Superintendent Dr. Sherman L. Strong was the distinguished senior pastor of Restoration Temple Church of God In Christ, 2002 Chambers Rd., a ministry focused on the restoration and total deliverance of God’s people. The church is affiliated with the Eastern Missouri First Jurisdiction of the Church of God in Christ (COGIC) under the leadership of Bishop R.J. Ward.
Superintendent Strong was installed as the second pastor of Restoration Temple on February 4, 1996. He was licensed as a minister in 1990 and ordained as an elder on May 21, 1993. He was appointed superintendent of the Daniel Bostick District of COGIC in 2004. He served Bishop Ward as an administrative assistant and special advisor.
Before being called to Restoration’s pulpit, Dr. Strong served from 1966-1969 as a staff sergeant in the United States Army during the Vietnam Conflict. He was awarded a Purple Heart for his service.
In regional and national religious circles, Dr. Strong was known as a leader because of his extensive preaching career and his charismatic style. In 2006, he was appointed director of the Midwest Region of the Pastors and Elders Council of COGIC International. In 2010 he served as vice president of the council, and in 2012 he was appointed national field representative. He also served the Body of Christ as an evangelist working with the Eastern Missouri First Jurisdictional Evangelist Department of COGIC and also traveled around the country conducting revivals.
Dr. Strong earned a bachelor’s of religious education from Malachi Bible College in 2002 and was honored with a doctorate degree. He earned a master’s in Biblical Studies and a doctorate of theology from Midwest College of Theology, where he served on the Board of Directors.
He was a well-known visionary and builder. Dr. Strong built a new 550-seat edifice for Restoration Temple Church of God in Christ in 2003, which includes a daycare center and also a gym/banquet hall. Dr. Strong was CEO of Oasis Enterprises, which comprises residential care facilities, various real estate holdings, and a CDS Health service. In 2016 Oasis Enterprises has been approved to begin the building a 96-bed veteran’s facility.
Born in 1946 in Wardell, Missouri, Dr. Strong was the son of Reverend Jesse Strong, pastor of both Swift Baptist Church in Swift, Missouri and Pleasant Grove Baptist Church in Portageville, Missouri. He was married to Betty Strong. They were the proud parents of five children, Kris Hardin, Sheldon Strong, and Erin Strong-Tyler, and also the grandparents of 12 and a great-grandparents of two. Their children Sherman Strong Jr. and Cherice Strong preceded him in death.
Homegoing services of Superintendent Dr. Sherman L. Strong are as follows:
- Visitation – Tuesday, September 4 at Restoration Temple Church of God in Christ 2002 Chambers Rd, St. Louis, Missouri 63136 from 4-8 p.m.
- Services – at Kossuth Temple COGIC 3801 Clarence Ave, St. Louis, Missouri 63115 on Wednesday, September 5. Visitation from 5-7 p.m. Homegoing Service at 7 p.m.Â
- Burial – Thursday, September 6 at 9:30 a.m. at Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery, 2900 Sheridan Rd, St. Louis, MO 63125.
