A memorial service for Cliff will be held at 4:00 p.m. Sunday, April 18, 2021 at Grace Presbyterian Church, 7211 Britton Dr. Columbus, GA. 31904 with Reverend Charles Hasty, Jr. officiating according to Striffler-Hamby Mortuary, Columbus, GA. The church has also graciously offered to broadcast the service on Facebook at www..facebook.com/events/808067943250278 for anyone who wants to be a part but is not ready to be in a large gathering. The church asks that everyone please wear a mask and maintain social distancing.
Cliff Bennett loved Jesus, loved his family, and loved others. He knew the freedom that can be found when one surrenders their life to Christ, and he wanted everyone to experience that in tangible ways. His deepest love and greatest joy was his wife Doraine. Married for forty-six years, they had four children and nine grandchildren. He loved his family dearly, and was always looking for the perfect gift to give each one in his many “antique shopping” expeditions.
Through his counseling ministry, Cliff had many other sons and daughters into whom he poured himself. It is estimated that he invested over 60,000 hours in the counseling of others, and through this, he helped many find deep healing and a new understanding of what it means to live life to the full.
Cliff completed his BA degree at Columbus College in 1973 with plans to attend law school. However, his work during college with underprivileged children in some of the poorest sections of town tugged on his heart, and he decided to pursue Christian ministry after graduation. In 1981, Cliff became principal of a private Christian school and later the pastor of the church that sponsored the school. In 1991, he and Doraine began a house church in their Fortson, Georgia home which grew to be Grace Community Church. Though he loved teaching the scriptures, Cliff’s greatest joy was pastoring and counseling both those inside and outside of the church, so he moved into full time Christian Counseling.
Cliff completed the Pastoral Care Ministry School at Wheaton College, earned his MA degree in family counseling from Logos University, and finished all of the course work for his doctorate in family counseling. He was a board certified Christian Counselor and Therapist and a member of the Georgia Christian Counseling Association. In reference to his style of counseling, Cliff wrote: The most critical challenge is helping a person come to the place where they are willing to embrace the truth, to do what needs to be done to get disentangled from the problem, and to purpose to respond to life differently. Change requires grace. I define grace as the ability to see the truth about life and find the faith and courage to do something about it. Often as I talk to people, I hope and pray that grace will find entrance into their life. If grace is present, then we can work together and find resolutions to any struggle or problem. I see many hearts healed and many lives restored.
To know Cliff was to absolutely love him. Along with the apostle Paul, Cliff would say to us today, “ For me to live is Christ; to die is gain.” (Philippians 1:21)
Cliff is survived by his loving wife of 46 years, Doraine Bennett, his five children, Andrew Bennett, Jen Meller, Spirit Meller, Stephen Bennett, and Jeanetta Bodie, nine, grandchildren, Joshua Bennett, Anna Bennett, David Bennett, Joseph Bennett, Samuel Bennett, Benjamin Bennett, Aaron Bennett, Lizzy Bennett and William Bodie, siblings, Warren Keith Bennett, and Emy Perry.
In lieu of flowers, you may donate to Family and Community Outreach Ministries. The Bennett family plans to continue his ministry and his legacy. Contributions can be mailed to: 1705 E. Deer Shadow Lane, Tucson, AZ 85737.
Fond memories and condolences for the Bennett family may be left at www.shcolumbus.com
