Clark Taylor, founder of Christian Outreach Centre movement, dies

Australia’s first TV evangelist and the founder of one of the fastest growing church movements with churches around the world has died. VIDEOS

Clark Taylor, who founded Christian Outreach Centre Australia 50 years ago, has died.

The founder of one of Australia’s fastest growing church movements and the nation’s first TV evangelist Clark Taylor has died, aged 87.

Daughter Robyn Taylor said her father, born in 1937, was ‘now face-to-face with Jesus where there is no more pain and no more sadness’.

“Our world is a little dimmer, our cheerleader and greatest encourager has left but we are so thankful for the extra years we received.

“The graciousness and kindness Dad continued to display while in so much pain was inspiring.’

Pastor Taylor was being remembered as ‘one of God’s great generals’ of the faith, despite his very public fall from grace years ago which forced him to resign from the Christian Outreach Centre movement he started.

Clark Taylor preaching up a storm in the early days of the Christian Outreach Centre in Brisbane.

Ps Taylor’s affair with his secretary was announced to his congregation and was front page news at the time with Sunshine Coast pastor Neil Miers taking over the movement around 1990.

Years later Ps Taylor reconciled with his wife and won back some of the supporters who felt betrayed by his very public moral failures.

Clark Taylor, the founder of Christian Outreach Churches was converted at a Billy Graham meeting near Ipswich in 1959.

Clark and Anne Taylor started Christian Outreach Centre in Brisbane 50 years ago in 1974 when a group of 25 adults and some children met together in their home in Keperra.

Mr Taylor grew up in a farming family, running stock camps of up to eight men by age 16.

When his father died in a tractor accident, he took charge of the million acre property in the Northern Territory, the 30th largest privately owned cattle station at the time.

He told Vision Christian Media, that when his cousin asked him to come along to Billy Graham’s crusade in 1959, he agreed because he wanted to know the price of cattle in Ipswich.

“I was in those days against religion,” he said. “I thought Ministers were bludgers, and I wasn’t very fussed on Americans. Quite stupid of me, but that’s who I was, very rough, very quick-tempered, very angry.”

After his conversion, he went to Bible college at about age 23, where he met Anne.

A charismatic preacher known for praying for the sick, he hit the airwaves on Channel 9 in 1977 with a “New Way of Living’ which led the rapid growth of the Chriwtian Outreach movement throughout the 1980s.

In 1978, the church started its first school, now Citipoint Christian College, while it also bought a 75 hectare property in the Noosa hinterland at Mt Tuchekoi for its first Bible college.

Clark Taylor speaks at an overseas rally.

The church built a 5000-seat auditorium at Carindale which officially opened in 1983.

Under Ps Miers, the movement experienced rapid growth with 44 new churches opening in 1990 alone.

By 2010, it had around 1600 churches in 30 countries. Its charity arm, Global Care, has poured millions of dollars into worldwide relief.

Ps Miers said Ps Taylor would be remembered for his passion for Christ and his belief that people could have an encounter with God just as he did when he was converted in a Billy Graham crusade in 1959.

Ps Taylor described seeing Christ in a vision just ‘looking at me’.

Clark Taylor was raised as a Methodist and spent his early years on a farm and on big cattle properties including one of the largest in Australia in the NT.

“I don’t remember one word Billy Graham said,’’ he said of the experience.

Ps Miers said while Ps Taylor was flawed, he had ‘an amazing mantle and an amazing gift’.

Even in his early days, he made enemies because her shook up people’s notion of religion.

“He was an instructor. He gave everything he got,’’ Ps Miers said.

“One of God’s generals is gone.’’

Pastor Clark Taylor. Photo Contributed

In a statement, the International Network of Churches, formerly COC, described Clark Taylor as a ‘a true pioneer, a visionary leader, and a man of deep faith who dedicated his life to building a movement that continues to impact lives across the world.

“As a pioneer of faith, he believed in the miraculous and instilled a deep conviction that ‘nothing is impossible with God.’ His influence has shaped the generations that have followed and will continue to echo through the lives touched by the churches, ministries, and individuals he inspired.

“Today, we honour and remember his incredible contribution to the Kingdom. We will continue to build on his legacy to reach our world for Christ.

“We are deeply grateful for his life and ministry, and we join together in prayer for his family and loved ones during this time.”