San Francisco Temple was packed at 10 a.m. on the morning of June 22 for the funeral of the Reverend Carlton Lee. At only 34 years old, he passed away of a sudden heart attack on June 13.
The mourners gathered to celebrate the good works Lee managed to achieve in a relatively short life. As the pastor of Flood Christian Church in Ferguson, Lee was remembered, by all who gave remarks about his life, as “a true servant” of his congregation and community. There were so many people lined up to give remarks, each person speaking was strictly limited to two minutes.
“And I’m going to time you!” said Reverend Ralph Petty, who was presiding over the funeral.
Those speaking wanted to celebrate Carlton Lee’s life. Bishop Luther James Blackwell, of San Francisco Temple (which hosted the ceremony), said the time was right “not to focus on what’s wrong, but to focus on what’s right.”
The ceremony, amid all the crying and praying, did have some humor. Bishop Wyatt Greenlee called Lee a “winner.” He referenced the time Steve Harvey called out the wrong winner at the Ms. Universe Pageant, pulled out an envelope, and said, “The winner is Reverend Carlton Lee!”
Lee rose to national fame in 2014, as Michael Brown Sr.’s pastor. Michael Brown Sr. was present at the ceremony, though he did not speak.
Tasha Davis, executive pastor at the Flood, was grateful for all Lee did for her. “He taught me how to serve,” she said. “And he taught me how to pray. He was a servant, and he loved people, despite what they were going through.”
That spirit of being a servant was evident in the past several years of Lee’s life. When his church was burned down during the unrest in Ferguson, and in the years since, he has been rebuilding his congregation.
“People ask me, ‘What are you going to do now that the Flood is gone?’” said Davis. “And I say, ‘No, baby, don’t you smell the rain?’”
Lee is survived by his wife, Chanel Lee, and five children.
At the funeral it was announced that, in order to help the family after the death of their father, San Francisco Temple would set up a 529 educational money management plan for each child, starting with $200 to go towards the future education of each of Lee’s children, and has started a GoFundMe to help pay for his children’s expenses.
In addition, San Francisco Temple, 10191 Halls Ferry Rd., will hold a community day on Saturday, July 15 named for Pastor Lee.
“If Carlton were here, I know he would love all of this right here,” said Petty. “He was a praiser.”
