In life, Bishop Dr. C.M. Bailey was a career-long minister of one of the distinctive African-American denominations within the nation, and each time he visited one of many 137 congregations of the United Home of Prayer it was a giant deal.
Simply as he was celebrated whereas alive, Bishop Bailey’s life was commemorated in a significant method with closing tributes that included a motorcade into 5 cities and concluded Friday throughout a nationwide funeral at God’s White Home of the United Home of Prayer in Washington, D.C.
Within the custom of the founding father of United Home of Prayer (UHOP) Bishop C.M. “Candy Daddy” Grace, and former Bishops Walter “Sweety Daddy” McCullough and S.C. “Candy Daddy” Madison, Bailey was referred to as “Candy Daddy,” and, as lots of the denominations’ auxiliaries, carried the identify of their leaders.
Bailey handed away on the age of 73.
He was in his 56th 12 months as a minister within the UHOP group and his fifteenth 12 months as chief and sole trustee of the United Home of Prayer for All Folks. Bailey was conducting the group’s convocation in Philadelphia when he died.
Apostle R.C. Lattisaw, pastor of the United Home of Prayer in Portsmouth, Virginia, presided over the three-hour memorial service in Washington, D.C. on Friday, which was crammed with choirs, ensembles, and brass bands by UHOP teams from a number of cities and states.
Along with the studying of the Previous and New Testomony, greater than a dozen church leaders supplied tributes with Apostle A.D. Cunningham, pastor of God’s White Home preaching the eulogy.
“There are those that have by no means understood the Home of Prayer. Bishop Bailey pastored me for greater than 20 years in Augusta,” stated Edler Dr. L Murray, director of particular initiatives for the UHOP. “It isn’t simply in regards to the enjoying of the bands, that is in regards to the preaching of a biblical gospel that’s Christ-focused. What issues is the lives which have been modified and other people rising nearer to Christ.”
Along with the distinctive structure of their constructing, UHOP leaders typically level out how the church has constructed inexpensive housing for individuals throughout the U.S. and there’s a sense of self-discipline and devotion throughout its membership.
The Washington, D.C. celebration of Bishop Bailey’s life was preceded by every week of companies that started Saturday, Aug. 26 on the United Home of Prayer in Augusta, Georgia. The next Sunday night, the United Home of Prayer in Charlotte, North Carolina honored Bailey, after which on Monday, the motorcade went to Newport Information, Virginia and on Wednesday night companies had been held on the UHOP in New York Metropolis.
Elder Murray stated one of the transferring tributes was seeing site visitors stopped on the George Washington Memorial Bridge in New York because the New York Metropolis and state police escorted Bailey’s motorcade Wednesday night time into New Jersey.
“The companies had been held at night time… for members who wished to say farewell to somebody pricey to them,” stated Murray who was a part of the motorcade for your complete journey. “The tributes had been heartfelt and transferring as a result of Bishop Baikwy by his instance and the preaching of the gospel was very a lot in the identical footsteps as our founders Daddy Grace, Daddy McCullough, and Daddy Madison.”
On Thursday night time Bailey was dropped at the United Home of Prayer at 601 M Avenue, NW, Washington, D.C. for the ultimate wake and the funeral service was held at midday with church leaders by six bands. The bands got here from throughout and included: The Sounds of Zion, High Band, Clouds of Heaven, Charlotte Motherhouse, Bailey Hummingbirds, and the Reunion Uplifters. The choirs current included the Bailey Grownup Choir, from West Baltimore, Maryland, the Golden Angels, and the God’s White Home choir.
District of Columbia Mayor Muriel Bower and lots of members of the D.C. Council attended and supplied resolutions in recognition of Bailey.
Murray stated considered one of Bishop Bailey’s quotes was “Give God every little thing. He had a give attention to holiness and selfless giving,” Murray stated.
“He stated give to God with all of your coronary heart, all your thoughts, all of soul, and your energy.”
Dressed of their white robes, the members of the Bailey Basic Council stood on the steps of God’s White Home because the Grace Royal Guard, dressed of their blue uniforms, carried Bishop Bailey’s cherry wooden casket out of the sanctuary.
“The Bailey Basic Council is the best ecclesiastical physique of the United Home of Prayer,” stated Murray, including that extra shall be stated on the acceptable time when it comes to the church’s plans.
“The church is transferring ahead.”