituary notices were printed in the newspaper on Friday and Saturday, June 26-27. Click here for the online obituary.