Dr. Dale A Loftis

Dr. Dale A. Loftis, 89, was welcomed into his heavenly home on Saturday, April 15th, 2023. Dale was born in Mt. Airy, N.C., Surry County, to the late Robert Houston Loftis and Ethel Jeannette Doss Loftis on November 25th, 1933. He was the third born of four children.

Dale graduated from Mt. Airy High School in 1952, and in August of that year, married his high school sweetheart, Constance Joy “Jo Ann” Maner. Between 1952 and 1959, Dale attended the Shenandoah Conservatory of Music in Virginia, and Bob Jones University in South Carolina, studying voice, piano, and organ. Twenty years later, in 1978, he finished his Bachelor of Arts Degree in Sacred Music and Bible at Tennessee Temple University in Chattanooga, TN. Later in his ministry, he was honored with a Doctor of Divinity from Faithway Baptist College, in Ypsilanti, MI.

During and after college, from 1954 through 1967, he held positions as Minister of Music at South Fork Baptist Church, Winston Salem, N.C., Springdale Baptist Church, Greenville, S.C., Urban Street Baptist Church in Winston Salem, N.C., Sheets Memorial Baptist Church in Lexington N.C., and Calvary Baptist Church in Gulfport, FL. During his time in Lexington, Dale took Pastoral studies and ministry courses at Piedmont Bible College, Winston Salem. In 1961 he was ordained as a Baptist Minister by Dr. W.E. Sampson at Sheets Memorial. He became Associate Pastor of the church, as well as Youth Minister. Dale then accepted the position of Associate Pastor of Youth and Music at Calvary Baptist Church of Gulfport, Florida and moved his wife and five young children to Florida in 1965.

After two and a half years in Florida, Dale and Jo Ann felt God’s call to serve as missionaries overseas. They were appointed to serve with Baptist Mid-Missions of Cleveland, Ohio, in 1967. During their 36 years of full-time missionary service, they served for 11 years in Jamaica, W.I., and for 25 years in 2 cities in Australia, establishing 3 churches, two of which are still going strong today. During his entire ministry of over 50 years, Dale was known for youth camp work, and for challenging young people to surrender to God for full-time ministry.

Dale retired with his wife from Missionary Service in 2003. In retirement, they were active in their local church, Salem Baptist in Winston Salem, serving as teachers, choir members, with Dale serving as a Deacon and Pastoral advisor. They subsequently lived in Florida for nearly 10 years, serving faithfully at the Idlewild Baptist church. Dale played his trumpet in the orchestra, and served as a Pastor’s Prayer Partner along with ministering in various nursing homes as a loving speaker and musician. He moved back to N.C. for the last few years to join in ministry with their son, Rev. David Loftis. Even in these last years, Dale was faithful in two churches here in N.C., serving and loving folks. He was beloved as a faithful prayer warrior at his church, Central Baptist in Wendell, and known as “Mr. Dale” by the folks there.

Dale was known always as a man who loved God, loved his family, and loved everyone he met. Dale and JoAnn trained and involved their children in music and ministry. They were known as the singing Loftis family. A faithful former church member from Australia described him this way, “No man was a stranger in his presence.” He was a faithful servant of God, a loving husband, tenderly caring for his wife over many years as she suffered with dementia, and a wonderful Daddy and Granddaddy.

Dale was preceded in death by his parents, his loving wife of 69 years, “Jo Ann” Maner Loftis, his brothers, Bobby Hughes Loftis, Jack Anderson Loftis, and his younger sister, Wilma Lee Arnder. He is survived by two daughters, Deborah (Ken) Collins, Dianna (Rev. Brian) Nester, and three sons, Dr. Michael (Jo Beth) Loftis, Rev. Timothy (Tammy) Loftis, Rev. David (Carol) Loftis; 21 grandchildren, and 53 great-grandchildren, along with 5 nieces and 11 nephews.

Funeral Service will be held on Thursday, April 27th, at Central Baptist Church of Wendell, N.C. Visitation will be from 5:30 - 6:45 p.m., with service at 7:00 p.m. Committal service and entombment will be at Forsyth Memorial Park and Vogler Funeral Home in Winston Salem, N.C., on Saturday, April 29th, at 11:00 a.m.

Links For Funeral:

Central Website Sream Link

https://centralchurch-nclhfdw.subspla.sh/tmzv9jq

Youtube Stream Link

https://.youtube.com/live/.Dwyc_InSDmc?feature=share