George Edward Battle Jr., former AME Zion Church head, dies at 77
Bishop George Edward Battle Jr., the previous head of The African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church, recognized for his championing of instructional alternatives in North Carolina, has died at 77.
The Board of Bishops of The A.M.E. Zion Church launched a assertion explaining that Battle had died on March 9, providing their condolences to “his trustworthy and loving spouse, Mrs. Iris Battle, their kids, George Edward III and LaChandra, their grandchildren, and a number of different family, mates, and neighborhood associates, all of whom he beloved so expensive.”
“He was not solely an evangelist, pastor, bishop, and Christian servant; he was a terrific philanthropist, a neighborhood chief, a champion for training, and a social justice advocate,” the bishops acknowledged.
Get Our Newest Information for FREE
Subscribe to get each day/weekly electronic mail with the highest tales (plus particular provides!) from The Christian Submit. Be the primary to know.
“We acknowledge that, certainly, a prince and a terrific man in The A.M.E. Zion Church has fallen, however he’s now within the presence of his Lord, whom He served with all of his coronary heart. He will probably be drastically missed.”
Born in 1947 in Edgecombe County, North Carolina, Battle graduated from Clinton Jr. Faculty in 1967, earned a bachelor’s from Livingstone Faculty in 1969, a Grasp of Divinity from Hood Theological Seminary in 1972, and a Physician of Ministry from the Howard College College of Divinity in 1990.
Battle had his first official pastoral task in 1966 at Middle Grove Circuit in Tobaccoville, finally serving church buildings in North Carolina and South Carolina.
In response to his obituary, Battle was a distinguished determine in metropolis life in Charlotte, serving on the Charlotte-Mecklenberg Board of Schooling from 1978 till 1995, changing into chairman in 1990, and serving in that position till 1995.
In 1992, Battle was consecrated as bishop and led totally different regional our bodies of the denomination till 2012, when he was elected senior bishop of the AME Zion Church. He held the place till his retirement in 2021.
Close to the top of his time as senior bishop, Battle oversaw a mortgage-burning ceremony to have fun the AME Zion Church’s profitable paying off of its money owed, reported Non secular Information Service.
The Rev. Monte Witherspoon-Brown, an at-large member of the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Board of Schooling, remarked that Battle’s “years of service had been each vital and transformative for our district.”
“As a religion chief and advocate for training, Bishop Battle based the Larger Enrichment Program in 1975, which has offered high quality after-school enrichment for hundreds of scholars and continues to function in a number of areas,” famous Witherspoon-Brown, as quoted by RNS.
In March 2021, it was introduced that Atrium Well being was launching the Bishop George E. Battle Jr. Scholarship Fund to assist assist instructional alternatives for lower-income communities.
“Bishop Battle is an emeritus member of the Atrium Well being Board of Commissioners and Atrium Well being Basis Board, and has led efforts for reasonably priced housing, parks, small companies and extracurricular packages all through neighborhood,” defined the 2021 announcement.
“A lifelong advocate for at-risk and people economically deprived, Bishop Battle has acquired greater than 100 awards and honors throughout his profession, together with the Lengthy Leaf Pine Award, the very best award bestowed by the state of North Carolina.”
