ALPHARETTA, Ga. — North American Mission Board President Kevin Ezell announced late Friday (Jan. 13) the tragic death of NAMB staffer Clint Clifton who died in a plane crash in Dawson County, Ga., late Thursday (Jan. 12) evening.

According to the Dawson County News, “at about 9:12 a.m. on Jan. 13, the Dawson County Sheriff’s Office E-911 Center received a call reporting a possible plane crash near the wildlife management area’s Shoal Creek and Dawson Forest roads, [Dawson County Sheriff Jeff] Johnson said. He later clarified … that the crash occurred in the evening of Thursday, Jan. 12, but was not reported until the morning of Jan. 13.”

Clifton was the only person in the plane and was pronounced dead at the scene of the accident.

Ezell announced the loss to the NAMB family in an email saying “God generously gifted Clint in so many ways. He had a pastor’s heart and was a talented church planter with a passion for reaching people for Christ. He loved what we do here at NAMB and poured his heart and life into it. … We miss him already and he leaves a void that can’t be filled.”

“Our team is stunned by this loss,” said Trevin Wax, NAMB vice president for Research and Resource Development. “Clint was a gifted leader who loved pouring his life into mentoring and resourcing church planters. His passion for the Kingdom was always on display, and he devoted ceaseless energies into seeing pastors strengthened and equipped for mission.”

Clint and his wife, Jennifer, had been married since 2000 and had five children: Noah, Ruthe, Isaiah, Betchina and Moses. Clint served in several ministry positions throughout the Southeast prior to planting Pillar Church in Dumfries, Va., where he served as an elder.

(EDITOR’S NOTE – Jonathan Howe is vice president for Communications at the SBC Executive Committee.)