Bishop Walter H. Richardson, dies at 100; was longtime pastor of Liberty City church

Bishop Walter Harris Richardson, who for more than a half century shepherded The Church of God Tabernacle (True Holiness), a thriving center of religious life in Liberty City, has died. He was 100.

Bishop Richardson had served faithfully as the pastor and overseer of the church since 1965, watching the congregation swell from a handful of congregants to about 300. He continued to be a force in the Pentecostal church throughout his life, although most of the duties as a church leader had passed to his longtime friend and assistant pastor, Elder Thomas P. Edwards, in recent years.

“Bishop,” as the congregation and his family lovingly called him, was a preacher’s preacher and a lover of the word of God who loved preaching the gospel of Jesus Christ and reaching out to the downtrodden. Often a typical sermon would start with the bishop belting out a stirring hymn before preaching. He often ended a sermon the same way.

“He was a great leader; always ready to go where he was needed. He often would get in his car in the middle of the night to pray with someone who was ill. I was honored to go along with him on many of those trips,” said Edwards, who had known “Bishop” for more than 70 years. “Another thing Bishop will be remembered for is his peaceful nature. His favorite saying was, ‘I love peace.’”

Bishop Richardson was passionate about spreading the gospel, and two other churches — The Church of God Tabernacle in Belle Glade, and The Church of God Tabernacle in Valdosta, Georgia — were founded under his leadership during his years in the ministry.

And as a church leader, he was known to have a compassionate heart. He led the church in collecting money, food, and clothes for those who had been victims of disasters in the United States, Africa and the Caribbean region.

“Bishop” was a member of a family that included other prominent church leaders. A church in Vero Beach was established under his late aunt, Evangelist Mamie E. Richardson, who also led The Church of God Tabernacle (True Holiness) in Miami after the death of her husband, Thomas J. Richardson, who had founded the church. And Bishop Richardson had two sons who are pastors: Walter T. and Alfred J. Others members of the bishop’s extended family also hold pastoral roles.

For years, “Bishop” thought he would not live to see his 80th birthday. His father and both his brothers Frank and Amos, all died at 79.

“When my dad turned 79, he became anxious about reaching his 80th birthday,” the Rev. Dr. Walter T. Richardson, his older son, said. “That’s because his brothers and his dad didn’t make it to 80.”

The years rolled by and the bishop celebrated one milestone birthday after another. And when he reached 95, it looked like he was going to get his heart’s desire — to live to celebrate his centennial birthday. Which he did.

On Jan. 5, surrounded by his loving family and seated in his favorite chair in the living room of the Miami Gardens home he shared with his beloved Enith Betty, Richardson celebrated becoming a centenarian.

Then, early in the morning of Jan. 14, the beloved Bishop Richardson “went home to be with the Lord”.

Born and raised in North Carolina

A proud “Tar Heel,” Walter Harris Richardson was born in Ansonville, North Carolina, to Frank and Ollie Richardson. He was the eighth of 10 siblings, all of whom preceded him in death.

Richardson attended Red Hill Elementary and graduated from Ansonville High school. He later attended North Carolina A & T College. The handsome young Richardson was a dashing and popular figure in his hometown. He sang in several gospel quartets and was known for his beautiful tenor voice.

Bishop accepted the Lord as his personal Savior in August of 1945, during an outdoor revival in his parents’ yard. The service was led by his uncle, the late Thomas J. Richardson, the founder of the church in Liberty City.

After visiting Miami, Richardson decided to stay and got a job at the old Sears, Roebuck & Co. at 13th Street and Biscayne Boulevard. He later sent for his then-fiancée, Poseline McLaughlin, to join him. They were married a short time later after a Sunday evening service at the church. Their union produced two sons, Walter T. and Alfred J., both of whom followed their dad in the ministry.

Bishop and Missionary Poseline Richardson had been married 49 years when she died in 1996. In 2000, the bishop found love again when he married the widow Enith Betty Forbes.

Early on at the Church of God Tabernacle, Richardson served as a Sunday school teacher. Before long, he was called into the ministry and became an evangelist at the church, often leading street meetings and serving as the “right arm” for his aunt, Mamie E. Richardson.

When she died in 1965, the mantle fell on Richardson’s shoulders. He later was ordained an elder in the church. And in April 1996, he was consecrated as a bishop.

Bishop Richardson was a patriotic man who loved America. Yet, he was quick to let others know that he also loved and was not ashamed of his African heritage. He was proud of the annual Black History Month program at the church that was geared to teaching the children about their heritage.

The bishop also enjoyed traveling to different countries. One of his favorite trips was to the Holy Land during the mid-1970s. At the time, the church published a small, monthly newspaper, and over several months, Richardson got to share the places he had visited with members of the congregation through his stories in the paper. A generous man, Richardson never visited a foreign country without bringing souvenirs back for the members of his entire congregation.

Family reminisces

“Bishop’s” older son remembers their father as being “serious about his work for the Lord, and as a husband and father.

“And yet, he was quite the comedian. I can remember seeing my mom lying on the floor shaking with laughter at something my dad had said or done,” said the Rev. Dr. Walter T. Richardson.

“While the Bishop had a great sense of humor, he was also a strict and a very loving father. He was always there for us, hardly ever missing a track meet or a concert where my brother Alfred and I were performing.”

Granddaughter Lakisha Richardson Jones said, “Being a PGK [pastor’s grandkid] can be challenging… but my grandaddy made it easy for me. Although he was important to so many people, he made me feel special. I never hand to compete for attention or affection. I was Walter Harris’ granddaughter.

“The lessons that he taught me, the legacy that he has given me, and the warm memories I have of him will be with me to comfort me for the rest of my life.”

Over the years, the bishop’s walk with the Lord inspired many people from different ethnic backgrounds. One is Taffy Gould, author, philanthropist and founder and chairman of Oceania University of Medicine, who along with her family, established The Ethel Goldstein/Missionary Ida Belle Johnson Scholarship Foundation to help the youth of the church further their education.

Founded in 2001, the scholarship is named for Gould’s grandmother and one of the church’s missionaries, who was Gould’s nanny when she was a child.

“It has been one of my life’s great honors and blessings to work with Bishop Richardson, over the years, encouraging young people of his church to continue with their education,” Gould said. “His messages — always delivered with his wonderful benevolent smile — promoted the high values he held dear and exhibited so beautifully, himself: honor, commitment, optimism, and gratitude. The success of so many of the young students is a tribute to the dedication and support they always felt from him. I shall always treasure the friendship we enjoyed.”

In addition to his wife and sons, Richardson is survived by daughters-in-law Evangelist M. Dolores (Walter T.) and Minister Corliss (Alfred J.) of Atlanta: three grandchildren, 14 great-grandchildren, and six great-great-grandchildren; two stepsons Clifford (Valeria) and Dobrey Forbes; and many nieces, cousins, and godchildren.

A viewing will be from 5 to 7 p.m. on Friday, Jan. 27, at The Church of God Tabernacle (True Holiness), 1351 NW 67th St. in Liberty City.

Homegoing services will be at 11 a.m. on Saturday, Jan. 28, at Antioch Missionary Baptist Church of Miami Gardens, 21311 NW 34th Ave. The eulogy will be given by Bishop’s older son, and his younger son will preach the homegoing sermon.

Bea L. Hines can be reached at bea.hines@gmail.com. Her column Neighbors in Community appears weekly in the Sunday Neighbors section of the Miami Herald.