Flavil Yeakley Jr

Dr. Flavil Ray Yeakley, Jr., 85, died August 12, 2019, at Unity Health White County Medical Center in Searcy, Arkansas. He was born January 23, 1934, in Wheeler, Texas, the son of Flavil Yeakley, Sr., and Mary Klingman Yeakley. As the son of a preacher, his family moved often, usually managing to stay in Texas, and he graduated from high school in the Dallas area. In 1953, he met Maydell Jeffries at her choir practice in Memphis, Texas. They married on June 1, 1954. He began his preaching career at the age of 16 and continued to preach for the next 25 years while he completed degrees in psychology and communication from the University of Houston, and a Ph.D. in Speech Communication from the University of Illinois. From 1974 to 1984, he chaired the speech department at the University of Tulsa, and from 1984 to 1990 he directed the Church Growth Institute at Abilene Christian University. In 1990, he moved to Searcy, Arkansas, becoming a professor in the College of Bible and Religion at Harding University and Director of the Harding Center for Church Growth Studies. He also directed the Office of Outcomes Assessment until 2004. He retired from Harding University in 2011, but continued his lifelong career of teaching, consulting for churches across the United States, writing and research. Dr. Yeakley’s work as a church consultant took him to hundreds of churches across the United States and abroad. His research on church growth is widely considered the standard on the topic. He was an internationally recognized expert in the Myers Briggs Type Indicator, serving as the president of the Association for Psychological Type. He won numerous awards for his research, as well as many other awards and honors, including Distinguished Christian Service Awards from Harding University and Oklahoma Christian University. He served on numerous boards and held offices for various community service groups. He is the author of five books and hundreds of articles and booklets. He is survived by his wife of 65 years, Maydell; three children: Mark and his wife Kimberlee of Wichita, Kansas, Steven and his wife Shelley of Searcy, and Rebecca Vinzant and husband Gene of Prairie Village, Arkansas; eight grandchildren and five great-grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his parents; his brother, Ben Allen Yeakley, and his sister, Mary Alice Jordan. A memorial service will be held at 1pm, Thursday, August 15, at College Church of Christ. Visitation will be from 5-7pm, Wednesday, August 14, also at College Church of Christ. In lieu of flowers, the family requests memorial donations be made to The Flavil and Maydell Yeakley Endowed Scholarship Fund at Harding University, Box 12238, Searcy, AR 72149. Dr. Yeakley will lie in state Wednesday, August 14, 2019 from 8-5 at Powell Funeral Home Searcy, AR. Arrangements are entrusted to Powell Funeral Home Searcy www.powellfuneralhome.net

Flavil Yeakley Jr

January 23, 1934 - August 12, 2019