Bishop Elbert Sheppard

Early Years:

Birth
Elbert Lee Sheppard was born to Charlie and Elizabeth Austin Sheppard on July 15, 1928, in Tampa, Florida. Even though his parents' mar- riage ended after 8 years, God used this event to develop his leadership abilities as he assisted his mother in providing for thier family. He start- ed school at the age of nine and completed his secondary education at nineteen.

Education
Sheppard endeavored to continue his education at the advice of his mother and traveled to Tallaha- ssee without the necessary $37.50 for tuition. Be- cause of his commitment to hardwork, Sheppard saw the Lord supply his need semester by semester. He graduated from Florida Agriculture and Mechanical University with a bachelor's degree in History and Religious Education and later with a Master's degree in Administration and Guidance. He Completed further postgraduate study at Florida State University.

Career
Sheppard worked in the Gadsden County Schools of Quincy, Florida. He began in 1959 at Carter- Parramore High School teaching English and History. There he also started his Guidance Counseling career and continued it at James A. Shanks High School. Beginning in 1971, God gave him the opp- ortunity to be a help and mentor to thousands of young people. He retired from Gadsden County School System in the spring of 1997.

Family Life
Sheppard became a leader and an example to two other siblings, Dorthy and Leroy. This exemplary leadership carried over into his ability to be a good husband and father. Sheppard married his teenage sweetheart, Floria Chavers, on December 25, 1953. To their union were born five children - four of them followed in his footsteps by entering the gospel ministry.

Later Years:

Call to Ministry
Sheppard's mother, Elizabeth Sheppard, stood her ground as it relates to leading a holy life-style. He explained on many occasions that in his mothers house, everbody was saved, whether you wanted to be or not. She held firm to the scripture, "As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord". Sheppard received the baptism of the Holy Ghost with the evi- dence, during a service that was held at the mother church in Tampa, College Hill Church Of God in Christ. Bishop Sheppard explains that it was at a very quiet and somber service where the Lord gave him a new experience, which would radically change his life. He acknowledged his call to the gos- pel ministry and was licensed to preach by the late Elder J.J. Flowers in 1948. He was ordained an elder in the Church of God in Christ on March 27, 1952 at the hand of the late bishop Wells Roger Nesbitt in Jacksonville, Florida.

Establish Churches
In 1951, Elder Owen Smith introduced Sheppard to Bradwell, a community in South Quincy. Later that same year, Sheppard was given the opportunity to serve as acting pastor of Midway COGIC. After Bishop Nesbitt ordained him, he subsequently app- ointed him as pastor of Midway COGIC in April 1952. He remained pastor there for 35 years. While working in Midway, he also accepted the challenge to organize and build a church in Bradwell. In 1956, the Lord gave Sheppard a vision in Havana, Florida, where he origanized the Church of God in Christ Mission. Still feeling the need to spread the gospel, in 1961 he established another church in the Quincy community, St john Church of God in Christ. In 1962, Bishop Nesbitt thought it expedient to ask Sheppard to give up the Bradwell church and take up the Tall- ahassee, Church (now Watson Temple Institutional COGIC) and build its congregation and structure. Through his spiritual vision and leadership, a new edifice was erected and dedicated on December 9, 1995.

District Work
Because of Sheppard's faithfulness and impact in the Big Bend area, Bishop Melton Lewis Sconiers created what we know as the Big Bend District and appointed Sheppard to serve as District Super- intendent in 1988. Subsequently, this appointment made a significant impact not only in the Big Bend area but also in the entire Western Florida Juris- diction. Sheppard served faithfully as the Second Administrative Assistant to the late Bishop Timothy Herbert Thompson and First Administrative Assistant to the late Bishop Melton Lewis Sconiers. Bishop Chandler David Owens appointed Sheppard the fourth Jurisdictional Prelate of Western Florida in August of 1996. During his tenure as Bishop, he im- plemented the following initiatives: maintaining our holiness heritage; revising our state tithing system; preparing for and serving our youth; organizing for church growth and expansion; and maximizing the use of our state property.

As We Remember
Anyone who attended Watson Temple while in college can remember many historic moments. Bishop Sheppard developed a way like none other that helped him to articulate the gospel. We re- member nights when he would get excited while preaching and would stand on the altar or chair to accurately make the vision plain to the people. We remember the consecrations where after the musician would leave, he would skillfully, in his own way, play the piano. Anyone who attended the Saint John Church would remember his tenaciousness for everyone to attend all Thursday night pastoral teach- ings, even on Thanksgiving night. At Saint John, we remember the over packed pastoral Sunday morning services where the Holy Ghost would fall and rest on the hearts of the people. We remember his vision for a new sanctuary and the many sacrifices that he made to make it come alive, thereby purchasing 8 acres of land. We can all remember the sacrifices that he made for humanity. Bishop Sheppard was a giant, superstar, celebrity, but he was most of all a saint. He always had time for children, adult, senior citizen, as everyone was important to him. Bishop Sheppard prided himself in always being accessible to the people, thus keeping an open door policy.

Final Days
On September 14, he recieved the shocking news that cancer had returned, and had already spread throughout his body. However, it did not prevent him from journeying to the 18th Annual World Pentecostal Conference and to our Jer- uslem, Memphis, TN, for the International Holy Convocation. He departed this life on Friday, December 11, 1998 at 2:40 PM leaving us with a healthy church and a legacy filled with integrity.