Funeral services for Apostle Joseph Ellis Taylor, 80, of Washington D.C. will be at 11 a.m. Friday, Aug. 11, 2017 at Greater Mt. Calvary Holy Church, located at 610 Rhode Island Ave. N.E. Washington D. C. Burial will follow at Quantico National Cemetery. The family will receive friends from 9 until 11 a.m. Friday.
Taylor was an Athens native and died Aug. 2 in Washington D.C.
Apostle Joseph Ellis Taylor was born to Mr. Miles and Mrs. Daisy Griffin Taylor in Athens, Louisiana. His family moved to Minden and he united with Mt. Zion C.M.E. Church at an early age. He attended school in the Webster Parish Public School System and graduated from Webster High School in 1955.
He united in Holy Matrimony to Miss Margret Ann Dillard and they moved to Washington, D.C. After serving in the military for four years, he attended and received degrees from Bowie State University, Bowie, MD; Princeton University, Princeton, NJ and Howard University in Washington, D.C. He began his ministerial life in the Christian Methodist Episcopal Church, where he served as pastor for 17 years following his ordination in 1962. Taylor pastored at St. Matthews CME, Cedar Heights, MD; Ebenezer CME, South Boston, VA; Russell Temple CME, Alexandria, VA; Easter Avenue C.M.E Haynesville, MD and Benton Institutional CME, Washington, D. C. In 1971, WHS Class of 1955 lost their first classmate
and held their first three-day class reunion.
Gatha Heard Smith, Chairlady called Class President Taylor in Washington, other class members in and out-of-state to organize their first class reunion in memory of Leonard “Moose’ Edwards who died at a very young age. The idea for the three-day Calendar of Activities was originated by Noisey B. Washington Jones in Atlanta, GA. and Taylor was the Vesper Speaker for the event. After the success of the reunion; Christola Lockhart Walton in the Class of 1960 wanted her Class to take part in ‘55’s 1975 reunion.
The Chairlady and class members opened up their hearts and invited Webster High School Classes 1950 – 1960 in 1975. A second request from Minnie B. Anderson Hampton class of 1964 asked if her class could be included in “55’s 1980 reunion. The Class of 1955 decided to invite all Webster High School Graduates 1924-1974 to join in with their third reunion. Taylor was President of the Class of 1955 and thought it was a grand gesture to bring the Webster family together to reminisce over days passed and gone at our Dearly Beloved Webster High School.
Apostle Taylor was a spiritual, versatile, inspirational and a dynamic Vesper speaker. In 1979, he became the founding pastor of Faith United Church of Christ. As pastor, he was the denominational representative on the Commission for Racial Justice. Office for Church in Society, Board for Homeland Ministries, other regional and local ministries specializing in church development. Taylor and his wife, Lady Margaret founded Faith Fellowship Ministries International, where he served as presiding prelate in 1998. Lady Margaret passed away and he was blessed with another Christian wife, Apostle Ethel Hinnant Taylor who worked faithfully in the ministry with her husband. Faith
Fellowship Ministries International was planted in Africa in 2002, with more than 1,500 churches in Ghana, Liberia, Nigeria and Togo.
He was a member of the faculty at Howard University School of Divinity, where he taught pastoral theology and was director of the Field Education Program. He retired several years ago from the University.
He is preceded in death by: Lady Margaret Ann Dillard Taylor, his parents, two sisters, Deborah Taylor, Willie Mae Taylor Walker; four brothers, Myles, Wilmer, Cornelious and C.J. Taylor.
He is survived by: his wife, Ethal Taylor of Washington D.C., three sons, Joseph, II of Long Island, New York, Rodney Jerome of Durham, North Carolina and Quinton of Washington D.C.; three sisters, Johnnie Mae Demmings, Margie Smith, Dayton, Ohio; Daisy Mae Pierson, Daly City, California, and one brother, Wendell (Faye) Taylor, Trotters Court, Stone Mountain, GA, a number of nieces, nephews, other relatives, friends and Webster High School Class of 1955.