2016 Lindback Award Winner: David Clowney

David Clowney was born in New Haven, Connecticut in 1943, the son of a Presbyterian minister and his soprano soloist wife (from whom he inherited his great delight in hearing and making music). He grew up in a small, very conservative Presbyterian denomination, attending Christian schools and thinking he’d follow in his Dad’s footsteps. After getting his philosophy B.A. from Calvin College, and an M.A. in philosophy from Wayne State University in Detroit, he went to Westminster Theological Seminary (where his father was then president) to continue on that path. While there he met and married his wife Bettina, a wonderful painter, and Peter, the first of their two sons, was born. Matthew followed in the next year. Upon graduation he started a church in West Philadelphia in teamwork with another recent seminary grad, then moved to Atlanta where he started another church in teamwork with a black pastor. From there he returned to Philadelphia to teach at Westminster (Apologetics and Ethics), and completed his PhD in philosophy at Temple University. While teaching at Westminster, he became convinced of the legitimacy of ordaining women and told the administration of his changed views. That was the end of his career at Westminster! The issue of women’s ordination was not negotiable for them. In their defense, he feels they treated him quite decently. They allowed him to complete his sabbatical leave, and even gave him a silver parachute, allowing him up to six months of salary while he looked for future employment – which he found at Glassboro State College.