Page 3 - Florida Sentinel 3-24-17

Feature
BY GWEN HAYES Sentinel Editor
When Pastor Gregory Powe, Sr. came to Tampa back in 1990 with his wife, Deborah and their 4 chil- dren, in one of his interviews with the Sentinel, he said that they knew no one here, but they were sent here by the Lord. Just as the Lord sent him to Tampa, the Lord has also taken him away.
Pastor Powe, 62, died suddenly Monday, March 20, 2017. One of his sons told a group of congregants and mourners on Wednesday evening that he was not ill, and he had no health issues; he just laid down and died. Pastor Powe had delivered a powerful message on Sun- day, “Transition: The New Beginning.”
Those in attendance were also told that Pastor Powe was found in the study of his home on Monday evening and was rushed to a local hospital where he was pro- nounced dead. Pastor Powe was 62 years old.
Having been under the spiritual leadership of Pas- tor Creflo Dollar in At- lanta, their friendship remained throughout the years. Pastor Dollar was in Tampa Wednesday evening
to join the mem- bers as they mourned and to let them know that they were loved by their pastor.
He also told them that their pastor had left in- structions for the continued growth of the church and the work that needed to be done.
Pastor Powe
results from
Pastor Powe’s
growth as a spiri- tual son of Pas- tor Creflo Dollar for more than 30 years.
Utilizing his 30 years in ministry as a pastor, vi- sionary and ad- ministrator, Pastor Powe has been a spiri- tual father and mentor to those within and out- side of Tampa Bay.
For years, the congregation, under the leader- ship of Pastor Powe, blessed the Tampa com- munity during
the holiday season with gifts, not only for the children, but also adults with cash, gift cards, appliances, and much more.
Pastor Powe believed in investing in future genera- tions, so he established Em- bracing Legacy to reach youth in the Tampa Bay area. Embracing Legacy seeks to reach 1,000 children each week through various artis- tic, athletic and academic programs.
It is home to the Mighty Marching Lions, a marching
band that performs in local parades, athletic events and governmental events.
In addition to traveling to Nassau, Bahamas, each sum- mer for the past six years, the Lions have had the honor of playing at a governmental event for a former president. Pastor Powe often traveled with his church family. Just recently (2 weeks ago) he went on a family cruise to the islands, where members re- ported an enjoyable time with their families.
Pastor Powe has been joined in the ministry by: his wife of 40 years, Deborah Powe, along with their four children and their spouses: Gregory and Rashonda Powe; Bryan and Rashida Powe; Christopher and Ashley Powe; and Rickey and Chrystle Jones.
However, since being in Tampa he has taken on the role of ‘father’ to many, not only those in his church fam- ily.
The Service of Celebra- tion for Pastor Powe will be held on Monday, March 27, 2017 at 1 p. m. at Idlewild Baptist Church, 18333 Excit- ing Idlewild Blvd., Lutz. The wake service is Sunday, March 26, 2017, 4-8 p. m. at Revealing Truth Ministries, 5201 N. Armenia Ave. Ray Williams Funeral Home is in charge of his service.
Revealing Truth Pastor, Greg Powe To Be Laid To Rest Monday
was the founder
and leader of Re-
vealing Truth Ministries,
(RTM) home-
based in Tampa
at 5201 N. Arme-
nia Ave., with
other campus lo-
cations in Wesley
Myers, Ocala and a church in Honolulu, Hawaii, the web- site states.
On Tuesday morning, the church leadership placed a message on its Facebook page that was picked up by those on social media around the world.
Portions of the message stated: “There has been an outpouring of grief, love con- cern, and support from the church members, staff, the
PASTOR GREGORY POWE, SR. ...Pastor Revealing Truth Ministries January 25, 1955 – March 20, 2017
community and Christian leaders around the world. We are in shock over the passing of this great man of faith, yet we know that he is now in our Father God’s loving arms in heaven.”
According to his bio infor- mation, Pastor Powe’s heart and passion to equip leaders led to the formation of Greg Powe Ministries (GPM), the outreach division of RTM. GPM represents Pastor Powe’s dedication to serving others by estab- lishing long-term relation- ships. This commitment
Chapel, Ft.
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