Before Christmas, I sent out the e-mail below to many friends and leaders in the church.
(Excerpt from Bishop Carpenter's e-mail: "Nan’s mother, Mrs. Bessie Hale Reece, went home to be with the Lord Sunday morning, December 19, 2010, about 5:30 am. She was 91 years old and served the Lord basically all of her life. She was ready to go and had been praying to go home throughout this entire time since her recent surgery.")
I am writing now to express a sincere, heart-felt “Thank You” on behalf of Nan, me, and both of our families. Thank you for your condolences, support, and prayers during our time of loss and adjustment.
Ron Jr. and I conducted the funeral on Wednesday, December 22, 2010, at 11 a. m. The mortuary was full and we appreciate everyone who interrupted their Christmas activities to attend.
Among those present were former Presiding Bishop and Mrs. James D. Leggett; Bishop and Mrs. Jimmy Whitfield of the NC Conference; Bishop and Mrs. Chris Thompson, Executive Director of EVUSA; Rev. and Mrs. Terry Fowler, Chief of Staff and Assistant to the Presiding Bishop; and Tame Lambert, General Director of Women’s Ministries and her husband, Jimmy.
Initially I tried to respond to every e-mail, text, etc. individually. However, as the numbers grew, that became impossible. We literally received scores and scores of e-mails, texts, cards, calls, and voice mails from all over the world. Please accept this e-mail as a genuine expression of our love for you and our appreciation for your friendship and your expressions of kindness during this difficult period.
May the Lord bless you and yours in this new year of 2011! Rest assured that you are on our minds, in our hearts, and in our prayers always!
Sincerely,
Original signed
Ronald W. Carpenter, Sr.
Presiding Bishop
Posted on
Mon, January 3, 2011
by Hugh Morgan