Longtime TWR Leader Tom Lowell Remembered for His Wisdom

Thomas J. Lowell, a faithful missionary of six decades who provided crucial leadership of global media ministry TWR, went home to be with the Lord early Tuesday, Sept. 5. 

Lowell was the first president to succeed TWR founder Paul Freed and later served as chairman of the board of directors. He was 88 years old at his passing and had only recently stepped down from his position as vice chairman of the board. 

“We are deeply appreciative of Tom’s leadership and mentorship over the years,” current TWR President Lauren Libby said when he announced Lowell’s passing. “Tom was one of the wisest men I’ve ever had the privilege of knowing. Just a tremendous Christian leader. It’s a great personal loss to all of us in the TWR family.” 

After a long illness, Lowell passed away at 4 a.m. in UNC Hospitals, Chapel Hill, North Carolina. He lived with his wife, Glenda, in nearby Fuquay-Varina. 

Lowell’s assumption of the TWR presidency in 1994 was clear evidence of his long record of accomplishment as a missionary and the confidence he engendered in Dr. Freed, the board and his colleagues. One of his fellow leaders said Lowell’s experience and sure hand during a challenging time provided a secure feeling for everyone in the organization. One the biggest developments to occur in the ministry during Lowell’s tenure was a global structural change that decentralized key aspects of leadership to the regions, such as Europe, Asia and Africa. 

Jeffrey C. Jones, chairman of the TWR board, said, “I join with the other TWR board members, the entire TWR staff, the many friends and all of Tom’s family members who now mourn the loss of a man who had earned an extreme amount of respect and love for all who knew him, for what he did while on earth, and for who he was as a person. Tom is at peace now and in the gentle arms or our Lord. That truth brings warmth to our heavy hearts.” 

Other board members who served alongside Lowell wrote to express their feelings as soon as they learned of his homegoing. Klaus Rempel of Brazil said, “We will miss Tom Lowell. I thank God for his life and for the privilege of having had the opportunity to know this man of God.” Sona Minz of India wrote, “To me, Tom was the personification of the zeal for the Lord. His multifaceted wisdom – technical, administrative and ministerial – besides his humor, was what I would watch out for in the meetings and conversations.” 

Although Lowell, as the successor to Paul Freed, held a position of great responsibility, he maintained a down-to-earth persona, said his son, Lee Lowell. 

“He was a simple man,” Lee Lowell said. “He didn’t like a lot of extravaganza. He was quiet. He was a humble man. He wasn’t easily rattled. At least he didn’t show it. He was thoughtful. I’m sure a lot was going on as he pondered things. He wasn’t quick to respond, but when he spoke, people listened.” 

Lee Lowell recalled learning to drive when the family was living on the island of Bonaire. He was driving home from church one Sunday, his father sitting next to him, and decided to mimic something he’s seen his dad do – turning off the engine and coasting the rest of the way home. He hadn’t realized the steering would lock. Lee struggled with the car before turning the engine back on.  

“My dad never said anything to me during that process,” Lee recalled. “After I got it back on, I remember him turning to me and saying, ‘Scared you, didn’t it?’ He said, ‘It did me, too, the first time I did it.’ He was always calm that way. He didn’t panic.”  

Longtime TWR missionary Bill Mial’s deep friendship with Tom Lowell went back to the days when both served on Bonaire. Mial recalled Lowell quickly adapting as he came to Bonaire as finance director for the region.

“I quickly saw qualities of quiet stability and steady faithful service and added his perspective to our small management team,” Mial wrote in an email. “Tom was never ‘flashy,’ but he was always ‘there.’ punctual, reliable, with good judgment and with a deep commitment to his spiritual development.”

Those qualities continued as Lowell rose to leadership of the organization, Mial wrote.

“I would call him a quiet, committed, effective facilitator who behind the scenes made use of his positions and authority to guarantee that TWR was moving in the right direction with a godly focus,” he wrote.

Lowell was born Jan. 25, 1935, in Clearfield, Pennsylvania, and gave his life to Jesus Christ in 1955 while serving with the U.S. Army in the Panama Canal Zone. He married Glenda the same year and earned a bachelor’s degree from Lycoming College of Pennsylvania in 1960. 

In 1965 the Lowells were assigned to Bonaire, where TWR maintains a major transmitter station and where Tom (as he was widely known) served as field treasurer and field director. They transferred in 1978 to the newly broadcasting shortwave station on Guam. Tom was field director for 20 months before being asked to take over duties as home director in TWR’s headquarters in Chatham, New Jersey. Later he was appointed vice president of international operations and then executive vice president. He served as president from 1994 until 2002, when he handed over the role to David Tucker of the United Kingdom and became chairman of the board. 

When Lowell stepped into the presidency, he shared his vision for media ministry. 

“I have had the opportunity to travel to places such as India and China, and one of the vivid impressions in my mind is that of multitudes of people,” he said. “As I looked into their faces, I wondered if they have ever had the opportunity to hear of the Lord Jesus Christ. By God’s grace and with his strength and direction, we want to give them that opportunity through Trans World Radio.” 

Lowell is survived by his wife, Glenda; sons Lee, Mark and Thomas III; daughter Carol Ann; 11 grandchildren; and five great-grandchildren. Lee and Lonna Lowell are also TWR missionaries and live in Fuquay-Varina. 

A public memorial service is scheduled for 2 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 9, at Wake Chapel Christian Church in Fuquay-Varina. The interment will be a private family event.