Click cover to enlarge image Elder McKinley Miles's Memorial Cover

The Honorable Elder McKinley Miles, beloved husband Mamie Miles, Pastor and Founder of the Charity Community Church of Christ , Clinton Maryland, passed from his labor to reward on June 5, 2004. He was 66 years of age.

He leaves to cherish his memory, his loving and devoted wife, Mamie, three sons, Derek, Daren and Kevin; their wives, Tawana, Cyndra and Teesha; six grandchildren, Derek, Jr., Jamal, Paris, Jordan and Jabria; one stepfather, Mr. Wilbert Terry, Sr.; seven sisters, Dorothy Means, Runnette Savage, Patricia Ann Taylor, Rita Jean Terry, Sr.; Sylvia, Patricia, and Lena Eads; two brothers, Wilbert, Jr. and Michael Terry; two brothers-in-law, John Savage and Larry Taylor, Sr.; one sister-in-law, Reece Terry; and a host of aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews, cousins, and friends.

The Homegoing Celebration for Elder McKinley Miles, was officiated by Deacon Vincent Tillman of Refuge Temple Church, Washington, DC at the Fisherman of Men Church in Washington, DC. Bishop Clarence Groover Sr., Pastor of Fisherman of Men Church and the State Bishop of the Mid-Atlantic Diocese, delivered the Eulogistic Message

The following are the scriptures referenced and excerpts of Bishop Clarence Groover's remarks at the funeral of Elder McKinley Miles at the Fisherman of Men Church:

"The Budding of Aaron's Staff" (Numbers 17:1-12, New Living Translation (NLT)): 1Then the LORD said to Moses, 2"Take twelve wooden staffs, one from each of Israel's ancestral tribes, and inscribe each tribal leader's name on his staff. 3Inscribe Aaron's name on the staff of the tribe of Levi, for there must be one staff for the leader of each ancestral tribe. 4Put these staffs in the Tabernacle in front of the Ark of the Covenant,[1] where I meet with you. 5Buds will sprout on the staff belonging to the man I choose. Then I will finally put an end to this murmuring and complaining against you." 6So Moses gave the instructions to the people of Israel, and each of the twelve tribal leaders, including Aaron, brought Moses a staff. 7Moses put the staffs in the LORD's presence in the Tabernacle of the Covenant.[2] 8When he went into the Tabernacle of the Covenant the next day, he found that Aaron's staff, representing the tribe of Levi, had sprouted, blossomed, and produced almonds! 9When Moses brought all the staffs out from the LORD's presence, he showed them to the people. Each man claimed his own staff. 10And the LORD said to Moses: "Place Aaron's staff permanently before the Ark of the Covenant[3] as a warning to rebels. This should put an end to their complaints against me and prevent any further deaths." 11So Moses did as the LORD commanded him. 12Then the people of Israel said to Moses, "We are as good as dead! We are ruined! 13Everyone who even comes close to the Tabernacle of the LORD dies. We are all doomed!"

"A Branch from David's Line" ( Isaiah 11:1-5, New Living Translation (NLT)): 1Out of the stump of David's family[1] will grow a shoot--yes, a new Branch bearing fruit from the old root. 2And the Spirit of the LORD will rest on him--the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and might, the Spirit of knowledge and the fear of the LORD. 3He will delight in obeying the LORD. He will never judge by appearance, false evidence, or hearsay. 4He will defend the poor and the exploited. He will rule against the wicked and destroy them with the breath of his mouth. 5He will be clothed with fairness and truth.

"Living Stones for God's House" (I Peter 2:1-9, New Living Translation (NLT)): 1 So get rid of all malicious behavior and deceit. Don't just pretend to be good! Be done with hypocrisy and jealousy and backstabbing. 2You must crave pure spiritual milk so that you can grow into the fullness of your salvation. Cry out for this nourishment as a baby cries for milk, 3now that you have had a taste of the Lord's kindness. Living Stones for Gods House 4Come to Christ, who is the living cornerstone of God's temple. He was rejected by the people, but he is precious to God who chose him. 5And now God is building you, as living stones, into his spiritual temple. What's more, you are God's holy priests, who offer the spiritual sacrifices that please him because of Jesus Christ. 6As the Scriptures express it, "I am placing a stone in Jerusalem,[1] a chosen cornerstone, and anyone who believes in him will never be disappointed.[2] " 7Yes, he is very precious to you who believe. But for those who reject him, "The stone that was rejected by the builders has now become the cornerstone."[3] 8And the Scriptures also say, "He is the stone that makes people stumble, the rock that will make them fall."[4] They stumble because they do not listen to God's word or obey it, and so they meet the fate that has been planned for them. 9But you are not like that, for you are a chosen people. You are a kingdom of priests, God's holy nation, his very own possession. This is so you can show others the goodness of God, for he called you out of the darkness into his wonderful light.

"Great Examples of Faith" (Hebrews 11:1-16, New Living Translation (NLT)): 1What is faith? It is the confident assurance that what we hope for is going to happen. It is the evidence of things we cannot yet see. 2God gave his approval to people in days of old because of their faith. 3By faith we understand that the entire universe was formed at God's command, that what we now see did not come from anything that can be seen. 4It was by faith that Abel brought a more acceptable offering to God than Cain did. God accepted Abel's offering to show that he was a righteous man. And although Abel is long dead, he still speaks to us because of his faith. 5It was by faith that Enoch was taken up to heaven without dying--"suddenly he disappeared because God took him."[1] But before he was taken up, he was approved as pleasing to God. 6So, you see, it is impossible to please God without faith. Anyone who wants to come to him must believe that there is a God and that he rewards those who sincerely seek him. 7It was by faith that Noah built an ark to save his family from the flood. He obeyed God, who warned him about something that had never happened before. By his faith he condemned the rest of the world and was made right in God's sight. 8It was by faith that Abraham obeyed when God called him to leave home and go to another land that God would give him as his inheritance. He went without knowing where he was going. 9And even when he reached the land God promised him, he lived there by faith--for he was like a foreigner, living in a tent. And so did Isaac and Jacob, to whom God gave the same promise. 10Abraham did this because he was confidently looking forward to a city with eternal foundations, a city designed and built by God. 11It was by faith that Sarah together with Abraham was able to have a child, even though they were too old and Sarah was barren. Abraham believed that God would keep his promise.[2] 12And so a whole nation came from this one man, Abraham, who was too old to have any children--a nation with so many people that, like the stars of the sky and the sand on the seashore, there is no way to count them. 13All these faithful ones died without receiving what God had promised them, but they saw it all from a distance and welcomed the promises of God. They agreed that they were no more than foreigners and nomads here on earth. 14And obviously people who talk like that are looking forward to a country they can call their own. 15If they had meant the country they came from, they would have found a way to go back. 16But they were looking for a better place, a heavenly homeland. That is why God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a heavenly city for them.

"Flee from the wrath to come, to the hope set before us in Jesus Christ."(Proverbs 29:1-27, New Living Translation (NLT)) Whoever stubbornly refuses to accept criticism will suddenly be broken beyond repair. 2When the godly are in authority, the people rejoice. But when the wicked are in power, they groan. 3The man who loves wisdom brings joy to his father, but if he hangs around with prostitutes, his wealth is wasted. 4A just king gives stability to his nation, but one who demands bribes destroys it. 5To flatter people is to lay a trap for their feet. 6Evil people are trapped by sin, but the righteous escape, shouting for joy. 7The godly know the rights of the poor; the wicked don't care to know. 8Mockers can get a whole town agitated, but those who are wise will calm anger. 9If a wise person takes a fool to court, there will be ranting and ridicule but no satisfaction. 10The bloodthirsty hate the honest, but the upright seek out the honest. 11A fool gives full vent to anger, but a wise person quietly holds it back. 12If a ruler honors liars, all his advisers will be wicked. 13The poor and the oppressor have this in common--the LORD gives light to the eyes of both. 14A king who is fair to the poor will have a long reign. 15To discipline and reprimand a child produces wisdom, but a mother is disgraced by an undisciplined child. 16When the wicked are in authority, sin increases. But the godly will live to see the tyrant's downfall. 17Discipline your children, and they will give you happiness and peace of mind. 18When people do not accept divine guidance, they run wild. But whoever obeys the law is happy. 19For a servant, mere words are not enough--discipline is needed. For the words may be understood, but they are not heeded. 20There is more hope for a fool than for someone who speaks without thinking. 21A servant who is pampered from childhood will later become a rebel. 22A hot-tempered person starts fights and gets into all kinds of sin. 23Pride ends in humiliation, while humility brings honor. 24If you assist a thief, you are only hurting yourself. You will be punished if you report the crime, but you will be cursed if you don't. 25Fearing people is a dangerous trap, but to trust the LORD means safety. 26Many seek the ruler's favor, but justice comes from the LORD. 27The godly despise the wicked; the wicked despise the godly.