Memorial Folder for the Late Pastor Charles E. Cloy

HIS WORDS

Prayer written by Pastor Charles Cloy (February 2021)

God, we thank you tonight for the hope that you have given us through you. Our lives would be nothing without you. Our hope is in you and only you. You saved us from sin and brought us back to life again. We thank you for being able to live in you, love in you, breathe in you, walk in you, and have our total existence of holiness and righteousness in you. Lord, we want to thank you for speaking over our needs on earth and also in heaven. Christ Jesus, we cannot put into words what we need when we pray or sing. Holy Spirit we need you to catch the energy from our feelings and say to God to release anointing so that we may be able to see more of God and less of us. Holy Spirit we are because you called us into prayer with the theme of “O God our help in ages past our hope for years to come.” And you Lord Jesus you put in on our minds and lips to cry all morning and all day that our hope is built on Jesus Christ and that we will continue to trust in you, Lord, no matter what shows up in our lives. And we are shouting right now because of your healing and because every good gift we need is here right now. God, you are a right now God. Thank you for the Holy power that keeps us running when no one is chasing us because you are whispering to us: run and see what the end will be because we have life now and forever more! God, thank you! Jesus Christ thank you! Jesus! Jesus! Thank you! Amen.

Invocation written by Pastor Charles Cloy for a Homegoing celebration (July 2020)

Reconciling God, you invite us to be in a right relationship with you. Thank you for making Jesus Christ who took on sin for us, so that we could become the righteousness of God. Lord at the acceptable time we hear your call and we accept this day of salvation. O Holy One, we ask for your grace so that we will not be a stumbling block to anyone by allowing fault to be found in our lives. Lord God, on this day we gather to remember. We remember his love for his family. We remember his journey through life. We remember the price he paid for being different. Today we gather to be present. Gracious God, this day we gather to remember. Thank you for Jesus! Thank you for your presence!

Thank you for your love. In the name of Christ, we pray. Amen.

Prelude

ORDER OF SERVICE

The Reverend Jocelyn Hart Lovelace Presiding Elder of Boston-Hartford District, Officiating

The Musicians

Processional

"Bless the Lord, O My Soul"

(Bless God's Holy Name)

Refrain:

Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless God’s holy name!

Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless God’s holy name! God has done great things, God has done great things, God has done great things, bless God’s holy name!

Congregational Hymn

The Reverend Ellis Washington Pastor, St. Paul A.M.E. Church, Cambridge, MA

Great Thou Art”

O Lord my God! When I in awesome wonder Consider all the worlds Thy hands have made, I see the stars, I hear the rolling thunder, Thy pow'r throughout the universe displayed

Refrain:

Then sings my soul, my Savior God to Thee; How great Thou art, how great Thou art! Then sings my soul, my Savior God to Thee; How great Thou art, how great Thou art!

When through the woods and forest glades I wander And hear the birds sing sweetly in the trees; When I look down from lofty mountain grandeur And hear the brook and feel the gentle breeze; Refrain

And when I think that God, his Son not sparing, Sent him to die, I scarce can take it in; That on the cross, my burden gladly bearing, he bled and died to take away my sin; Refrain

When Christ shall come with shout of acclamation And take me home, what joy shall fill my heart! Then I shall bow in humble adoration

And there proclaim, my God, how great Thou art! Refrain

“How

Invocation The Reverend Robert Allan Hill Dean, Boston University Marsh Chapel, Boston, MA

Scripture Readings

Hebrew Bible

2 Chronicles 6:18-21

The Reverends Pedro & Stephanie Castro

Grant AME Church, Boston, MA

Psalm Psalm 91

The Reverends Ray Hammond& Gloria Whute-Hammond Bethel AME Church, Jamaica Plain, MA

Gospel Luke 5:1-11

The Reverends Bernadette & Theodore Hickman-Maynard

Bethel AME Church, Lynn, MA

Musical Medley Family and Friends Choir

Prayer of Comfort

The Reverend Gregory Groover, Sr. Pastor, Historic Charles Street AME Church, Boston MA

Reflections Video Tribute

Acknowledgment and Church Resolution Avril Stephens Member, Saint James AME Church, Danbury, CT

Solo Torrence Nelson

Eulogy The Right Reverend Julius H. McAllister, Sr. Presiding Bishop, 1st Episcopal District of the AME Church

Closing Prayer Presiding Elder Lovelace

Recessional

O R D E R O F S E R V I C E

Pastor Charles E. Cloy

Charles, son of Codella and Enoch Cloy, grew up in rural lands, year-round warmth and sunshine, and plenty of places to fish, something he enjoyed doing into adulthood. His parents and relatives around him introduced him to God, one who creates, redeems, and sustains. He grew up in a church filled with people who worshipped God freely, melodies and rhythms heard and felt in people's voices of testimony, preaching, singing, and joy in movement. Charles talked about accepting God’s call to preach as a late teenager, and eventually ordained ministry where he enjoyed preaching, teaching, and being a pastor.

In the tradition of Black liberation theology, Charles preached the gospel of Jesus and freedom from oppression, understanding social activism and civic engagement as a ministry. Charles earned the respect of the community and political leaders across political parties, not because he agreed with their practices but because he spoke fearlessly about mistreatments he experienced and observed. At a county commissioners’ meeting in the early 2000s, Charles was invited to give a prayer that included, “God eternal, more patient than the ages, save us from wasting our time by being too busy. Bury deep the nerves that run flush with the surface. Remove the hair triggers that prompt us to fire before ready. Cancel the orders that command us to set off at once in opposing directions…” It wasn’t the first time nor was it the last time that Charles would attend local or state-wide meetings by formal invitation or selfinvited, especially if the issues related to children’s education.

Charles cherished his time in the African Methodist Episcopal (AME) Church in the 1st, 3rd, and 11th Episcopal Districts. Throughout his time in the AME Church, he would serve as a pastor, teacher, workshop facilitator, government affairs liaison, and support staff to bishops and other connectional leaders whenever called upon. As a member of the New England Annual Conference, his final charge was at Saint James AME Church in Danbury, CT.

Charles grew up learning that formal education was important and worked tirelessly to earn his bachelor’s and advanced degrees at Olivet College (Olivet, MI), Indiana University and Purdue University (Indianapolis, IN), Butler University (Indianapolis, IN), Christian Theological Seminary (Indianapolis, IN), University of Michigan (Ann Arbor, MI) and the University of Hawaii, (Ph.D., ABD; Honolulu, HI). His time in higher education included many accomplishments: published articles, first African Caribbean Gerontological Fellow at the University of Michigan, School of Inter-University Consortium for Political Research, Member of the International Hegelian Honor Society, and Alpha and Omega Philosophical Honor Society.

We will remember Charles as someone proud of his Jamaican roots. Someone who started each day in prayer, followed by stretching exercises that unfolded into a headstand, jogging except if it was snowing, and making his own smoothies. Charles loved God and lived life to the fullest. Throughout his life Charles taught his friends and family many things. Charles wanted us to eat well, stay active, dress warmly in the cold, and read Psalm 91. He taught us to be proud of our own uniqueness, even awkwardness or being misunderstood. Charles was a force in the world and his energy will continue on through his loved ones. To us, Charles’ strength was coupled with deep thought, kindness, compassion, longsuffering, and love.

Charles is preceded in death by Codella and Enoch Cloy (parents) and Symone Elle Cloy (granddaughter).

Charles is survived by his wife Cherita Y. J. Cloy, his children Juan Pierre Cloy (Ingrid), Nicholas “Nikki” Uhuru Cloy (Pearl Cloy Robinson, mother of Juan and Nicholas), Saada Cloy, and Charles Edward Cloy II, his grandchildren Christianna, Juan II, Kiara, Ravon, Rashad, Jaycora, John, Isabella, Domonique, Robert, Seven, Eternity, Physics, Nature, Elyown, Si, his six great-grandchildren, other family, many friends, and countless church members.

May His Soul Rest In Peace.

Our Beloved

“WHAT THEY SAY ABOUT GOD”

by the late Rev. Birdilyn V. Watson, A former member of Pastor Cloy, Bethel AME Church New Bedford.

John 11:25-26

"Jesus said to her, 'I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die."

They say God is infinite. Therefore, since God is life and love, life and love are infinite. If not love, life definitely is. But love, once it has been perceived and given, it cannot be taken back. It may change or discontinued but that same love, like a note in a song, once it has hit its peak, cannot be retracted. The memory of that love lives in your experience, in your life, whether good, bad, or indifferent. Life, in order for death or decay to take place, life must be present in some form. Death and decay are changed forms of life. There is no life; there is no room for decay. Decay itself is a life process. A degenerating cycle which when completed produces another simpler or more diversified form of life. Our bodies are continually decaying. Without decay, growth is stunned since there is no room for new and stronger layers. The aging process in human beings and animals and even trees or any living thing starts where growth stops.

Our pots and pans do not grow, but with the influence of the growing process around them, they also experience the aging process. This infinite God-given growth in life cannot be hindered by human beings. God has a plan for all living things whether or not it has a soul. Does this mean then that there is no death?

I am inclined to define death as a change in life.

A leaf falls to the ground, decays, and forms the richest soil of all, humus. For decay to take place, life must be present at all times. The humus thus formed is also full of life: Life which supports strong, rich, growing plants and vegetables.

It is said that we cannot see death, only feel it. Life is not always full of vigor for all of us. From experience, I have learnt that in order to gain one must lose. In gambling, one must risk money or chances before even conceiving of winning.

Life is death and death is life.

*Excerpt from Watson, B. V. (1982).

Victory: Making It Through Difficult Times. Trilogy Christian Publishing.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

We are most grateful for the gift of friends like you, who have been so kind and thoughtful during these hours of sorrow. Your prayers, visits, calls, flowers, meals and every act of kindness, have given us strength and inspiration. for the facing of this hour.

May God Ever Bless Each of You.

Condolences may be sent to:

The Cloy Family

P.O. Box 1036, Brookline, MA 02446

Memorial Celebration Continues

Thursday, April 27th, 2023

Visitation: 1:00 - Service: 1:45 pm

New Bethel A.M.E. Church

311 Marker Street, Altamonte Springs, FL 32701 Reverend Helen L. Johnson-Ford, Pastor