Obituary for Ronnie Powe, Sr.
Dr. Ronnie Zebedee Powe, Sr was born on August 12, 1958, the seventh child of the late Daniel and Ella Mae Powe. He was raised in the fold of the Pentecostal church along with his siblings in Gilbertown, Alabama. The family attended weekly services at Glorious Temple Church of God In Christ. With his father a deacon and mother as a church mother and leader, the Powe siblings formed lifelong bonds within the community.
The Powe family grew up on a farm, so hard work was no stranger to them, especially the boys. But when it came to recreation, the Powe boys chose the beloved sport of football. Ronnie sought to follow in the footsteps of his older brothers. Ronnie, however, later admitted to using football to battle racism. “All of that hate inside of me, I took it to the field,” Dr. Powe once said. “I was a beast on that field. Hate drove me.”
He continued to play defensive lineman throughout his high school career at Southern Choctaw High School. In 1976 that drive, and determination earned him a football scholarship to the University Tennessee at Chattanooga. There he received a Bachelor of Business Administration degree from the University Tennessee at Chattanooga. He also received his Master’s degree and a Doctorate of Divinity from Bethany Theological Seminary.
In the late 1970s, Dr. Powe returned to his Pentecostal roots. He was saved and filled with the Holy Ghost during a shut-in and revival conducted by Missionary Georgia Mae Stanback at Saints Temple COGIC. He left any semblance of a career in football including a chance to play in the National Football League. And he did it all, the serve a higher power, the Lord Jesus Christ.
When asked how he could leave such a potentially lucrative career, Dr. Powe said that he no longer had any anger, the Lord was his refuge. In 2020, Dr. Powe was inducted into the University of Tennessee Athletic Hall of Fame.
At the age of 21, he married Iris Jean Sheppard. The two married on February 15, 1979 and had four children Celestrial Charity Williams, Nina LaShun Robinson, Rhonda Kay Myrick, Ronnie Powe, Jr. and god-daughter Alexus Woodard. With his wife and children by his side, Dr. Powe started a preaching ministry in 1980. His first message anointed by God was “Speak the Word Only.” This became his mantra. Known for his unfiltered teaching style, Dr. Powe preached holiness and he believed in being faithful and dedicated to the Word of God.
In 1983, he founded the Glass Street Mission which later changed its name to United Tabernacle COGIC which was a distribution center where souls were converted, and many destinies were changed. In 1989, he purchased a building in Chickamauga, Georgia where he established another mission known as Hope Tabernacle Church where he served as pastor for five years. Dr. Powe began Phase III of his ministry when he built a new edifice located at 2418 Dodson Avenue. He preached the Word at United Tabernacle for 39 years. He loved the people and believed in having a spirit of excellence in everything he did. He was a planner and a visionary. His yearly themes would propel the church into different phases of success. In 2016 he published The History of the Glossolalia and started on his new book, Transitions.
Dr. Powe served in many capacities within the Chattanooga District and the Tennessee Eastern 2nd Jurisdiction which consisted of Chairman of the Chattanooga District, District AIM Chairman, on the Executive Board in1996 under Bishop James Scott, Jurisdictional Youth President and AIM President, and nominated as Chairman of the Pastors and Elders Council.
Dr. Powe loved young people and he totally transformed the Jurisdictional AIM into a dream machine which provided rare opportunities to many. He gave many ministers the opportunity to preach and shared his wisdom with many pastors in the area. He ran revivals for many years throughout the state of Alabama and Eastern Tennessee. He preached his last Revival in 2022 at the All American Holiness Church in Anniston, Alabama and in spite of health obstacles he gave it his all.
On Thursday, December 22, 2022, “His name came up,” in Heaven and he was called home to be with the Lord. We take comfort in knowing that he lived the Word that he preached about. He now joins his mother and father, his sisters Beulah Mae Tolliver-Baker, Nora Lee Hampton, Lula Voncile Rogers ; his brothers, Lorenzo Powe, Ray Charles Powe and Cecil Glenn Powe Sr; his grand-daughter, A’miracle Burgess. Dr. Powe leaves to cherish these memories and many more to his wife, Iris Jean Powe; his brother, Larry (Andrea)Powe; his sister, Julia Whigham; sister-in-law, Elaine Powe; his four children, Ronnie Powe, Jr., Celestrial (Lewis) Williams, Rhonda (Darius) Myrick, Nina (Maurice) Robinson; his god-daughter, Alexus Woodard, son-in-law, Theanthony Haymon and grandchildren, Jayden Haymon, Jordyn Haymon, Kaleb Powe, O’marrie Powe, Maurice Robinson Jr., Justin Myrick, Roniyah Myrick, Devonte Lomnick, Jr., Daylin Lomnick; his nieces, nephews, cousins and friends.
Public viewing will be held 2:00 PM-6:00 PM on Friday, January 6, 2023, at United Tabernacle Church of God in Christ, 2418 Dodson Avenue, Chattanooga.
A 10:00 AM funeral service will be held Saturday, January7, 2023, at United Tabernacle Church of God in Christ.
Interment Highland Memorial Gardens, Gate time, 1:00 PM.
Arrangements by John P. Franklin Funeral Home, 1101 Dodds Avenue, 423-622-9995.
The Powe family grew up on a farm, so hard work was no stranger to them, especially the boys. But when it came to recreation, the Powe boys chose the beloved sport of football. Ronnie sought to follow in the footsteps of his older brothers. Ronnie, however, later admitted to using football to battle racism. “All of that hate inside of me, I took it to the field,” Dr. Powe once said. “I was a beast on that field. Hate drove me.”
He continued to play defensive lineman throughout his high school career at Southern Choctaw High School. In 1976 that drive, and determination earned him a football scholarship to the University Tennessee at Chattanooga. There he received a Bachelor of Business Administration degree from the University Tennessee at Chattanooga. He also received his Master’s degree and a Doctorate of Divinity from Bethany Theological Seminary.
In the late 1970s, Dr. Powe returned to his Pentecostal roots. He was saved and filled with the Holy Ghost during a shut-in and revival conducted by Missionary Georgia Mae Stanback at Saints Temple COGIC. He left any semblance of a career in football including a chance to play in the National Football League. And he did it all, the serve a higher power, the Lord Jesus Christ.
When asked how he could leave such a potentially lucrative career, Dr. Powe said that he no longer had any anger, the Lord was his refuge. In 2020, Dr. Powe was inducted into the University of Tennessee Athletic Hall of Fame.
At the age of 21, he married Iris Jean Sheppard. The two married on February 15, 1979 and had four children Celestrial Charity Williams, Nina LaShun Robinson, Rhonda Kay Myrick, Ronnie Powe, Jr. and god-daughter Alexus Woodard. With his wife and children by his side, Dr. Powe started a preaching ministry in 1980. His first message anointed by God was “Speak the Word Only.” This became his mantra. Known for his unfiltered teaching style, Dr. Powe preached holiness and he believed in being faithful and dedicated to the Word of God.
In 1983, he founded the Glass Street Mission which later changed its name to United Tabernacle COGIC which was a distribution center where souls were converted, and many destinies were changed. In 1989, he purchased a building in Chickamauga, Georgia where he established another mission known as Hope Tabernacle Church where he served as pastor for five years. Dr. Powe began Phase III of his ministry when he built a new edifice located at 2418 Dodson Avenue. He preached the Word at United Tabernacle for 39 years. He loved the people and believed in having a spirit of excellence in everything he did. He was a planner and a visionary. His yearly themes would propel the church into different phases of success. In 2016 he published The History of the Glossolalia and started on his new book, Transitions.
Dr. Powe served in many capacities within the Chattanooga District and the Tennessee Eastern 2nd Jurisdiction which consisted of Chairman of the Chattanooga District, District AIM Chairman, on the Executive Board in1996 under Bishop James Scott, Jurisdictional Youth President and AIM President, and nominated as Chairman of the Pastors and Elders Council.
Dr. Powe loved young people and he totally transformed the Jurisdictional AIM into a dream machine which provided rare opportunities to many. He gave many ministers the opportunity to preach and shared his wisdom with many pastors in the area. He ran revivals for many years throughout the state of Alabama and Eastern Tennessee. He preached his last Revival in 2022 at the All American Holiness Church in Anniston, Alabama and in spite of health obstacles he gave it his all.
On Thursday, December 22, 2022, “His name came up,” in Heaven and he was called home to be with the Lord. We take comfort in knowing that he lived the Word that he preached about. He now joins his mother and father, his sisters Beulah Mae Tolliver-Baker, Nora Lee Hampton, Lula Voncile Rogers ; his brothers, Lorenzo Powe, Ray Charles Powe and Cecil Glenn Powe Sr; his grand-daughter, A’miracle Burgess. Dr. Powe leaves to cherish these memories and many more to his wife, Iris Jean Powe; his brother, Larry (Andrea)Powe; his sister, Julia Whigham; sister-in-law, Elaine Powe; his four children, Ronnie Powe, Jr., Celestrial (Lewis) Williams, Rhonda (Darius) Myrick, Nina (Maurice) Robinson; his god-daughter, Alexus Woodard, son-in-law, Theanthony Haymon and grandchildren, Jayden Haymon, Jordyn Haymon, Kaleb Powe, O’marrie Powe, Maurice Robinson Jr., Justin Myrick, Roniyah Myrick, Devonte Lomnick, Jr., Daylin Lomnick; his nieces, nephews, cousins and friends.
Public viewing will be held 2:00 PM-6:00 PM on Friday, January 6, 2023, at United Tabernacle Church of God in Christ, 2418 Dodson Avenue, Chattanooga.
A 10:00 AM funeral service will be held Saturday, January7, 2023, at United Tabernacle Church of God in Christ.
Interment Highland Memorial Gardens, Gate time, 1:00 PM.
Arrangements by John P. Franklin Funeral Home, 1101 Dodds Avenue, 423-622-9995.