Bishop William L. Harper, Jr., Prelate, Missouri Eastern First Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction Church of God in Christ, Inc. was remembered in a touching celebration of his life on March 2, 2023 at Kennerly Temple.
Bishop Harper passed away on February 20, 2023 at 72.
Born June 29, 1950 to William Harper, Sr. and Geraldine Brown-Harper, Bishop was affectionately known as “ Billy” and he was raised by a village of loving family members that included his grandfather Ellis “Paw Harp” and his grandmother Cinderella “Maw Harp” Harper and their six children William, Bertha, Ruby, Sally, Lucille and Mini. He was raised by his cousins of his mother Geraldine: Hazel Carlisle and Ruth Carlisle, while in Phenix City, Alabama.
He grew up with his younger sister Garnetta Harper and the two remained close until her transition in January 2002.
Bishop Harper was a product of the Phenix City School District where he graduated with honors from South Girard High School in 1967. He was a leader in the school band, was senior class officer, and voted “Most Versatile” student. He was known and respected in his community, and his classmates remember him as a mild-tempered scholastic focused student who never lost his composure.
Williams attended Tuskegee College in Tuskegee, Alabama, and he would later enlist in the U.S. Navy as an air traffic controller in 1967. His career path took him to Denver where he was employed at Western Electric.
While at Western Electric, he met Mary Louise Herring and the two became friends during ride home and a quick deter to a department store. The chance encounter changed his life.
Herring invited Bishop Harper to her church, The Prince of Peach Church of God in Christ, where William Coburn served as pastor. With a cigarette in his hand, he entered this house of the Lord, and his life was changed forever.
Bishop Ward accepted Jesus as his Lord and savior and served under Pastor Coburn. He took Mary’s hand in marriage on June 29, 1974, in the backyard of his mother’s home in Denver. He was a loving husband and father to Mary and her four children, Sheila, Sharon, Delise, and David. In September 1975, the couple was blessed with another daughter, Mary Tonisha Harper, and in March 1981, a son Michael L. Harper.
They were also members of All Nations Church of God in Christ under the leadership of Bishop Phillip Porter. Brother and Sister Harper were appointed to the youth department where they served for three years.
In 1977, the Harper family returned to St. Louis and resumed ministry under the leadership of Bishop W.E. Turner at Memorial Church of God in Christ.
The Harper family came to Christ Community Temple COGIC in 1979 under the leadership of Pastor Jerome Chambers. Elder Harper yielded to the call of the Lord to start his own ministry in March 1984 called Assembly of Faith COGIC. In November 1984, Harper was installed as pastor of Christ Community Temple Church of God in Christ by Bishop W.E. Turner.
Om Feb. 21, 2019, Bishop Harper was elevated to the office of Jurisdictional Prelate of Eastern Missouri First Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction. Bishop Harper immediately proclaimed, “Look where the Lord has brought us from…To God be the glory.”
His tenure at EMFJ spanned more than 40 years, and he served as pastor for 38 years. Bishop Harper served under and with the fathers of local churches including Bishop William E. turner, Bishop R.J. Ward, Bishop Dwight McDaniel Jr., Bishop Lemuel Moore, and Bishop Williams Scott.
Bishop Harper was blessed to build a successful ministry at Christ Community Temple COGIC, and it remains debt free. He loved and honored the late Bishop Ward and served under him as administrative assistant, chief of staff, and chair of the General Assembly for 15 years.
At one point, Harper maintained three offices in the jurisdictional church. He was recommended as Auxiliary Bishop by Bishop Ward, and he was consecrated in 2012. He served his members with dignity, honor, and respect.
Bishop harper believed that leader’s life should be above reproach, an example for others to follow. It was his goal in this walk of salvation to have lived a life defined by a Godly character as a pastor, husband, father, son and brother before the Saints and the world. He desired to lead by precept and example by being a man a Godly character, a man of prayer and faith, and example of Holiness, a man that loves the people of God, and a leader with a life well-pleasing to God.
Preceding him in death are: his wife of 48 years, Mother Mary Louise Harper; his father, William L. Harper Sr.; his sisters Garnetta Broadnax and Wanda Ernest; his mother-in-law Willa Wells; Spiritual Father Bishop Phillip H. Porter, and an endless cloud of great witnesses.
Bishop William Harper leaves to his cherished memory: Six children; Sheila Catron of Minneapolis, Sharon Louise Hoey (James), Delise Lennon (Jerome), David Catron (Jackie), Mary Tonisha Harper of Dallas, and Michael Harper (Melanie) of Atlanta. Nine grandchildren: one great grand-daughter, his loving mother: Mother Geraldine Brown; Two sisters: Sheila Crawford and Felecia Towns, a brother-in-law, Glen Crutcher of Warner Robbins, Georgia; Two sisters-in-law, Ashley Metcalf and Cindy Metcalf, a host of cousins, nieces, nephews, the Christ Community Temple Church Family and the Eastern Missouri Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction.
This obituary was provided by the family and friends of Bishop William L. Harper.