Greater White Stone
Missionary Baptist Church
IN MEMORY - Our Pastor Emeritus
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Honoring Rev. & Mrs. Joseph H. McGhee, Jr.
The 30th Pastor & Wife Anniversary
2002
Lord,
It belongs not to our care
Whether we die or live;
To love and serve thee;
is our share and this
Thy grace must give.
If Life be long, we will be glad
That we may long obey;
If short, yet why should we be sad
To soar to endless day?
Our knowledge of that life is small;
The eye of faith is dim;
But 'tis enough that Christ knows all,
And we shall be with Him.
"Farther Along"
W.B. Stevens - Arr. J. L. Baxter, Jr.
When we see Jesus coming in glory
When He comes from His home in the sky;
Then we shall meet Him in that bright mansion,
We’ll understand it all by and by.
Farther along we’ll know
All about it, Farther along
We’ll understand why;
Cheer up my brother,
Live in the sunshine,
We’ll understand it all by and by.
©1937 Stamps-Baxter Music Printing Co. "Starlit Crown" Renewed 1965.
Obituary
Rev. Joseph H. McGhee, Jr., was born September 28, 2011, in Memphis, Tennessee, which is located in Shelby County. He was the only child born to the late Joseph McGhee, Sr., and the late Mildred Taylor McGhee. Although he was born with many physical handicaps, he brought great joy to his family. He departed this life on October 23, 2011, at Methodist University Hospital in Memphis.
Rev. McGhee, at an early age, invited Jesus Christ into his life and joined Greater White Stone Missionary Baptist Church. He served under the pastorates of Rev. H. R. Jelks, Rev. A. R. Williams and Rev. Roger Brown. He, himself, pastured Greater White Stone Missionary Baptist Church from 1972 until 2010. He received his orders from the Holy Spirit to preach under the leadership of Rev. A. R. Williams. His first sermon was entitled, “The Double Effects of the Truth.” In the late 1960’s, he was called to pastor Oak Springs Baptist Church in Arlington, Tennessee. To return to Greater White Stone as pastor in 1972 was a special honor. His knowledge of the Bible was unlimited! Searching the scriptures was a passion to the superlative degree.
Rev. McGhee, as a young man, met and later married Vennie Scates to whom he remained faithful until her death in 2006.
Rev. McGhee was a believer in education. He began his educational career by attending LaRose Elementary School. He later graduated from the famous Booker T. Washington High School in 1949. With very few financial advantages, he attended Tennessee State University and Henderson Business College and received his bachelor’s degree from Russ College. He taught for forty years in the Memphis City and Shelby County School Systems. He also worked untiringly to help integrate the then called Memphis State University.
Rev. McGhee received numerous honors. He was the second black minister to give an invocation for the opening Joint House Congress Session at the Nation’s Capitol. He visited Monrovia, Liberia, in Africa, to pursue the possibility of building a church there in honor of Greater White Stone Missionary Baptist Church. He enjoyed working on the International Tea Committee to raise money to support LeMoyne-Owen College. In 1953, he received an honorable discharge from the Air Force.
Rev. McGhee’s philosophy of life was the following: "One must work hard to be successful in life. Knowing God, having a good education and using common sense is a combination that leads to success. To receive a blessing, one must be willing to give of himself; one must work while the day is present because when night comes, no one can work."
Rev. McGhee leaves to cherish his memory: two brothers-in-law, Charlie Scates of Memphis, Tennessee, and Rev. Nathaniel Scates and his children, Maria, Nathaniel, Jr., Norman and Emma of Portsmouth, Virginia; his sisters-in-law, Joyce Scates of Trezevant, Tennessee; his sister-in-law, Arvie Scates and her children, Avie and Bradley of Bowie, Maryland; a dear cousin, Myrtle Conway of Memphis; a cousin, Travis Seals of Dallas, Texas, and Pearl Crosby from the Crosby family here in Memphis. There were special friends like the Lesters and Latricia Jacobs who communicated with him often, twice daily for years. His family certainly includes all of his church members who were superlatively good to him. Listing all the names is impossible. There are also his friends in the ministry, his friends in the school system and those everyday persons whom he knew so well. He leaves many young people whom he loved and claimed as his godchildren.
May a special blessing be showered upon the Greater White Stone Church family. God truly blessed Rev. McGhee. The church members were really good to him. He is now rejoicing in heaven where he shall live in eternal peace with God.
Photos courtesy of Mrs. LaJuannuh Lytle