Mourning the Loss of our Brother, Dale Clay
Hello dear Ethos Family,
It is with a devastated heart that I am writing to inform you that on Thursday, November 6th, Dale Clay, our dear brother in Christ, cherished friend, and beloved family member of Ethos Church passed away in a tragic car accident. If this is the first you are learning of this news, I am so deeply sorry.
Dale was a devoted husband, loving father, and faithful man of God who served our church family in a number of ways throughout the years. Dale was as an anointed worship leader, faithful intercessor, wise Bible teacher, intentional disciple maker, and so much more. Dale is going to be greatly missed.
Nothing is able to fully prepare us for the disorienting reality that invades our hearts when tragic news of this kind finds its way into our lives. The beauty of Thursday morning was immediately shattered by the unthinkable news that began to make its way through our church family, but within a short time our church family began to do what followers of Jesus often do best—people gathered, wept, prayed, began organizing meals, and serving the Clay family in a variety of ways.
There will be many opportunities for us to serve Sarah and their beautiful children in the days, weeks, and months ahead—but for now, we will do the holy work of simply entering into the grief. The Bible says in Romans 12:15 that we are to "rejoice with those who rejoice and grieve with those who grieve." Seasons of rejoicing are certainly more appealing, but the Word of God reminds us that seasons of grief are often far more formative (Ecclesiastes 7:2). We are believing that God will redeem even this unwanted season of grief and use it to deepen our love and trust for Jesus and each other. 1 Thessalonians 4:13 reminds us in moments like this that although we grieve, “we do not grieve like the rest of mankind — we grieve with hope!”
Over the next several days, we will have several opportunities to gather and grieve in hope. I hope you will join us.
You can find Dale’s obituary below—along with the details for the visitation and celebration of life.
I love you Ethos. Come Lord Jesus.
Dave Clayton
Obituary
Dale Raymond Clay, a loving husband, devoted father, and influential business leader, passed away suddenly on Thursday, November 6, 2025, in Nashville, Tennessee, at the young age of 37.
Dale was born in Denver, Colorado, and although he spent his early years there, he grew up in Texas. Dale was currently serving as the Chief Technology Officer (CTO) at ProviderTrust in Nashville, where his unique ability to simplify highly complex technical challenges was invaluable to the company’s growth and success.
For all his professional accomplishments, Dale’s true pride and deepest love belonged wholly to his Savior, Jesus Christ, and to his beautiful family. He loved Jesus, his wife Sarah, and their four children with all of his heart. His profound love for them was evident to everybody around him and he possessed a quiet ability to have a deep impact on his friends—often without him ever realizing it. Dale was instantly recognizable by his genuinely kind nature, his willingness to drop anything to help someone out and offer meaningful and genuine encouragement. He was a man of quick wit, capable of delivering a joke in the driest possible way that often left his audience doing a double-take.
Beyond his home and office, Dale was a dedicated man of faith and community. He was an active member and worship leader at Ethos Church and served on the board of UrbanPromise Nashville, an organization dedicated to empowering youth in the city. Dale is preceded in death by his grandparents, Phyllis Ann (Deel) Dodson and her husband Dale Roach Dodson, and George William Clay, III. He is survived by his beloved wife, Sarah Elisabeth (Moore); his four precious children, Logan Thomas (12), Avery Kate (10), Adeline Anne (6), and Olivia Lynn (4); his devoted parents, Dana and George Clay, IV; his mother-in-law and father-in-law, Debbie and Ron Moore; his siblings, William and Brooke Clay and Elizabeth and Peter Naus. He is also survived by his brothers-in-law and sister-in-law, Nathan and Rachael Moore, Jonathan and Erin Moore, and Bethany and Matt Bratcher, along with numerous cherished nieces and nephews and countless special friends.
Details for Visitation and Funeral
Visitation will be held on Sunday, November 9, 2025, from 2:00 PM to 4:00 PM at Woodlawn-Roesch-Patton Funeral Home, 660 Thompson Ln, Nashville, TN 37204.
A Celebration of Life Service will be held at 2pm on Monday, November 10, 2025, at Crosspoint Church, 299 Cowan Street, Nashville, TN 37213. A reception will immediately follow the service, and all are invited to attend.
For those traveling from out of town, there is a room block available at the Hilton Garden Inn in Brentwood, TN. Please call them and mention “Clay Family” and they will take care of you.
In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to organizations that were close to Dale’s heart:
UrbanPromise Nashville (as a board member)
Ethos Church (as a dedicated member and worship leader)
