Lonnie Royce Rex Obituary (1928 - 2021)

Lonnie Royce Rex was born in Caddo, Oklahoma, on May 11, 1928, to Robert L. and Lennie Cordie Rex. Robert L. turned 18 years of age two days before Lonnie was born so they both felt they grew up together and always had a very close relationship. Not long after Lonnie was born this young family moved to Oklahoma City and then Enid where his dad took his first fulltime pastorate. While in Enid, at the age of nine, Lonnie contracted polio in one leg. The struggle to recover from polio was intense and he eventually had to have the one leg shortened which left him with a permanent limp. He later stated that he felt this experience with polio helped to shape his life and ministry. It gave him the concern and compassion needed for the many humanitarian works he accomplished. His parents resigned the Enid Church and purchased a large tent so they could evangelize and start churches. Lonnie traveled with his parents and helped provide the music for the services. Lonnie had one unique ministry. He collected empty beer bottles, cleaned them up, and set them on a table. He would fill each one with a little water and then "play" the beer bottles with gospel music. People attending the tent meetings loved to hear the "sanctified" beer bottles. Lonnie loved music and graduated from Oklahoma City University in music and pipe organ. At the time he was finishing his college degree, he was asked to be the choir director for a new Bible college, Southwestern College. He had a large choir and took them on their first choir tour to the east coast. Lonnie also became involved with the Stamps Music School in Dallas, Texas, and taught classes for several summers. Students from all over the United States attended this school. Lonnie held the following degrees: B.A., B.D., MDiv., D.D. In the mid 1940's Lonnie met Betty Louise Sorrells and they married April 8, 1949. They spent 72 years together in ministry. They were both concert pianists and performed in many churches and at many events all over the world. For a number of years both Lonnie and Betty participated in the general conventions for the Pentecostal Holiness Church, Betty at the piano and Lonnie leading 100+ member choirs each night. Lonnie served on various boards for the Pentecostal Holiness Church and was the first person to donate $100 to the Extension Loan Fund that his father started for the denomination. For a time they lived in Washington, DC but then moved to Tulsa, Oklahoma, where they spent the majority of their lives. Through Lonnie's musical and business abilities he served with some of the most notable ministers of the 20th century: Oral Roberts, T. L. Osborn, Billy James Hargis. He was well known around the world for his abilities to set up non-profit organizations and assisted many ministers and organizations such as Rex Humbard, Mohammed Ali, and numerous others. On a personal level, Lonnie invested in a number motels and office buildings and served on several secular boards: National Chiropractic Board and the Community Bank of Tulsa Board. In 1981, Lonnie formed the David Livingstone Missionary Foundation and through this organization he worked in almost every country establishing schools, hospitals, orphanages, feeding programs, and disaster/humanitarian relief to name a few. He connected with world leaders such as Pope John Paul II, Mother Teresa, Mikhail Gorbachev, Presidents George H. W. Bush and Ronald Reagan, John Osteen, Vladimir V Putin, to name a few. His adventures led him into harm's way on occasion. He was arrested in Ghana for attempting to overthrow the government when he was bringing a moped to a leper colony. He played James Bond traveling up and down the Nile River and throughout Europe while bringing two C-47 planes of food for Armenia. He was invited to North Korea three times when no American politician could enter. He became friends with Cardinal Wojtyla, later known as Pope John Paul II, while delivering milk to Poland's children. Vladimir Putin was his KGB agent following Lonnie around in the former Soviet Union while he assisted Mikhail Gorbachev with a number of humanitarian efforts. He visited the refugee camps of the Ethiopian Coptic Christians where babies were born too weak to cry. He told the world their story. He provided cleft lip surgery for over 3,000 children in the Philippines who could not afford it. He received South Korea's highest honor they could bestow on a non-Korean. He was knighted by the Russian Orthodox Church. Following retirement Lonnie and Betty moved to Spring, Texas where they became involved with Glorious Way Church. Lonnie also became involved with the Independent Christian Churches International and became Bishop Emeritus. He was instrumental in other ministries including the formation of Moms Against Hunger and the Community Bible Institute. He was also serving as a board member of the Oral Robert's Evangelistic Association. Lonnie is survived by his wife, Betty Louise, and three children: Royce DeWayne Rex, Patricia Louise Carnes (David), and Debra Kaye Parker (Cliff). They have 10 grandchildren: Ryan Rex, Greg Rex, Summer Rex, and Steve Rex (Nikki); Patrick Carnes (Angel); and Mitchell Bowen, Garrett Bowen (Jilliane), Connor Bowen, Cory Parker (Amanda) and Philip Parker (Kymberly) plus twelve great grandchildren. A sister, LaDonna Scott, also survives with three children: Kimberly Rice (Stephen), Kristen Welch (Jerry), and Kyle Scott (Anitra) and eight great nieces and nephews. Lonnie and Betty were privileged to bring into their home Balal Uddin from Bangladesh 30 years ago. He worked for several years to become an American citizen and was later able to bring his entire family to America. He and his family are a beloved part of the Rex family. Lonnie is preceded in death by his parents, Robert L. and Lennie Rex, grandson, Christopher Carnes, one brother-in-law, Norman Scott, and his mother-in-law and father-in-law, Guy and Iva Sorrells. At 93 years, Lonnie was still alert and felt God had more work for him to do. However, on the afternoon of Father's Day, June 20, 2021, he quietly slipped into the presence of his heavenly Father. It is said that Lonnie was one of the world's most connected Christian leaders in the second half of the 20th Century. When asked how he was able to do all that he did, his reply was "I never ask God for money, I ask him for wisdom."