Sunrise November 14, 1935 Sunset October 3, 2015

A Beautiful Life...

October 11, 2015Oakwood University Church

Huntsville, Alabama

Dr. Carlton P. Byrd, Officiant

Murray E. Joiner, Sr.

For the Lord Himself shall descend from heaven

with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with

the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise

first. Then we which are alive and remain shall

be caught up together with them in the clouds,

to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be

with the Lord. Wherefore comfort one another with

these words. ~ 1 Thessalonians 4:16-18

Celebrating the Beautiful Life of Elder Murray E. Joiner, Sr.

1935-2015

He came into the world on a cold, November day – the warmest of spirits and the kindest of hearts. Elder Murray E. Joiner, Sr. was the first born and only son of a Methodist minister, Reverend Elijah, and his beautiful wife Geneva Barley Joiner. A native son of Huntsville, Alabama, he spent his first happy years playing on his grandparents David and Rhoda Barley’s farm at Pond Beat, Alabama, right outside of Huntsville. After the family’s lands were confiscated by the Federal Government, they moved into town taking up residence on a large family compound off of Pulaski Pike. Surrounded by his large extended family, he and his sisters grew up in a family of faith, love, and music. His first introduction to the Seventh-day Adventist Church as a young boy was through the sweet Vacation Bible School ministry of a neighbor. Sister May Davis invited him to her home on Friday evenings for worship and gave him The Voice of Prophecy Bible Studies. He eagerly accepted the teachings and signed to be baptized. However, his father was less than enthused when the men showed up to take him to church to be baptized! It was many years later before Pastor Joiner heard this wonderful message again.

As with all of the young African American teens in the city of Huntsville, he spent his days walking the railroad tracks to Councill High School where he excelled as a young scholar. He was industrious as a shoe shine boy in the Black Business district of Church Street and Holmes Avenue. He often worked in his uncle’s restaurants and eventually secured a position at the Russell Erskine Hotel while working his way through college at Alabama A & M. Always fascinated with science and medicine, he majored in Biology and Chemistry, hoping to one day become a physician. He was active as a popular singer in the group The Melody-Aires along with his best friend/brother James “Stacy” Ford, Nathaniel Otey, Leo Turner, and Billy Newby. He was also quite involved with the brothers of Omega Psi Phi.

What would become a 60-year love story began on the campus of Alabama A & M when he spotted the love of his life across the campus and declared, “There’s my wife!” The beautiful Nannie B. Hammonds was a 17-year old freshman when he pursued her. He invited her to hear him sing with his group at church and she too fell in love when she heard him singing, Precious Lord, Take My Hand. In 1957, they eloped along with his sister Verdell and her fiancé Allen “Pete” Pope to Mississippi.

The two couples went on to share anniversaries for over 58 years.

The Joiner’s lives were forever changed when they attended a tent effort sponsored by the 1st SDA Church. He happily took his stand and was baptized the week his first daughter, Nanetta, was born and his wife was baptized soon after.

A talented artist, Elder Joiner was eventually hired by the Chrysler Corporation as a detailed draftsman at Redstone Arsenal. His designs of internal components were eventually used in the building of the Saturn Five rocket. But something had changed Murray Joiner; he was on fire for the Lord! He became a lay minister in the area and went into the city of Decatur to share the message and give Bible studies. Working alongside the other pastors, the Alpha SDA Church was started in Decatur, Alabama. He was thrilled to bring others to Christ and knew he had a call on his life to the full-time gospel ministry.

The young couple began to pray because they knew he needed additional training to become a minister. The Seventh-day Adventist Theological Seminary was hundreds of miles away in Berrien Springs, Michigan, but soon the miracles unfolded. Initially

when he tried to enroll, because he had a degree in Biology and not Theology, the deans were afraid that he would be at a disadvantage if he started on the graduate level. They recommended that Elder Joiner stay in Huntsville and do coursework at Oakwood. However, a few days later, the dean called him and said that he was impressed through a dream that he should allow him into the program. They would accept him if he would come on a probationary status to see if he could handle the coursework. A bit leery, the couple struggled with the decision to go.

Now, with a young son Murray, Jr., their daughter, and their home, they were stable and comfortable in their home town. As was their custom, they had private worship as a couple in the wee hours of the morning. They decided to ask God for a sign to show them if they should leave.

Continued on page 8

4 5

Musical Prelude ............................................................................... Dr. J. Phillip Williams/Rodney AllenProcessional ..................................................................................... Platform Participants and the FamilyOpening Prayer ............................................................................... Elder Edmond Julius, Associate Pastor, OUCScripture .......................................................................................... Elder Michael Ross, Pastor, New Life SDA Church John 1:12-14 Rev 21: 1-3

Hymn of Promise........................ “The Glory Song” ................... Dr. J. Phillip Williams, O.A.A. Pastoral Remarks ............................................................................ Dr. Carlton P. Byrd , PastorMusical Selection ............................................................................ Oakwood University Church ChoraleAcknowledgements .......................................................................... Ivy Starks and Jody JonesReflections ....................................................................................... Elder Charles Bradford, Retired President, NAD Elder Dana Edmond, President, SCC Elder Steven Norman, Dir. of Comm., SUC

Musical Selection ........................ “The Lord’s Prayer” .............. Phyllis Pope Joseph, NieceReflections ....................................................................................... Elder Alfred Miller, Evangelist Elder Roy Patterson, Retired Ministerial Dir., SCC Elder Benjamin Jones, Ministerial Director, SCCMusical Selection ............................................................................ Linda R. Anderson, Dean of Women, OUReflections ....................................................................................... Elder Joseph McCoy, Retired President, SCC Delano Roosevelt Hyter, Family Friend Dr. Geraldine Joiner Thornton, Sister Dr. Kim Logan Nolan, Motivational Speaker

Musical Selection ........................ “A Vessel of Mercy”.................. Edwyn Cain, Marvin Jean, James Williams, and Chad DollarVideo TributeMusical SelectionEulogy ............................................................................................. Dr. Carlton P. Byrd, Director of Breath of Life Pastor of Oakwood University Church

Musical Selection ........................ “Total Praise”.......................... The Joiner FamilyBenediction ..................................................................................... Elder Richard Long

Recessional .................................. “God Is”.................................... Inspirational Choir of OUC

Order of ServiceDr. Carlton P. Byrd Officiating Pastor

7

. . . continued from page 5

This would truly be a faith decision. They had no idea how they would find jobs in Michigan or even how they would get there to look for work.

But God heard their prayer. That very same afternoon while on the Oakwood College campus, they overheard Dr. Alphonso Greene telling someone that he was leaving for Michigan the next day. They hurried over and dared to ask for a ride. He kindly accepted the travelers but they would have only one day in Michigan. How in the world would they get a job in one day? Only God! They went to speak with a principal in Benton Harbor and immediately Sister Joiner secured a position THAT very DAY. Within a few months, the couple settled in Michigan and after only one semester, the school lifted the probationary status from Elder Joiner because of his strong academic abilities.

While at Andrews University, the Joiners continued their ministry in various evangelistic meetings and churches. He was privileged to be a part of the Field Training school with Elder E. E. Cleveland. Soon, the South Central Conference sent an invitation to Elder Joiner to join the team as a pastor in the Greenwood, Mississippi district. The letter of invitation was dated January 18th, the day of his youngest daughter Victoria’s birth. They set off to begin a life of service in South Central that lasted for over 22 years.

Soon Elder Joiner’s The Big Bible Tent evangelistic efforts were drawing hundreds to Christ Jesus in Yazoo City and Columbus, Mississippi; Montgomery, and Birmingham, Alabama. Tireless in his preaching night after night, the Lord blessed with hundreds of baptisms. His churches grew and new congregations were started as a result of their commitment to soul winning.

A champion of SDA Christian education, Elder Joiner and his wife started schools where there were

no schools and upgraded others. They sponsored children, raised funds, and supported all of their schools with their time and efforts. All of their children are graduates of Oakwood University and all were educated in the SDA system.

Elder Joiner was called in 1976 to serve as Director of Personal Ministries and Sabbath School for the South Central Conference region. As director, he developed and wrote numerous programs to equip members as soul winners for Christ. Soul Winning Action Teams (S.W.A.T) integrated Personal Ministries and Sabbath School into evangelistic teams. Each member identified their spiritual gifts and was mobilized to work within the strength of those gifts.

After 10 years of leadership in South Central, he received a call to expand his role to the even larger territory of the Southern Union Conference of

8 9

Seventh-day Adventists in the Atlanta, Georgia area. Over the next four years, he continued his successful programs across the eight state region of the Southern Union.

In 1990, the call to serve the world church came when he was elected as Associate Personal Ministries Director in the Church Ministries Department of the General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists. He traveled to nearly every continent as a specialist in pastoral and lay volunteer ministries. His specialties included: Church growth through discipleship training for church professionals; Motivation and Recruiting; Motivation through the Holy Spirit’s Gifts; Lay Preaching Ministries; Small-group and Church Planting Ministries.

Although he was a gifted administrator, Elder Joiner missed his great love – pastoral ministries. In 1993 he accepted a call to pastor the City Temple SDA Church in Detroit, Michigan. While there, he successfully inspired his officers and congregation in a $1,000,000 renovation of the church building. He then ended his ministerial career in the Lake Region Conference at the Maywood SDA Church in Chicago, Illinois in 2001.

This native son of Huntsville returned home upon his retirement. Over the next 14 years, he served diligently as an elder at the Oakwood University Church and enjoyed his grandchildren and great-grandchildren. He was known for his wisdom, kindness, and loving encouragement.

On another cold, autumn day, Murray Evans Joiner, Sr. spent his last Sabbath with his loving wife, N. B. J., (as he affectionately called her) and their daughter Nanetta. Though growing weak, he still tried to sing along as they sang his favorite

song, We Are Climbing Jacob’s Ladder. Surrounded by prayers, songs of praise, and love, his beautiful life on this earth ended.

He leaves to cherish his memory his beloved wife of over 58 years, the former Nannie Jordan Hammonds; their three children: Nanetta Joiner Pressley, Dr. Murray E. Joiner, Jr. and his wife Patricia, and Dr. Victoria Joiner; six grandchildren: Dr. Joyce Pressley Bellamy and her husband Michael; Robert “Robbie” Pressley, Jr.; Jennifer C. Miller; Murray E. Joiner, III; Lauren A. Joiner; and David Lee Miller; and two great-grandchildren, Mia Lynn Bellamy and Michael L. Bellamy, Jr. Elder Joiner is also survived by his four sisters, Verdell Pope, Annie Joyce Brown, Geraldine Thornton and her husband Joseph, and Victoria Crawford and husband Warren and his beloved Sister-in-Law Lula Merritt and her husband James, along with a host of loving nieces, nephews, cousins, god-children, and friends.

Elder Joiner rests easy now as he awaits the voice of the great Life-giver who has promised him a beautiful new home and a beautiful new life in the New Jerusalem.

8

Omega Psi PhiPallbearers

Oakwood Memorial GardensInterment

AcknowledgementsThe Joiner Family wishes to express their sincere appreciation to everyone who has blessed us with your tremendous acts of kindness, expressions of sympathy, visits, and amazing gifts given and shown to us during this sad time. We especially thank our beloved pastor, Dr. Carlton P. Byrd, the entire pastoral staff, officers, and the entire Oakwood University Church family, Dr. William J. Hicks and staff, Dr. David Peterson and staff, our sweet nurse Alice Peoples, Sabbath School Class #22, David & Karen Jones Smith and the entire staff of Royal Funeral Home, the Brothers of Omega Psi Phi, Jerry Ross, Oakwood Memorial Gardens, Albert’s Flowers, and all of the participants who made this day special. May God bless you all.

Deaconesses of the Oakwood University ChurchFlower Attendants

Repast has been prepared for the family and special guests in the Multipurpose Room of the Oakwood University Church immediately following the service.

Repast

Program Design byJerry Ross

jr@jerryrossdesign.com