September 9, 1910– November 20, 2007

Bishop Willie Leander Phillips was a man of God. Because he was a man of God, he was a family man.

For Bishop Phillips, family meant raising 15 children with Gennie Gay, his wife of over 70 years. For him, family meant having six of his children become ministers.  For him, family meant tending to the needs of his church family as their pastor.

For Bishop Phillips, family meant serving as the bishop for over 35 years guiding elders and eldresses, plus providing spiritual inspiration, direction and guidance for the churches affiliated with the General Tabernacle in Kinston, NC.

Bishop Phillips was the only preacher in the Gay-Parker family for more than 20 years before anyone else in the family became a preacher.

At Minister Crystal Gay’s initial sermon on September 6, 2015, Bishop Robert Gay paid homage to Bishop Phillips by recalling that Bishop Phillips was the first preacher and bishop in the family. Bishop Robert Gay also recalled the mentoring impact that Bishop Phillips had on him and other ministers in the family.

Bishop Willie Phillips, a man who served God, a family man, left a lasting legacy. It is a legacy woven through the pursuit of God’s will in his work guiding family, church congregations, and ministers in a proper pathway to life and to God.

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