Rev. Paul Clyde Evans

Rev. Paul C. Evans peacefully passed into eternal life on September 15, 2025, at Stormont Vail Hospital, Topeka, with his spouse by his side.

Born October 8, 1940, in Newport, Kentucky, to Louis and Alma Evans, Paul entered the world on the family’s kitchen table during a World Series game. His father named him after a Cincinnati Reds pitcher; his mother preferred the Apostle Paul.

In high school, Paul lettered in swimming and nurtured a love for music and theatre. He graduated from Maryville College, Tennessee in 1962, where his sister Gloria and brother David also studied. Feeling called to ministry, he earned two graduate degrees from Princeton Theological Seminary, where singing in the seminary choir brought him great joy.

Ordained in 1965, Paul served Presbyterian congregations in Minnesota, New York, and South Dakota. His first post was as assistant pastor at House of Hope Presbyterian Church in St. Paul, a grand congregation of over 3,000 members. He often joked, “I started in a huge church, and it’s gone downhill ever since—though only in numbers,” as his later ministries were rich in spiritual blessings.

In 1967, Paul met Mary Anne, a Christian Education intern. They married that July and worked as a ministry team—leading congregations, workshops, interfaith events, and camping programs. Their greatest adventure was raising two beloved sons, David and Jon.

In 1981, Paul and Mary Anne ended their marriage. He moved to Topeka for healing at Menninger Clinic and afterwards remained in the city. Determined not to return to pastoral work, he pursued a degree in organ performance at Washburn University and taught piano, organ, and voice to up to 40 students.

But God had other plans. Paul became a soloist and assistant organist at First Presbyterian Church and began attending Metropolitan Community Church (MCC), a denomination serving LGBTQ+ communities. In 1987, he accepted a call to pastor MCC Topeka, where he served for, as he phrased it, many “amazing, challenging, rewarding, blessed years.”

At a church conference in 1989, Paul met Jonathan Loppnow, a former Lutheran minister, who then moved to be with him and assisted him in ministry. They married in 2012.

Paul retired in 2007, marking roughly 42 years of Christian service. Yet he continued to serve as Parish Associate at Westminster Presbyterian Church and sang bass solos with the choir. A cherished tradition was his Christmas Eve duet of “O Holy Night.”

Though a Christian minister, Paul embraced people of all faiths. In 1986, he was hired as organist for High Holy Days at Temple Beth Sholom, and in 2007 began accompanying Shabbat and Bar/Bat/B’nai Mitzvah services. The Temple community became another spiritual home. He retired from playing in 2019.

In later years, Paul delighted in puns, puzzles, murder mysteries, doing dishes, and his lifelong gift for turning strangers into friends.

Paul approached ministry with strength, courage, and love. As Scripture reminds us, all flesh is like grass that withers (I Peter 1:24), and on September 15th Paul received his final call from God, to come Home.

He was preceded in death by his brother David, sister Gloria, and niece Paula. He is survived by his spouse, Jonathan Loppnow, Topeka; sons David Evans (Jessi),Topeka, and Jon Evans (Amy), Sterling Heights, MI; nieces Karen Hayes-Bell (Bruce), Stoddard, NH, and Laura Hayes (Keene, NH); great-nieces Sarah Cheverier (Joe), NH, and Amber Bell, Stoddard, NH; great-great-nephew Matthew Hester, CT; and grandchildren Josh, Jacob and Mia. Paul was always about family—so yes, we listed them all.

Celebration of Life September 27, 2025 10:30 am at Westminster Presbyterian Church of Topeka. 

In lieu of flowers memorial contributions may be given to Westminster Presbyterian Church of Topeka, Metropolitan Community Church of Topeka or Temple Beth Sholom of Topeka.