Clifford Howard Bedell

COLUMBIA - A celebration of life for Clifford Howard Bedell, 85, will be held at 2:00 p.m. on Saturday, February 27, 2016, at First Presbyterian Church. The family will receive friends from 6:00 until 8:00 p.m. Friday, February 26, 2016, at Dunbar Funeral Home, Devine Street Chapel. Cliff passed away on Wednesday, February 24, 2016 in one of his children’s home under the care of Hospice. He was born in Brooklyn, New York, on May 5, 1930, to the late Frank and Myrtle Bedell. He graduated from Jamaica High School on Long Island. He attended Providence Bible Institute from 1949-1951 (a three-year program) and there he met his wife, Prudence. The Lord instilled in both of them a heart for missions, in particular, for the Philippines. He then attended Wheaton College and received a B.A. in New Testament with Honors. Cliff and Prue left for the Philippines in 1956 to serve as missionaries under the Far Eastern Gospel Crusade, now called SEND International. In the first six months they attended language school and then served in rural evangelism for seven years. During the rest of their years, Cliff taught at the Asian Theological Seminary and FEBIAS (Far Eastern Bible Institute and Seminary). While on furlough in 1972-1973, Cliff attended Wheaton College Graduate School and earned a M.A. in New Testament. It was during this furlough that the Lord called Cliff to teach at Columbia Bible College in Columbia, SC, later named Columbia International University (CIU). He started teaching there in August of 1973. He taught New Testament, Cultural Anthropology, and his well-known Romans class. During his sabbatical he earned a M.A. degree at the University of Georgia in Anthropology. Cliff lightened his teaching load in 1995 and again in 1997, always maintaining his Romans class. His full retirement from CIU began on June 30, 2009. He taught Romans almost every year for over 40 years, saying there was always something more to learn. In his retirement he enjoyed running, reading, (he always had a book and his Bible with him), and being with Prue. He always loved to quote Proverbs 1:4; “He gives prudence to the simple.” Cliff and Prue celebrated 64 years of marriage together. Cliff entered into Heaven, leaving behind his beloved wife, Prudence Grace Fleming Bedell; their children, Cheri Peters (Jim), Susan Loflin (Billy), Frank Bedell (Marti), Janet Ballew (Mark), and John Bedell (Norma); and their grandchildren and great-grandchildren. In addition to his parents, he was predeceased by his grandson, Jonathan Corey Howard Bedell. If desired, memorial gifts may be made in memory of Clifford Bedell to the Clifford and Prudence Bedell Scholarship Fund or the Jonathan Corey Howard Bedell Scholarship Fund at CIU, to First Presbyterian Church for the missionaries’ needs, or to SEND International.