Avon was one of the very finest preachers in the brotherhood. As a pulpiteer he had few, if any, peers.

 

He possessed an amazing mental capacity, having committed to memory large portions of sacred Scripture, history, and poetry. His immediate recall of so much information, and his ability to present it powerfully and flawlessly was captivating to those privileged to hear him.

 

Avon was not only one of the most outstanding preachers among us from the mid-1950s till deteriorating health robbed him of his strength, but he was also a great, great teacher of God's word. Some men are excellent preachers, but not the best of teachers, or visa versa, but Avon excelled in both preaching and teaching.

 

His overall knowledge of God's word was second to none. He was extremely conversant with the entirety of the Bible, teaching from all its books over the years. But especially was he widely known and recognized for his expertise on Ephesians, Philippians, and Colossians. To hear him lecture on these was truly a spiritual feast.

 

Above and beyond all these fantastic capabilities that were his, however, the most significant one thing to my mind was his unwavering devotion to the Christ who gave His life for us all. He loved the Lord Jesus with all his heart. And no one could "handle" the theme of God's eternal purpose in Christ better than Avon.

 

Avon taught for eleven years as a member of the Bible Department at Harding University in Searcy, Arkansas, and for fourteen years on the Bible Department at Oklahoma Christian University in Oklahoma City. Also, he taught in three Schools of Preaching: The Preston Road School in Dallas, the Bear Valley School in Denver, and since the Fall of 1999 with the Brown Trail School in Bedford, a suburb of Ft. Worth.

 

There is no way to calculate how many lives Avon impacted for good and truth. Think of all the young people he taught as indicated above. And think of the thousands influenced by his "true to the Book" preaching. There is no telling how many precious souls will be in heaven because of his work in the kingdom.

 

In addition to all these accomplishments mentioned, Avon authored four tracts, wrote a book on Philippians entitled Press To The Prize and another on Ephesians entitled The Purpose And The People. With his brother, David, he co-authored the book, Drawn To Christ, which portrays the life and work of their late, lamented father, Joe Malone.