Rev. Joe T. Poe, Ph.D.
Wed, 02/11/2015 - 16:13
News Staff
University) finished his earthly life on Wednesday January 7, 2015. He was 86. Born to Maye and Paul Poe in Eastland, Texas, Poe was raised in the neighboring town of Cisco, where he graduated from High School in 1946. His parents preceded him in death, as did his only sibling, a sister, Mrs. Mary Janette Poe Whitley, of Clovis, New Mexico. Rev. Poe is survived by Eleanor Ostwalt Poe, his wife of sixty three years; his three children: Dr. Jan Poe Whitt, of Boulder, Colorado; Mr. Jerry Poe (and wife Cathy) of Allen, Texas; and Mrs. Joyce Poe Height (and family) of Pensacola, Florida; two grandchildren, Daniel Yawakia, of San Antonio, and Danielle Kristen Poe, a student at Texas Tech University in Lubbock; two great grandsons; and several nephews, nieces and cousins. The Poe’s have been longtime residents of El Paso, having moved here in 1961 for Rev. Poe to serve as a missionary with the Baptist Spanish Publishing House (aka Editorial Mundo Hispano/ Casa Bautista de Publicaciones). During his nearly 37 years of active work there, Poe occupied a variety of editorial and administrative positions, including five years as General Director (its Chief Administrative leader). Since January 1998, Poe has been a part time volunteer at CBP/ EMH. During these years, he has also written and published six books (Missions for the New Century: Lessons from the Life and Ministry of David Alexander Wilson; “By Love Serve One Another”: The Baptist Clinic’s Story; Casa: The Partner in Ministry You Need; A House for All Nations: A Centennial History of the Baptist Spanish Publishing House; Life at 80--as I Have Lived It; and Aprenda a enseñar (co-authored with Jorge Enrique Diaz). He has also contributed to Biblical Commentaries in Spanish and to three Spanish Study Bibles. Beginning in 1999, he taught college level Bible courses for 11 years at Howard Payne University’s El Paso center. Poe’s ministerial activities began during his student years at Baylor. He was ordained to the Christian ministry at First Baptist Church, Cisco in 1947, and began his pastoral service that year with the Calvary Baptist Church of Corsicana, Texas. From 1953- 1956, he and Mrs. Poe served the First Baptist Church of Alamo, Tennessee. Subsequently they were appointed as missionaries of the Foreign (now International) Mission Board, of the Southern Baptist Convention, and served faithfully 42 years in Costa Rica, Chile and El Paso. Seminary studies were done at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, in Fort Worth, Texas, and at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, of Louisville, Kentucky, from which schools Poe held two Master’s degrees. Though serving on occasion in various Baptist churches of the El Paso/Juarez area, Poe’s local ministerial work has mainly been with the Iglesia Bautista Del Centro, 816 South Florence, which he and Mrs. Poe helped found in 1975 and where the El Paso Baptist Clinic is located, which Eleanor serves as founding director. A visitation will be held on Tuesday January 13, 2015 from 5:00 P.M. to 8:30 P.M. with a Funeral Service to begin at 6:00 P.M. at Iglesia Bautista Del Centro, 816 South Florence Street El Paso, Texas 79901. A burial will be held at a later date in a family cemetery in Eastland County. In lieu of flowers, friends are invited to make contributions either to the Baptist Spanish Publishing House Foundation (7000 Alabama El Paso, Texas 79904) or to the El Paso Baptist Clinic (816 South Florence El Paso, Texas 79901). Funeral Arrangements entrusted to the care of Funeraria Del Angel Kaster-Maxon & Futrell 8817 Dyer Street El Paso, Texas 79904. (915) 751-1287